Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'" - Matthew 21:12-13

Many people who came to the temple in Jerusalem to worship came from a long distance.  It was difficult, and in some cases it may have been almost impossible, to bring live animals with them for sacrifice. Instead, people were permitted to buy an animal at the temple.
 
The problem was that the sale of sacrificial animals in the temple had gotten out of hand. Merchants set up shop in the temple courts and made money off of those who came to worship. The people were unable to present their sacrifices or pray without being fleeced by someone or without being bumped by a lumbering animal or having their words swallowed up by shouts, laughter, or other noise.

Instead of a place where the focus was on worship and prayer, the temple had become a scene of buying and selling. Troubled souls couldn’t find peace in that noise. Those bearing heavy burdens on their hearts couldn’t concentrate on prayer. It was difficult to distinguish between the sound of heartfelt praise and the sounds of bartering and noisy animals. The temple of God was not a worshipful place at all.  Jesus' anger was thoroughly understandable and right before God.  Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7 ("a house of prayer") and Jeremiah 7:11 ("a den of robbers") to justify his bold action of removing the distractions from the temple so people could appropriately worship God.

In a much more important way, Jesus came to cleanse the temple of his church. The Bible says, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Believers, you are the temple of God.  You are the Church of Christ. You have been cleansed of sin by the holy, precious blood of Jesus and stand before God without stain or wrinkle or blemish. You have been washed in the waters of baptism where God claimed you as his very own.  In Christ you are radiant in God’s eyes for you are adorned with the pure holiness of Jesus. 

Let nothing in life distract you from always giving God your heartfelt worship!

Prayer:
Focus my attention on you, Jesus, that I may worship you in thought, word, and deed in glad response for all your precious gifts, especially the gift of salvation.  Amen.

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