Devotionals

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The House of Prayer and the Hand of the Master

Jesus entered the temple and looked around. He had heard about the unfair charges, the corruption, the side shows; ordinary people were being left with an impression of His Father that was far from the truth. And as He watched the temple traders He gripped the end of the table where he was standing with His right hand. He felt the injustice rise from His belly into His chest. His grip tightened. He was indignant at the sight of the abusers and charlatans. His Father’s house had become a den of robbers instead of a place of prayer.

He felt a surge of energy as a wild yell rose in His chest and made a ferocious exit. The words of Isaiah and Jeremiah came flooding into His soul and mind. How dare they! He got an instant reaction as He overturned the first table and sent coins flying and people running for cover. They were used to all sorts of people in here, and it was not out of the ordinary for the temple police to throw out the unwelcome.

He was approached first by some of His disciples who thought He had lost His mind. They were just a little bit panicked by the scene, but before they could say anything, He was on the march. A second table was upturned and the glare in His eye got the traders grabbing what they could before fleeing from this mad man. Feathers flew, animals escaped and there was general bedlam.

The priests come running from the inner court to see what the commotion was all about. One of them tripped over a crate that had been used to carry the doves and went head first into a group of traders who had been standing talking together.

‘Opportunists! This is not about trying to make a bit of money on the back of religion! It’s abuse of the worshippers! Get your filthy wares out of here. This is a house of prayer for all nations – not a bartering place for a quick bargain.’
He was out as quick as He was in. In the confusion, the temple police failed to get through the crowds and Jesus had made an exit through a side gate. He was in Jerusalem, but His time had not yet come to be arrested.

As He made His way back to the Mount of Olives, the scene played through His mind over and over again as the adrenalin slowly abated. Bethany and the Hosannas seemed a distant memory. The Garden and the Cross were before Him, but so was the empty tomb.

How far had His people drifted from the reality of God as the prophets had preached and revealed Him? The traders were a disgrace and had fully merited the wrath they had felt. No doubt the abuse of the temple would return as the stunned traders got over the shock and got back to their underhanded ways.

His mind shot forward through the centuries as He saw the Church leaders doing the same thing – in His Name! The details had changed but the essence was there – making money at the cost of deceiving simple sheep. ‘Give me a thousand dollars and God will make it ten thousand.’ ‘Enter into the blessing of the Lord by giving me your money.’

Jesus turned away as He sighed and approached His resting place. He looked further still into the future and saw the Day of Judgment when Justice would finally be satisfied and those who had spoken in His Name but had lived in their own name were cast into outer darkness. The Lamb would conquer. The Lion would roar. The Father’s house would be a place of prayer for all nations.

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