(Eze 47: 1-2,8-9,12, Ps 46, 1Cor 3:9-11,16-17, Jn 2:13-22)
The house of God is a place of prayer, where he dwells. Hence, we need to give the necessary reverence to this place. The Pharisees and the Jewish leaders had lost the essence of the Temple and turned it into a business centre. Instead of helping people to encounter God in this place, they were rather using it to make money and enrich themselves. Jesus had to discipline them and make them realize the original purpose of the house of God.
Their case is not different from our situation today. The focus of the house of God must be about salvation of souls, but most of our people have turned it into a business centre. It is now even more than a market center. What comes into the mind of people first in church is money or riches. We have lost focus of our basic calling as Christians and ministers of his gospel. We are to make our churches places where people can come and encounter God. Salvation of souls should be our topmost priority. Our so called pastors today only wants to exploit the people to enrich themselves. Their interest is material possessions and not how to help the people to know God more and more in their lives.
Some of us are so busy with church activities not because of our salvation, but because of material gains. Jesus will question us one day if we fail to make his house a place of prayer.
We are also the temple of God where he dwells. We are the building of God, the dwelling place of his spirit. As such we have to treat our bodies with reverence and respect. Your body and for that matter your heart should be a place of prayer. Don’t occupy your hearts with all kinds of things, denying God a place. For some of us our hearts are full of hatred, gossip, love for worldly things, jealousy, and so forth. St. Paul tells us we have been bought with a price, hence we should glorify God with our bodies (1Cor 6:12-20). Your body is not yours, therefore don’t use it anyhow as if God has no power over you. The way you use your body, you will answer to God one day.
May the Holy Spirit help us not to be misled by material possessions even in his house. But make his house a place of prayer to encounter him. Amen.
Have a blessed Sunday an a happy week ahead.
Shalom 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Rev. Fr. Akakpo Matthew
