In today’s Gospel Jesus performs a prophetic action in the Jerusalem Temple. Jesus “entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things.” Why does he do this? He quotes the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah: “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” The prophet Isaiah declares that all peoples are welcome to God’s holy Temple: “Them I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer…For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7). The prophet Jeremiah in his Temple Sermon (chapter 7) tells the worshipers that it is not enough to come to the Temple to pray but their love of God must be joined to social justice, love of neighbor, the poor and voiceless:
“Do you think you can steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, sacrifice to Baal, follow other gods that you do not know, and then come and stand in my presence in this house, which bears my name, and say: “We are safe! We can commit all these abominations again!”? Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves?” (Jeremiah 7:9-11).
Jesus follows in the footsteps of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah by inviting all people to enter the Kingdom of God, the new house of prayer for all people. Like Jeremiah he challenges all people to join the love of God to their love of neighbor. Jesus warns it is not enough to profess Jesus is Lord, we must show this faith by our actions:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
Jesus teaches that we show our true love for God by showing compassion and love to the outcast, immigrant, and lepers of our society:
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least of mine, you did for me…Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.” (Matthew 25:40, 45).
We are invited today to enter the House of God, the House of Prayer. Our prayer calls us to a deeper knowledge of the will of God as we pray: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.” Jesus teaches and shows us that God’s will is to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirty, clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned.
Image: “Jerusalem Temple Mount Dome of the Rock” by Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D. is marked with CC0 1.0.