Cleansing of the Temple

Today's Reflections

Cleansing of the Temple 

http://graceandspace.org 

Jn 2:13-22

¹³Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. ¹⁵He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, ¹⁶and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” ¹⁷His disciples recalled the words of scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” ¹⁸At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” ¹⁹Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” ²¹But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²²Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

Reflection:

Temple. Jesus reacts in anger because the house of God is desecrated. The temple is now a marketplace or a business district because it has become a place of mercantile trafficking of animals to be sacrificed. The worship there is an empty ceremony devoid of respect. It has no heart and soul.

Jesus hints at the temple of his body that will replace the temple building. Animal sacrifice will be irrelevant since it will be replaced by his sacrifice on the cross. Jesus thus wants to show that God and worship could no longer be confined to the temple area. According to the Jews, the temple is the dwelling place of God on earth. Entry to God’s presence is now through Jesus himself. God is no longer restricted to the four corners of the temple. God is alive and lives in the midst of his people. The Lord resides, too, in our hearts.

Are you shocked

when you think about Jesus getting angry?

Does disrespect to the church make you angry?