¹⁷ He was teaching them: “Is it not written, My housewill be called a house of prayerfor all nations?^[a] But you have made it a den of thieves!” (Mark 11:17 CSB)

I have run across a lot of “Church-hurt” people over the years. Those who were not treated well in church or became disenchanted due to the hypocrisy that existed.

Listen, the church house is full of sinners too.

Yes, it should be a different class of sinners, but sinners none the less. People with their own agendas and foibles.

When Jesus went to the temple He found the outer court had become a type of sellers market. Merchants selling animals to be sacrificed and exchanging money for those who journeyed from other areas. It was no longer a place for the extended reach of the Jewish faith where someone not of the faith could come hear it’s teachings.

So in his righteous anger He swept the place clean.

I wonder just how many of our churches need to be swept clean. Some have become small malls with food courts and “Christian” product vendors. And often like an attraction we go to you must navigate the gift shop before leaving.

Maybe I am being a bit hard on our churches, but a revival is needed in our nation and we do need to get serious about what we are selling.