The 'House of my Father'

(My 2016 image of Orthodox Jews praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem)

   Jesus had a great respect for the Temple in Jerusalem which he describes as the House of my Father. {See John 2:13-25} It was built, destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout the Jewish history. 

(ancient Jewish Temple built by King Herod)

The last Temple erected by King Herod was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. after the last Jewish uprising and was never rebuilt. The remnant of this last Temple, now known as the Western Wall, has become a place of pilgrimage and prayers for Jewish and Christian believers. One has to bear in mind that in Jesus' time, the Temple was not just a house of prayer. It was also the center of Jewish social activity, buying and selling, bargaining and negotiating. In a word, 'a very noisy place.' No wonder the people had to be reminded of its primary purpose. During our 2016 visit to the Temple area, we were surprised by the solemnity, respect and silence we observed for the holiness of the place. The pilgrims made us wonder at Jesus' words: "Do not make the house of my Father into a den of thieves!" which have finally been taken seriously. One can almost imagine the Temple of Jesus' time.

   In this Lenten season wherever we find ourselves, may we appreciate our place of worship as a reflection of the 'house of the Father.'