Mar 11:15 -17 Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."
Spring is around the corner. We will soon start the spring-cleaning routine. We are very diligent and particular about it. In the verses above we read that Jesus came to the temple in Jerusalem. He was driving out the people who were buying and selling. What were they selling? Some were selling doves and animals and others were money changers who collected the half shekel and made a profit from those that brought whole shekels, or foreign money for shekels, for it was shekels that was accepted in the Temple. It was a very sad and despicable atmosphere. When the tabernacle was erected and when the temple was built, there was no such merchant square set up in the temple. Jesus was outraged at the sight of what was transpiring in the Temple.
We know we are the temple of God. It is a house of prayer. Is Jesus residing in our hearts or is He a visitor for an hour or two. What will He find in the inner recesses of our heart? Will He be outraged? How about our assemblies? The Church is also a house of prayer and don’t we know how urgent prayer is currently. Very often there is a whole lot of selling going on in the church. No matter how scholarly we become the gospel should come out pure and clear. We have exchanged the simplicity of the gospel and the study of the Word and prayer to something that is lost in the sophistication of preaching and teaching. The seminaries dictate how the Word must be presented. The Spirit led preaching of yester years is replaced for readymade messages. Dicing and splitting the Word does not benefit the masses. No wonder we drive away people rather than attract them. An evaluation is urgently needed. We must let Jesus cleanse the temple of our heart.