Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Matthew 21:12–13

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

In this passage, we see Jesus drive out everyone who was conducting business in the temple. Instead of witnessing people gathered for worship and prayer, the temple had become a marketplace for buying and selling.

Jesus responded radically because the people had strayed from the true purpose of the temple. Conducting business had taken priority, when worship and reverence for God had become secondary.

Today, we must ask ourselves: What are we brining into the house of God? Are we coming with hearts ready to worship and seek God's presence? Or are we robbing ourselves of the opportunity to hear the Word of God because we are distracted by what's happening outside-- or even inside--the church?

Sometimes, this happens when:

• We attend church out of routine or obligation rather than hunger for God.

• We prioritize aesthetics, production, or performance over spiritual depth

• We check our phones, scroll social media or me tally check out during service.

As believers, we have a responsibility to uphold God's standards and guard our churches from the enemy’s influence.

Church should never become just another event or opportunity for self-promotion--it's a sacred space for communion with God.

Jesus sought to restore the true meaning of gathering in the temple. Coming together as a community to pray and seek God should be our main focus--not engaging in the things that displease Him.

Today, if we allow him, Jesus is willing to cleanse our hearts and remove those things that's preventing us from truly connecting with him. If you are struggling, ask Jesus to turn over those "tables" in your life that is easily besetting you. When you do, you will becoming a living sacrifice ready to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

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