Cleansing of the Temple

Picture the scene: Jesus walked into the Temple, the place meant to be a sacred space for prayer and worship, and what did He find? A marketplace – people profiting off God’s people. But Jesus didn’t just shake His head and walk away — He did something. Verse 17 is key. Jesus says, “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!”  This wasn’t Jesus just having a moment. It was righteous anger rooted in His deep love for the Father and a passion to see God’s people approach Him with reverence and sincerity.

Let’s think about this moment with Jesus in the Temple a little deeper: What were the people doing in the Temple that made Jesus so upset? What is the gathering of God’s people really for? When we gather — whether on Sunday morning, in your Life Group, or even around the dinner table — are we showing up to give or to take? It’s easy to make worship about us. What songs we like. What we “get out of it.” But Jesus reminds us here that when we gather as God’s people, it’s not about consuming — it’s about connecting: with Him and each other.  So, when we show up to church, or open our Bible, or say a prayer, we should ask are we there to take something or to give something? Is it to give God our attention, our gratitude, our worship, our obedience? Jesus calls us to something better — a purified heart, a real connection with the Father, and a community that lifts each other up in prayer.

Lord, help me see Your house the way You see it — as a sacred place to pray, to gather, and to give. Forgive me for the times I’ve treated Your presence casually or selfishly. I don’t want to come with a consumer mindset. I want to come to worship, to give, to honor You with all I am. Purify my heart, my habits, and my attitude. Let my life reflect the kind of worship You desire — sincere, holy, and full of love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.