3rd Sunday of Lent Mar. 11, 2012 (Jn 2:13-25)
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. 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, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of scripture, "Zeal for your house will consume me." At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 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.
While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.
While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.
Jesus' message is nothing petty; His is a radical one, a call to a complete change. His fellow Jews have corrupted their relationship with God. They took their covenant with God for granted. Still under the guise of practicing religion and obeying the law, they have actually turned away from a pure and faithful covenant with God.
The purification of the temple from vendors and money-changers who cheated the people is Jesus' way of reminding the Jews of the importance of a pure and faithful relationship with God. The complicated morality they have developed have led them to superficiality and unfaithfulness to God. Jesus wanted to "overturn" this.
Sometimes, like the Jews, we also tend to hide our sins under the guise of religion or of goodness. Sometimes we feel our relationship with God is merely going to Mass and praying. We don't care anymore if we sin because we pray anyway. Or sometimes, we use good deeds or good intentions as justifications for our wrongdoings. We think it is alright to cheat or to steal because we help other people anyway. We think it is acceptable to step on other people because it's for our success anyway. This way of thinking is of the world, not of God.
Jesus wants to overturn this attitude. In our First Reading (Ex 20:1-17), we are pointed back to the basics - to the Ten Commandments of God. If we want to purify ourselves from the filth of a confused and deceptive perception of what is good, we must go back to God's law. We should not try to escape from God's law; neither should we try to go around it. We should submit ourselves to what God has legislated and be faithful to it. Only then can we be free from all sin, especially from sin disguised as obedience.
The obedience that Jesus showed us in giving His life for our salvation is the perfect example of true obedience. According to our Second Reading (1 Cor 1:22-25), God's wisdom is not acceptable to the world. The world considers it foolish that Jesus, God Himself, should sacrifice His own life for men. But this foolishness of God is wisdom that is so much wiser than human wisdom. And as Christians, we subscribe to God's wisdom, which is embodied in Jesus. The world considers wise those who cheat their way to success, those who do everything in their power to gain wealth, power and fame. But as Christians, what we consider to be wisdom is complete obedience to God, even to the point of having to sacrifice.
This Lenten season, Jesus invites us to overturn our tables. He invites us to return to God and to His law, completely overturning the false teachings of this world. May we come to see what is true and good and may we realize and find in our lives the wisdom of God.
The purification of the temple from vendors and money-changers who cheated the people is Jesus' way of reminding the Jews of the importance of a pure and faithful relationship with God. The complicated morality they have developed have led them to superficiality and unfaithfulness to God. Jesus wanted to "overturn" this.
Sometimes, like the Jews, we also tend to hide our sins under the guise of religion or of goodness. Sometimes we feel our relationship with God is merely going to Mass and praying. We don't care anymore if we sin because we pray anyway. Or sometimes, we use good deeds or good intentions as justifications for our wrongdoings. We think it is alright to cheat or to steal because we help other people anyway. We think it is acceptable to step on other people because it's for our success anyway. This way of thinking is of the world, not of God.
Jesus wants to overturn this attitude. In our First Reading (Ex 20:1-17), we are pointed back to the basics - to the Ten Commandments of God. If we want to purify ourselves from the filth of a confused and deceptive perception of what is good, we must go back to God's law. We should not try to escape from God's law; neither should we try to go around it. We should submit ourselves to what God has legislated and be faithful to it. Only then can we be free from all sin, especially from sin disguised as obedience.
The obedience that Jesus showed us in giving His life for our salvation is the perfect example of true obedience. According to our Second Reading (1 Cor 1:22-25), God's wisdom is not acceptable to the world. The world considers it foolish that Jesus, God Himself, should sacrifice His own life for men. But this foolishness of God is wisdom that is so much wiser than human wisdom. And as Christians, we subscribe to God's wisdom, which is embodied in Jesus. The world considers wise those who cheat their way to success, those who do everything in their power to gain wealth, power and fame. But as Christians, what we consider to be wisdom is complete obedience to God, even to the point of having to sacrifice.
This Lenten season, Jesus invites us to overturn our tables. He invites us to return to God and to His law, completely overturning the false teachings of this world. May we come to see what is true and good and may we realize and find in our lives the wisdom of God.
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