The Cleansing Of Our Temples

3rd Sunday Of Lent, B

2009-03-15

John 2:13-25

Jesus was more than miffed. He was angry.

When He cleansed the Temple of the moneychangers, He left no table unturned, no stack of coins intact.

I imagine it was quite a site to see…this typically meek and humble Son of a Carpenter red in the face and wielding a whip, driving out every last beast and every last moneychanger.

It seems a bit odd, don’t you think? A bit out of character for Jesus?

What could have motivated Him? Why was it that He barreled through the Temple as a tornado bulldozes its way across the earth?

Some will tell you that He was angry that the moneychangers were taking advantage of the average Joes – or, the average Jews – who dutifully came to the Temple at the appointed time to offer their sacrifices to God.

You see, the temple tax had to be paid in Shekels, a coin not used in everyday commerce. That meant that moneychangers were necessary to exchange drachmas into shekels.

They set up their currency exchange in the Temple Court. And the greedy, thieving moneychangers were known to take advantage of their captive audience.

Could this be why Jesus was so angry? Could this be why Jesus blew His Divine lid?

Perhaps, but, I’d like you to consider another reason why Jesus was driven to such rage.

For the Jew, the Temple was above all a HOLY place. It’s where he went to offer ritual sacrifice to the One True God of Israel. And, deep within the Temple was the Holy of Holies, a room that contained the Ark of the Covenant and with it, the Divine Presence of God. The Holy of Holies was a room so sacred, that only the High Priest could enter it…and only once a year.

And as Jesus entered the Temple Court, He saw that it was filled NOT with reverence and adoration, but dishonesty and downright thievery.

The very presence of the moneychangers was a corrupting force, a viral infection of the worst sort.

Yes, sin had found its way into the Temple.

Based on His reaction, this act of desecration had to infuriate Jesus.

It HAD to be what drove Jesus to craft a whip from cords, and flush out the evil presence with His very own Divine hand.

In doing so, Jesus was ensuring that the Holy of Holies…remained holy.

Now, whenever I hear this story of the cleansing of the Temple, I can’t help but recall the mention of another temple in our Sacred Scriptures, and for us Catholics, an amazing parallel.

Think back to Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. In it he asks, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.”

Did you hear that? Saint Paul is telling us that WE are God’s temples, and that our bodies are holy!

And as Catholics, when we receive the Holy Eucharist – Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – we become a living tabernacle for the Real Presence of God Himself, we become the Holy of Holies!

And our tabernacle, the tabernacle of our body, is far superior to even the golden tabernacle situated there, at the center of our Sanctuary, because, as Saint Paul tells us, God bought it for the price of His Son.

That’s an amazing gift, and a blessed honor; that God would love us so much that He would be willing to reside in our very being, allowing us, if only for a few glorious moments, to share in His Divinity.

But, with that gift, with that honor, comes grave responsibility.

You see, just as the moneychangers moved into the Temple Court dragging with them the stain of sin clinging like mud to their feet, we today have invited the moneychangers into our bodies, and into our hearts.

Greed. Materialism. Discrimination. Pride. Anger. Arrogance. Deception. Jealousy. Hypocrisy. Lust. Addiction. Impurity.

These are the moneychangers of our times. These are the sins that corrupt our holy tabernacles – physically AND spiritually – making them unsuitable as temples for God.

When we sin, especially sin of grave matter – mortal sin – we shut ourselves off from God…we turn our backs on the very God who loved us so much that He allowed His only Son to die for us on a Cross.

And in that process, we take what God made holy, our body, and we allow it to become stained, tarnished, corrupted and unworthy to be the dwelling place of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

In essence, we shut the doors of our living tabernacle, not allowing the grace of the Eucharist to enter into it.

The Eucharist, or Communion, is what binds us together as Catholics, as God’s holy people.

And, the Church teaches that only those in full communion with the Church, those who believe and live ALL that the Church teaches, may approach for Holy Communion.

In fact, the very word “Communion” bespeaks of concord and agreement, of “union” with the Body of Christ, and with the Church.

That means we can’t deny the dogmas of Mary, and still receive Communion.

We can’t live in sexual sin and still receive Communion.

We can’t further the evil of abortion and still receive Communion.

We can’t deny the authority of the Church and still receive Communion.

We can’t that is, until our tabernacle has been purified and made clean, until we are reconciled to Christ and His Church through Sacramental Confession.

It is so important that we are properly disposed to receive Holy Communion; that we are in a state of grace. We must heed the words of Saint Paul when he warns us, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the Body and Blood of the Lord.”

The Eucharist is such a blessing, and such an opportunity to commune with God and with each other in a way uniquely Catholic.

Now we know why Jesus felt compelled to drive out the moneychangers with such fervor and determination. Jesus wanted – and wants – more than ever to protect and defend that which is holy. He desires to be one with us. And He truly loves us.

As we continue with the disciplines of Lent, in anticipation of the coming glories of Easter, I pray that you will Let Jesus, by His own Divine Hand, cleanse your temple and drive out your moneychangers, so that you may worthily receive that beautiful gift, that awesome grace that comes from the Eucharist, and once again be a living tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, a dwelling place for God Himself.

Comments

Mike.Bishop@FTNFinancial.Com

Jeff, Just felt lead to do some reading..some listening from my favorite source of Catholic Apologetics. I am so thankful for you ministry..for your faith.

God bless,
Bish