A House of Prayer - Sept. 18

[I was unable to write a reflection on today’s lectionary and offer this instead.]

Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, ‘It is written, “My house shall be a house of prayer”; but you have made it a den of robbers.’ Luke 19:45-46

Jesus’ complaint against those selling things was that the purpose of the temple and the reason people come to the temple was for prayer. And these financial exploits were viciously distracting from that purpose.

I am struck at how Jesus centers prayer, and his anger is that the temple’s purpose as a place of prayer was being violated. Jesus’ iconic moment of anger and action was about prayer

A quick search of the gospels for verses having to do with Jesus and some version of the word “pray” yields four pages of verses.

Luke’s gospel is particularly attentive to the prayer life of Jesus. Immediately after baptism Jesus is seen to be in prayer. “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,” Lk 3:21

Jesus is often depicted going off to a deserted place to pray. Jesus’ disciples, recognizing Jesus’ particular gift for prayer, asked to learn from him. “He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’” Lk 11:1

Another verse in Luke reads “Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” (Luke 18:1). This instruction to “pray always” is echoed in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5:17) This goal of ceaseless prayer is a puzzling mystery for how one might live that out, but many monastic traditions strive to make that a reality. While the mechanics of how to do this may be a mystery, this instruction is a reminder that prayer is to be a constant presence in the life of one following Jesus.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we are reminded that we are temples of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:19) And so, as temples of God, we too are to be a house of prayer without distraction. The purpose of our very being is to be in contact and communion with our God.