IS THIS NOT A DEN OF THIEVES?

Mathew 21: 13 “Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, ‘The scriptures declare, my temple will be called a house of prayer’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

Jesus went into the temple and was greatly upset by what was going on in the church. He could not turn a blind eye to it nor could He afford to choose to be “politically correct” because it was too important to Him - it was His father’s house. He understood the relevance of the church to our faith and was unable to consider it an institution just like any other. Paul, the apostle, in a letter to Timothy also referred to it as the pillar and foundation of the truth.”

It is very sad that a number of us believers are unable to discern the relevance of the church in our present day. It is grieving in hear some believers say in “utmost ignorance” whilst thinking they are smart and intellectual, that the church is just any other institution run by men. In the same way that man cannot make the word of God of “non-effect”, the wrongdoings of man cannot reduce the relevance of the church in God’s plan. It is time to work with God to establish His purpose for the church. Jesus said it is “a house of prayer.” My question to you today is this - what is the church to you, a house of prayer or a den of thieves?

A house of prayer would be a place for communion with God; a place that facilitates the enhancement of our relationship with God with a view to ensuring that our communion with God is consistent since Jesus says we should pray continuously. It is not the place where we network or feed our insatiable personal and/or social needs; it is a house of prayer. Jesus the author of our faith, whom we believe came as the example of what we ought to be, showing us also how we ought to live, was clearly sociable yet He showed us that everything has its place in life and wisdom is placing things where they ought to be so we can then prioritize appropriately. The church, He insisted is a House of prayer.

I am by no means suggesting that the Christian life is all about prayer; it is that and much more. A Christian is a well- rounded person and the bible touches on every area of life teaching us how we ought to live. However, different things ought to be done in different places; if you want to trade for example, please go to the market; when you do it in church you become a thief. In doing everything in church, we are unwittingly changing the face and/or purpose of church thereby reducing its power and ability to impact the lives of people and society at large. 

Jesus is in the New Testament, placed the church in proper perspective so why do we in our “seeming wisdom” think the church ought to do more than it was made for, that it may be relevant in our present day. In trying to make the church do everything, we are moving from its original purpose so that the original purpose is getting lost as a result of which souls are perishing. This is abuse. We must take out all the mess and focus again on the purpose. There is a purpose for going there; we must be single minded concerning that purpose as we go there. We can’t afford to have it mixed up. That is not wisdom. How long shall we continue to be unwise?