11/9/2023 (Thursday) Today’s gospel reading: John 2:13-22
13 Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there.
15 He 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,
16 and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
17 His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me.
18 At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?”
21 But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
22 Therefore, 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.
11/9/2023 (Thursday) Today’s gospel reflection / homily / sermon: John 2:13-22
The gospel passage above describes the incident in the temple where Jesus drove away the businessmen who made the temple a marketplace. For Jesus, the Temple is the House of God which makes it a house of prayer. While the businesses served the needs of worshipers which necessarily included pilgrims from far away lands, it had become obvious to Jesus that the sacredness of the place had been compromised. Aside from the noise and the stench of the animals, many people of the people has lost their focus on why they arrived there – to worship the one and only true God.
The reading reminds us of the challenges that we, Christians, face in the modern world. More often than not, we are distracted by the lure of commercialism and short-lived fads. Churches and temples are sometimes used as venues for fund-raising activities such as bargain sales, concerts, fashion shows and even gambling. Such activities also serve some useful purposes not much different from what what was happening in the gospel above. Yet we must never forget the anger of Jesus. Churches and temples are special places where holiness must prevail at all times. Let us never allow our need for money to take over our obligation to worship God with full attention.
Go here to read further gospel reflection.
