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No sooner had our blessed Saviour entered Jerusalem, but his first walk was to the temple, and his first work there was to purge and reform. All reformation of manners must begin at the house of God.
Yet observe, Our Lord's business at the temple was not to ruin , but reform it only. Places dedicated to public worship, if profaned and polluted, ought to be purged from their abuses, not pulled down and destroyed, because they have been abused. But what was the profanation of the temple, which so offended our Saviour; I answer, in the outward court of the temple there was a public mart or market kept, where were sold oxen, sheep, and doves, for sacrifice. Many of the Jews coming an hundred miles to the temple, it was burdensome to bring their sacrifices so far with them; wherefore the priests ordered that sheep and oxen, meal and oil, and such other requisites for sacrifice, should be had for money close by the altar, to the great ease of the offerer; nothing could be more plausible than this plea. But the fairest pretences cannot bear out a sin with God. Therefore our blessed Saviour, in a just indignation, whips out these chapmen, casts down their tables, and vindicates the honour and reputation of his Father's house.
Learn hence, That there is reverence due to God's house, 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.
Observe lastly, The reason which our Saviour gives for this act of his: Is it not written, says he, my house shall be called 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 certainly the chief work to be done in that house. Now God's house being called an house of prayer, certainly implies, that prayer is the chief and principal work to be performed in his house. Yet take we heed, that we set not the ordinances of God at variance, we must not idolize one ordinance, and vilify another, but reverence them all.