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LUKE 19 45-48 JESUS THE TEACHER 01 Father’s house of prayer for all nations
📖 Luke 19:45-48
28Jan2021 - *Father’s house of prayer for all nations* - _Luke 19:45-48_ - JESUS THE TEACHER 1 – Bible reading: _Mark 11:15-17_
As the Lord entered Jerusalem, He was filled with grief over the city of Jerusalem and the people of Israel for they did not know the time of the visitation of her Husband.
He then went into the temple and performed a drastic action.
_Luke 19:45-46 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, (46) saying to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE IS A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a 'DEN OF THIEVES.' "_
We are naming this study as JESUS THE TEACHER because He was teaching daily at the temple and the people were attentive to hear Him. The religious leaders were seething with anger against Him as He taught the people.
We need to understand that the way by which Jesus taught the people was on the basis of practical demonstration. Jesus first did and then He taught. The action of Jesus was important and all that He taught came out of the action. This is what made the people listen to Him, attentively.
_Acts 1:1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both *to do and teach*, Luke 24:19 And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet *mighty in deed and word before God and all the people*,_
Note the sequence in the life of Jesus which was ‘doing’ first followed by ‘teaching’.
There has to be living out before communication can take place. It is our walk with the Lord that forms the basis of what we share and impart to others.
Our life here is to bear fruit, which is being a blessing to others. If that is our purpose (bearing fruit) then we must experience and flesh out our relationship with God before we can be a blessing to others.
What is it that He did in the temple?
_Mark 11:15-17 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. (16) And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. (17) Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS' ? But you have made it a 'DEN OF THIEVES.'"_
_John 2:16 And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"_
The incident recorded in John’s gospel happened in the early part of His ministry, whereas the incident recorded in the synoptic gospels happened at the end of His ministry.
This tells us that this action of Jesus in the temple happened twice. Which also tells us that the action taken by our Lord in the early part of His ministry did not have long term impact but all of the activities that Jesus threw out of the temple, started back all over again.
Jesus taught the people on the basis of what He did at the temple. Let us try to understand as to what did Jesus do at the temple.
Jesus referred to the temple as 1) “My Father’s house” _(John 2:16)_ 2) A house of prayer _(Luke 19:46, Mark 11:17)_ 3) For all nations _(Mark 11:17)_ The temple was His *Father’s house of prayer for all nations*.
_Isaiah 56:6-8 “Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants— Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant— (7) Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." (8) The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, "Yet I will gather to him Others besides those who are gathered to him."_
To be the Father’s house, it had to be a place of serenity, quietness, cleanliness, a place for reflection, a place of worship and adoration of God the Father. It had to be a place which will facilitate a worshipper to focus on the God of heaven and earth.
It was to be a place of prayer where people could reflect, repent, confess, submit, surrender and be reconciled with God in worship and adoration.
The temple had to be truly a sacred place dedicated to the people to meet with God and be joined together in worshipping God. Not only was it a place of reconciliation and restoration of the people with God, but it was also to be a place of restoration of relationships between one another.
So, when Jesus said, “the temple was His *Father’s house of prayer for all nations*”, there was much that was at stake.
What was happening in the temple was totally contrary to what should have been the setting of the temple. This was why the Lord took action against all that was going on.
*Thought to ponder*
```How many us burn with zeal for the things that are happening in our world (which is God’s), which is contrary to the nature of God or have we become sceptical, cynical and have insulated ourselves? ```