“For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” — Isaiah 56:7

When Jesus cleansed the Temple, He quoted a passage that reached far beyond Israel: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17). That last phrase matters—for all nations.

By the time of Herod’s Temple, the sprawling Temple complex included an outer area commonly called the Court of the Gentiles. Gentiles could come that far, but no farther. Yet when we go back to God’s instructions for the tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple, we do not find God prescribing a “Court of the Gentiles” as part of His original design. What we do find is something much bigger: God intended His presence among Israel to become a testimony to the nations.

When God called Abraham, He promised, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). When Solomon dedicated the Temple, he specifically prayed for the foreigner who would come from a distant country because he had heard of Israel’s God (1 Kings 8:41–43). Isaiah later declared that foreigners who joined themselves to the LORD would be welcomed, because God’s house would be “a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:6–7).

Israel was called to be different from the nations without becoming indifferent to the nations.

Their holiness was never intended to extinguish their mission. God separated them from the nations in one sense so that He might reveal Himself to the nations through them. They were to demonstrate what life looked like under the reign of YHWH. Their worship, justice, mercy, holiness, and covenant relationship with God were supposed to make the nations look toward Israel and ultimately toward Israel’s God.

They were to be a light.

But separation can subtly become isolation. Holiness can become pride. A people who were called to influence the nations can begin congratulating themselves because they are not like the nations.

That danger did not disappear with Israel.

Jesus told His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). A light fulfills its purpose precisely because it shines into darkness. If we remove the light from every dark place, we may protect the lamp, but we defeat the reason it was lit.

The Church must therefore be careful that sanctification does not become isolation.

There is a difference between being separate from sin and being separated from sinners. Jesus demonstrated the difference perfectly. He was utterly holy, yet sinners were comfortable approaching Him. He could sit at a table with tax collectors without becoming a tax collector. He could touch a leper without becoming unclean. He could enter the world of broken people without allowing their brokenness to enter Him.

Jesus did not protect His holiness by avoiding people. His holiness invaded their darkness.

We can become so concerned about not being influenced by the world that we forget we were sent to influence it. We can build Christian friendships, attend Christian gatherings, listen to Christian music, read Christian books, and spend nearly all our time around Christians—and then wonder why we have so little opportunity to introduce anyone to Christ.

The answer is not compromise. We do not lower the light so darkness will find it less offensive. Neither do we hide the light behind walls so carefully constructed that darkness can no longer see it.

Jesus prayed concerning His disciples, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Then He said, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (v. 18).

That is our calling.

Sanctification means belonging completely to God while living purposefully among people who need Him.

God did not call us out of darkness so that we could spend the rest of our lives congratulating one another for standing in the light. He called us into His marvelous light so that we might “proclaim the praises of Him” who called us there (1 Peter 2:9).

We are not called to build another Court of the Gentiles—a safe distance where outsiders may observe our religion without ever being invited near. We are called to carry the presence, character, love, and Gospel of Christ beyond our comfortable circles.

Be holy.

Be different.

Be unmistakably Christlike.

But don’t hide.

We were separated unto God so that we could be sent into the world. Sanctification is not isolation—it is preparation for illumination. ©

–PGR