A House for Whom

“May a merciful God preserve me from a Christian Church in which everyone is a saint! – Martin Luther

A popular Christian meme depicts Jesus flipping tables over with the statement, “If anyone asks what would Jesus do, remind them that flipping over tables and chasing people with a whip is within the realm of possibilities.”

While this meme can be humorous, it takes a biblical story out of context. It forgets where the event took place, and what Jesus said afterward.

Jesus did not flipped tables or drive people out with a whip at a marketplace, school, or state capitol. He did so at the temple!

According to Mark 11:15-19, the temple was filled with money changers conducting business. Jesus became irate over the buying and selling. Afterwards, the religious leaders plotted a way to kill Jesus.

Flipping tables and driving out people was rooted in Isaiah 56:7. Jesus wanted his house to be a house of prayer for all nations; instead, the religious leaders have made it into a den of thieves.

It is in the passage from Isaiah that we find a question for us today.

The church is to be a house for whom?

Thriving in the den of thieves

A den of thieves is a place of refuge for thieves as they exploit people. In the New Testament, the religious leaders exploited people in many ways – money, religious burdens, etc. In order to make it and not be kicked out of the temples, people went along with it. Fear controlled all their actions (John 9:20-23).

Have our churches turned into dens of thieves? Are we exploiting people under the guise of spirituality?

Let’s think about it…

Are we exploiting people by selling them a certain political party? Do we tell them that only good Christians vote a certain way or follow a certain political leader? Pastor Greg Locke of Tennessee has been filmed saying such as he requested democrats to leave his church. We might not be that bold, but we will begin to avoid people who “are too left,” or “too liberal,” or we question their Christian faith for voting anything other than how we do. It is the fear of exclusion or fear of suspicion that causes others to question if they can truly worship God unless they are politically like us.

Are we exploiting people of their freedom in Christ? Are we forcing people to give up their freedoms in order to be a better Christian? Think about the standards and images we uphold in our church. What if someone does not fit that image? Isn’t there this subtle move away from that person to exclude them?

These are just two examples (just as many as Mark gives us in Mark 11). These are all robbing people of things we would sing, praise, and thank God for, but we force people to sell those things in order to be seen as a good Christian in our eyes.

Worship in a den of thieves is about an image of worship rather than the act of worship. It is about controlling an image and keeping power over people. That is what the religious leaders wanted.

The attitude of jesus

Jesus saw what the religious leaders were doing to the people he created, loved, and was going to die for. He could not allow this abuse of his house. He doesn’t drive out the people. He drives out those who are abusing the temple.

Why?

He states that his house is to be a house of prayer for all nations. It is quite the statement when compared to calling it a den of thieves.

Again, a den of thieves is a place of exploitation. A house of prayer is a place of safety and refuge, and prayer is an act of communication with God. Therefore, unless our churches are a safe refuge to communicate with God, then we risk creating a den of thieves.

But, who belongs in this house of prayer? Jesus refers to Isaiah 56:7. The verse isn’t saying a place just for Israel or a select group of people.

Jesus says his house is a house of prayer for all nations. The word can also be translated as “people groups,” “ethnicities,” etc. It is a word that encompasses all people.

A house for all

In a den of thieves, in order to be in good standing, a person must do what the thieves say or fear more exploitations or worse. That is what the Jewish people feared in New Testament times. It is a similar fear many face in our churches.

They fear speaking up, questioning things, doing things, being themselves, and a host of other things.

But, what does a house of prayer for all look like?

It is literally a place for all people.

It is a place for all people of political beliefs who love each other. They are not worried about judgment for how they voted. We uphold Romans 13:1-7 as our guidance to dealing with politics; rather than forcing a political stand on others.

It is a place where all people can be themselves and communicate with God through the work of Jesus. They do not have to change themselves in order to approach God, because Jesus already took care of that.

It is a place where the faith of a child is cultivated. It is not a faith of just believing what leaders tell you (that can lead to exploiting). It is a faith of curiosity and questioning. As a teacher, I see children being gullible. But, I see how they question and create and are unafraid to make mistakes. And from those things, they grow and mature. That is the faith of a child. Unfraid.

It is a place where we welcome all to come. The act of coming is the faith that saves. Plenty of times in the gospels, Jesus tells many, “Your faith has healed you.” Their faith wasn’t a adherence to a theological system. They simply believed Jesus could heal them, and so they came to him.

It is a place where we would rather drive out our own religious leaders before we drive out the people. Jesus did not flip tables to challenge the people coming into the temple. He did it to challenge the system the religious leaders implemented.

A house of prayer for all nations, all people groups, all cultures, all languages… all.

whosoever BELONGS HERE

Asking what would Jesus do would entail flipping tables and driving people out with whips. But, remember where he did it and towards whom/what. If we are going to do that, then we need to start with those who are exploiting people inside our churches.

A den of thieves separates those who belong and do not belong. If someone threatens the power of the thieves, then that person is ostracized.

A house of prayer for all nations welcomes everyone to a safe refuge to communicate with God through the work of Jesus Christ.

If we begin to see people as you belong or do not belong, then we are cultivating a den of thieves. If we welcome everyone and point them to Jesus, then we are cultivating the point Jesus was making in Mark 11.

Worship is not about creating an image. It is not about having the right people in your church to control and make you look good.

Worship can only happen when we can be real before God, real with ourselves, and real in our community. That is why it is known as a house of prayer for all nations. It takes all kinds of people groups to show the far reaching love and grace of God.

A house of prayer for whom?

A house of prayer for you, me, he she, they, them.

A house of prayer for whoever believes and comes in faith.