House And Den

House and Den

Mark 11:17, NLT

He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

Setting the Scene

Jesus quoted from Isaiah 56:7 to explain God’s purpose for the Temple. It belonged to God and was meant to be a “house of prayer” and open “for all nations.” But the chaos and the blocking of the Gentiles made this no more than a “den of thieves.” The merchants had turned the Temple into their hangout, their “den.” This was a horrible desecration. No wonder Jesus was so angry.

Here we see Jesus placing himself in authority above the religious leaders—the high priest (Caiaphas) and all those in the Sanhedrin. Those men were in charge of the Temple, and they would soon have words with Jesus about this episode (Mark 11:27-28).

Getting Personal

What might cause a church to lose sight that their main purpose is to meet God together, to worship?

What Lord’s Day activities distract you or your family from worship?

What can you do to prepare to meet God when you go to church?

“House” and “den” refer to places—physical structures with specific purposes. We know that God isn’t limited to any human structure, but this text and others call certain places his “house.” It can be any place that has been set apart (“sanctified”), dedicated to him, where believers gather for the kind of worship modeled in Acts 2:42, where they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (NLT). Whether a house, storefront, warehouse, modern edifice, or ancient cathedral, God meets his people there. It’s only a building, but it’s not only a building. Clearly God wants to meet us there, in his “house.” A church isn’t primarily a social club, cultural center, or coffee bar. First and foremost, it should be a “house of prayer.”

Today Jesus probably wouldn’t drive out bake sales to fund youth ministries, book tables, or camp and retreat sign-ups from your church foyer. (Yet even these seemingly harmless activities must not distract or upstage true worship.) He wasn’t standing against any money changing hands in the building, but he is against treating his house like any other place and altering the purpose for worship.

Talking to God

Thank the Lord for your church and your church building, and for your brothers and sisters in Christ who regularly gather there. Ask him to make you good stewards of that facility and to remember that it is his “house” and that he wants to meet you there.