First Reading: Rev 10:8-11; Psalm: 119. R. v. 103a; Gospel: Lk 19:45-48

LET US CLEANSE THE HOUSE OF GOD

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

“My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” (Lk 19:46).

If Jesus entered our Churches today, he will do something worse than flogging because many Churches in our world today have been desecrated by evil practices. God’s house of prayer have become a commercial centre, theatre of drama, deceptive ground, den of thieves, harbour for false prophets, and a centre of scandal. The worse of it is that this evil is mainly perpetuated by those who are supposed to be upholders of faith and morals.

No doubt, there are still a number of Churches maintaining the sacredness and holiness fitting to God’s house through the shepherding of holy pastors who fear God. But we cannot deny the numerous aberrations that abound in some other Churches which should be of serious concern to us. The group of people desecrating the temple that Jesus chased out was just a small section of the entire population of the people in the temple. But Jesus did not overlook their smallness because their corrupt practices could pollute the hearts of the innocent majority. Exploitation of God’s people in whatever form especially in the house of God is an evil that Jesus condemns vehemently.

Today, we can all join Jesus to cleanse the house of God by knowing our faith and practicing it. By knowing what is right and good guided by the scriptures and opposing what is wrong and misleading. By not being too gullible but reasonable on the things we hear, accept and digest. These are the whips we need to cleanse the house of God. Recall that Jesus did not only chase out those who were selling but also those who bought from them. When we subscribe to what is wrong in the house of God we become accomplices in defiling God’s house. Even a passive attitude towards what is wrong makes us guilty of the ‘conspiracy of silence.’ So let us today pick up our whips and chase out the evil prevalent in God’s house.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, instil in us the fear for your house. Amen.