Today’s Gospel Text:
The
Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those
who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their
business. 15 And making a whip of cords, he
drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out
the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the
pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a
house of trade." 17 His disciples remembered that
it was written, "Zeal for thy house will consume me." 18 The Jews then said to him,
"What sign have you to show us for doing this?" 19 Jesus answered them,
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It
has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in
three days?" 21 But he spoke of the temple of
his body. 22 When therefore he was raised
from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they
believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. John 2:13-22
Reflection: I
remember those days as children when we would set about cleaning the house on account of the great festivals.
Each one would voluntarily get into the act without any cajoling or
instructions.
This
was not so otherwise, when work would seem drudgery. What made the difference was the festivities
which brought in certain joy, fun and above all a sense of responsibility.
The
Passover for the Jews were special moments too and we see that for Jesus too it
was a special occasion to be in his Father’s house and to see to the affairs of
the house and its cleanliness.
I am
sure his heart may have carried the same joy to see the house clean and tidy;
for was it not his Father' house that he was at home and peace.
What
if it was a mere replica of the heavenly Jerusalem but nevertheless it still
was a special place.
Cleanliness
is a great moment of celebration and cleanliness makes celebration easy, light,
joyful, filled with fun and hygiene.
Though
what mattered ultimately was the real temple which was his body, when Jesus
cleansed the temple he was communicating a double message: The external temple and more so the internal one where he needs to dwell.
There
is place in the heart of everyone which God wants to make a temple of dwelling
and made possible by the death of Jesus and the coming in to dwell of the promised
Holy Spirit.
We
could have our many trades in that house such as buying and selling with God,
threatening and bargaining with him, hide and hoard and seek the many
concessions.
By
allowing Christ Jesus to rid this temple of ours of the many trades that does
not glorify him we could surely rise with him in his resurrection.
Prayer: Lord, by your grace help me to rid this temple of
mine of all that is not of your kingdom.
DD = Dedicated
Discipleship: Come grow
in the Lord with us
