Read: Matthew 21:12-13

Jesus enters the temple again toward the end of His life and He drove out those who were selling and buying … overturning tables in protest of what was happening. But, what exactly was happening? Was it simply that things were being bought and sold? Jesus explains Himself by quoting two Old Testaments scriptures. First, “my house shall be called a house of prayer” from Isaiah 56. Second, “you make it a den of robbers” from Jeremiah 7.

The temple in Jerusalem was designed to be a place of encounter for all the people of the world. Isaiah 56:1-8 describes foreigners (i.e., non-Israelite) and eunuchs (i.e., non-traditional sexuality) as welcome on God’s “holy mountain” and in His “house of prayer.” Jesus surveyed the scene at the temple and noticed that the area reserved for these people (the court of the Gentiles) to come and pray was taken up by buying and selling. The result is that people were excluded and there was no space for them. In Isaiah 56:7, the Lord says emphatically that it is “a house of prayer for all peoples.”

The essence of God’s nature, seen from the Old Testament through the New, is love. 1 John 4 makes the bold statement that “God is love.” He delights in drawing people near. We may have been told we don’t belong, or we may feel like we are not acceptable but God invites us into the conscious experience of His presence.

The religious leaders in Jesus’ day were not only excluding people but making the temple a place where people would “hide out” from their sins. Proclaiming the temple to be “a den of robbers” is a reference to Jeremiah 7:1-15. As Jesus uttered those words, the people would have filled in the blanks leading up to that quote. It was common in Jesus’ day for a teacher or rabbi to simply give part of a verse, knowing that the listeners would hear it in context. The context is the Lord inviting Jeremiah to stand in the gate of the Lord’s house and say, on God’s behalf, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and you will live.” What were their ways? Oppressing the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow; shedding innocent blood; going after other gods; stealing; committing murder; committing adultery; and lying. (read the list in Jeremiah!) Not only was there this list, but God said the people were trusting in deceptive words: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.” 

The repetition of this phrase was likely used to say: “you can’t touch me, I’m safe here in the temple of the Lord.” It reflected a transactional view of relationship with God. In other words, “if I go to the temple, then God will be appeased.” The temple had become a “den” or hideout for thieves … people who were robbing others of their money, their dignity, and perhaps even their lives. Jesus says, “No, you are missing the point and actually doing the opposite.” The temple was a place of relationship … not a place to hide by performing religious ritual, thinking that certain actions would obligate God in some way.

God invites us to relate to Him, to pray.

Jesus expressed His passion for people having access to God, and this led to a rebuke of the way the religious leaders not only curtailed access to God but turned the temple away from a relational space for connection with God to a transactional space for people to hide from conversation with God. In what was happening at the temple, we see both distraction and resistance. People were distracted from engaging God in His house of prayer, and those who were resistant were given safe harbor. Distraction and resistance are real, but we are invited to notice them, release them, and press back into God.

The ancient Persian poet, Rumi, penned the words: “We’re all just walking each other home.” I can imagine Jesus resonated with the idea. His anger was connected to the abandonment of this sentiment. The point of life is to be at home with God. Together, we create space for one another.

In the New Testament scriptures, we learn that the temple of God (that special place of His indwelling presence) becomes the “believer” and the church. (1 Corinthians 3:16, “you are God’s temple”; 2 Corinthians 6:16, “we are the temple of the living God”) This is a mystical indwelling that is primarily spiritually discerned and experienced. This is where we find ourselves today: indwelled by God. We are the temple of the living God. In the days before Christ, the indwelling presence of God was in the temple/the house of the Lord. However, we are compelled to embark on a journey of experiencing this reality just as the Old Testament believer embarked on that physical journey. 

The prayers and desires and perspectives shared in the Psalms of Ascent can become prayers that shape the way we approach the journey toward experiencing God’s presence ever and ever deeper. Indeed, the journey is one of love and intimacy with God fueled by desire and identity.

Reflection question: Do you see ways that you have been distracted and/or resistant to a life in the house of prayer? What might it look like for you to move with intentionality to ensure that you are prioritizing prayer and connection with God?

Prayer: Lord, may I not be distracted. May I not be resistant. Give me eyes to see when I am moving away from the house of prayer that I might surrender to your goodness and grace. Amen.