John 2:13-17

There is a particular line in this passage that really stands out to me. See if you can pick it out — I’ll wait…

Jesus had a passion for the house of the Lord and was deeply upset by all the buying and selling that was taking place on hallowed ground. The last thing He — and I’m sure many others — wanted to hear while worshiping God was the sound of modern-day cash registers and the clinking and clanging of coins.

This reminded me of when I played in golf tournaments and my dad would follow along. He was notorious for having change in his pocket, and he would unconsciously play with it, running the coins through his fingers. When we were hitting a shot or putting — and everything was quiet — I could hear the jingling of his change. I eventually got him a worry stone to replace the coins in his pocket so he wouldn’t make so much noise.

What was happening in the Temple was far worse. It was like having a farm set up inside — animals, people, noise everywhere — in what was supposed to be a house of prayer. Can you understand why Jesus was upset? It’s hard to pray with all that chatter going on, and it’s incredibly disrespectful to those who are trying to worship.

Yet there was one statement that really stood out to me — did you find it? It was this: “Stop turning My Father’s house into a marketplace!”

This is my personal feeling, but there has been a lot of commercialism happening in the church today that really isn’t much different. We take something intended for complete devotion to God and somehow make it about us. I once attended a church that opened the service with “Let’s Make a Deal,” handing out prizes in exchange for items in people’s purses. There was nothing wrong with the game itself — it was simply in the wrong place. The worship service felt more like a concert, with the lights turned down low, and I struggled to find God in all the distractions. Instead of simple worship, it became a performance for everyone’s entertainment — everyone except God, that is.

Where is the honor due to the Lord? I am amazed as I watch people casually arrive late, search for seats while disturbing others, talk through the opening prayer, stay glued to their phones during worship, or chat while the pastor is preaching. In some sense, I understand why Jesus was upset.

When we come to church, it is not about us, nor is it for us — it is for Him. It’s time we give Him the respect He is due and make church about Him, not a place where we conduct our personal business.