A Place for Prayer

In Matthew 21 Jesus entered into the Temple, there he witnessed religious people acting like worldly people. In the story Jesus entered the Temple to find the Pharisees filling the court of the Gentiles into a place of money exchange tables and consumerism. Jesus saw all of this and got angry. He kicked over the tables and drove them out with a whip he made. When Jesus did that, he quoted Isaiah 56:7.

“7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:7 NIV

That part of the Temple was designed for Gentiles to come and learn about God. It was meant to be a place that they could connect to Him in prayer. Yet there was no room for the outsider, there was no place for prayer, because they were too focused on making money and keeping up with the world. I’m terrified by this story because I can relate to the Pharisees. So much of my life has been about keeping up with the world, that I have not allowed this temple (my life) to be a place of prayer or a place that is welcoming to outsiders. It is time to give the Temple (our lives) back to God. Jesus took the blame for sin, not that we could keep on being worldly and sinful; He took the blame so that we could be restored into a Temple of prayer and holiness.