Last week, I saw an advertisement for a flea market. What caught my attention was the location; it was inside a church building. Yes, a flea market inside a church. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were charging entry fees for early birds, at the door, and even accepting Venmo payments. And it gets better! The description of the page read: “Historic church turned brewery.” Meaning, alcohol is being sold at this flea market; inside what was once a house of God.
The world has fallen so far that we now repurpose empty churches for the most ridiculous things. I’ve seen churches turned into museums, concert halls, tourist attractions and now even breweries. Where is the reverence? Where is the respect?
If Catholics aren’t using their churches anymore, why not rent them out to other denominations? There are so many congregations desperately looking for a place to gather, yet the government and landlords would rather lease these buildings to anything but another church.
Honestly, I’d rather they tear these buildings down and build something else than watch them desecrate the Holy house of God.
This reminded me of when Jesus walked into the temple and saw people turning it into a marketplace. He got so angry that He flipped tables and drove them out with a whip (in all 4 gospels).
And yet here we are, 2000 years later, still making the same foolish mistakes!
The story takes place when Jesus enters Jerusalem for the Passover, a time when the temple was crowded with worshippers from many regions. Instead of finding a house of prayer, Jesus found a marketplace filled with corruption and greed.
Scripture References
Matthew 21:12-13
Mark 11:15-17
Luke 19:45-46
John 2:13-17
Not only were they selling inside the sanctuary, a place meant to be sacred for worship and prayer (Leviticus 19:30), but they were also exploiting those who came to offer sacrifices by setting unfair prices. Overcome with righteous anger, Jesus overturned tables, scattered coins, and drove out the merchants who had turned God’s house into a place of corruption. He declared, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:13, quoting Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11).
Jesus had every right to be angry because the temple is supposed to be a place of prayer and communion with God, not a business enterprise. Even if we assume that selling inside the temple was meant to make it easier for travelers who couldn’t carry their sacrifices, it still wouldn’t be justified because the merchants were exploiting people with unfair prices. Jesus saw their lack of compassion and witnessed people being taken advantage of inside the very house of God.
How much more would Jesus be angry if He were here today and saw what we’ve done with our church buildings? Hosting parties, placing all kinds of images, using them as graveyards, shrines and engaging in buying and selling. What happened to the sanctity of God’s house? Why is it so hard for us to learn from the Bible and avoid repeating the same mistakes?
I pray for God’s mercy upon each of us. May He forgive the sins we commit in ignorance and guide us back onto the right path.
Stay Blessed x
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