“And when he had thus spoken, he went before , ascending up to Jerusalem” (Luke 19: 28).
In Christendom, today is marked as Palm Sunday which brings to one’s mind, the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem during the last week of His earthly ministry. As its name suggests, the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at this occasion, means Jesus’ complete victory over His enemies, which also suggests the complete success of His Ministry.
Jesus rode on an ass which no man has ever used. By this entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, Jesus was publicly testifying that He is Israel’s predicted King and Messiah as recorded in Zech. 9: 9. By Zechariah’s prophecy, Israel was urged to rejoice greatly because your “King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation…”. But the greater cause for this rejoicing here is not only that the King is coming, but that he is coming not in royal splendour, but in humility (cf. Phil. 2: 5-8), riding on an ass. This prophecy therefore, foresees the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. By riding into the Holy City in this way, Jesus declared Himself to be the Messiah and Saviour, ready to go to the cross.
This humble entry is s deliberate symbolic action intended by Jesus to show that His Kingdom is not of this world and that He did not come to rule the world with force or violence. His refusal to take action as a military conqueror proves that His Kingdom is spiritual.
Jesus in the temple at Jerusalem drove away all that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of money changers. This action of cleansing the temple demonstrates to us that those who bear Christ’s name must know that hypocrisy, greed, self-serving interest, immorality, and irreverence in the house of God will bring God’s judgement and righteous indignation. Christ is Lord of His Church and demands that it be a “house of prayer”.
The linking together of prayer and God’s house reveals that the central purpose of worship is to bring worshippers near to Him in communion, praise, intercession, and petition. To attend church therefore, without fervent and intense communion with God is to miss the essential nature and purpose of worship. This is why Jesus had to drive away the money changers out of God’s temple.
So the church as the “house of prayer” is a place where God’s people could meet with Him in spiritual devotion, prayer and worship. It must not therefore be profaned by making it the means of social advancement, monetary gain, entertainment or showmanship. Whenever God’s house is so used by worldly-minded people, it once again becomes “a den of thieves”.
We pray that our Lord gives us the grace to reverence Him and His house.