Week B-L3

JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE

John 2:13-25

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money- changers at their business. 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. And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade." His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for thy house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he spoke of the temple of his body. 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. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.

This week the Gospel shows us Jesus becoming angry at merchants vending in the temple area, a place reserved for worship. We don’t often see Jesus become angry, but here we see it very clearly. He came up to the temple area in Jerusalem to find various animals being sad and angrily drove them all. The Jews questioned Jesus about why He drove them out and asked for a sign. Jesus replied challenging them to “destroy this temple”” and in three days He would raise it up. However, they did not understand that He was talking about His own body, which would be raised from the dead in 3 days as we know will happen.

The Gospel passage today is one that is relatively well known. It is easy to remember this passage as the “passage where Jesus throws out all the people selling things”. However, sometimes we don’t realize that we are like those merchants that bring unnecessary things into a place of worship and prayer. Beyond bringing trash and unnecessary things into church, we often clutter our room, homes, or even our social media. The Gospel passage today is one that is relatively well known. It is easy to remember this passage as the “passage where Jesus throws out all the people selling

The Gospel today can be taken either literally or figuratively. When taken literally, our churches are often taken for granted and not kept in a way that is accepting to welcome Jesus. In a figurative sense, our souls are sometimes like the temple that Jesus came and found in a state of chaos. Think about the way that we live our lives daily. How do our daily habits clutter a place in our souls that Jesus might consider ‘home’? What kind of actions or words do we say that remind us to keep clean our mind to welcome Jesus into our ‘temple’? Do the things that we see and consume on our electronics and social media fill up or free us to receive God’s grace? How can we ensure that all aspects of our lives are acceptable for Jesus to come and be a part

things”. However, sometimes we don’t realize that we are like those merchants that bring unnecessary things into the place of worship and prayer. It isn’t literally bringing in trash into a church or chapel, but more about places in our lives that we frequently visit, such as our home, our room, or even our social media platforms. In the world today, we are sometimes more often in these places than we are in church. It is when our rooms or our house gets dirty that our parents take on the role of Jesus and remind us to make our rooms right again or to clean the house, a space that we occupy daily.

CLEANLINESS: the state or quality of being clean or being kept clean. Being clean extends beyond keeping our body and our clothes clean externally. It includes the things we think about, the things we say, and even more! Jesus’s actions today are simply an example of something much more. Imagine if your best friend were to come over, you would want your room or your home to be clean. Think about how much more Jesus would want to see your soul kept clean and healthy, a place He considers to be His favorite dwelling place. This week, challenge yourself to keep not only your body and clothes clean, but also your mind, actions, and words. Encourage those around you to do the same as well.

“Take these things away; you shall not make my Fathers’ house a house of trade.” (John 2:16) Dear Jesus, You are always an example for us to live our lives by. Thank You for guiding us on the right path in everything that we do. Please help us to keep You always in our minds so that we can keep our souls in a state that is acceptable for You to come and visit. Please continue to watch over us each day, Amen.