45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; 46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. 47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, 48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him. (Luke 19:45-48 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
No sooner had our blessed Saviour entered Jerusalem, but his first walk was to the temple, and his first work was to purge and reform it from abuses, not to ruin and destory it because it had been abused.
But what was the profanation of the temple, that so offended our Saviour?
Answer. In the court of the Gentiles, the outward court of the temple, there was a public mart or market kept, where were sold oxen, sheep, and doves, for sacrifice, which otherwise the people must have brought up along with them from their houses: as a pretended ease therefore to the people, the priests ordered these things to be sold hard by the altar; but our blessed Saviour being justly offended at this profanation of his Father’s house, cast the buyers and sellers out of the temple: teaching us, that there is a special reverence due to God’s house, both for the Owner’s sake, and for the service sake: nothing but holiness can become the place where God is worshipped in the beauty of holiness.
The reason in added, My house is the house of prayer; where by prayer is to be understood, the whole worship and service of God, of which prayer is an eminent and principal part. That which gives denomination to an house, is most certainly the chief work to be done in that house; now God’s house being called an house of prayer, implies that prayer is a chief and principal work to be performed in this house; yet take we heed, that we set not the ordinances of God at variance one with another; we must not idolize one ordinance, and vilify another, but reverence them all, and pay an awful respect to all divine institutions. Our blessed Saviour here in his house of prayer preached daily to the people, as well as prayed with them; and all the people were as attentive to hear his sermons as he was constant at their prayers.
Prayer sanctifies the word, and the word fits us for prayer. If we would glorify God, and edify ourselves, we must put honor upon all the ordinances of God, and diligently attend them upon all occasions.
BURKITT | Lu 19:1-2 | Lu 19:3-4 | Lu 19:5-6 | Lu 19:7 | Lu 19:8 | Lu 19:9 | Lu 19:10 | Lu 19:11-27 | Lu 19:28-40 | Lu 19:41 | Lu 19:42 | Lu 19:43-44 | Lu 19:45-48 |