LENT ’09: 3rd Sunday – By Fr. Gordon, imc.

John 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…

The temple for the Jews was more than just a building. It was the visible sign of God in the midst of them and they were proud of their temple. It took them many years to construct it thus when Jesus talked of raising “it” up in three days, they surely thought He had gone nuts.
What Jesus meant was so hard to conceive that the evangelist explains that He was not just talking of the rocks one over the other but of his body. This way, he totally changed the connotation of the temple (house of God, visible presence of God as the Jews had it). Jesus thus becomes now the new Temple, the visible presence of God in their midst. Let’s not forget he is the EMMANUEL, which means, God-with-us. Contemplate the face of Jesus is therefore contemplate the face of God. A personal encounter with Christ is thus an encounter with God.
As brothers and sister in Christ, created in the image and likeness of our God, we are therefore manifestation of God. This Gospel presents us with a new face of God, God-made-man, Jesus Christ our savior, the same who lived on this earth doing good to all. The same they despised, the same they tortured, the same who suffered, the same who was dispossessed of all, the same who told the apostles to feed the crowd, the same we contemplate on the cross (way of the cross in lent time is a common practice). This is the same Christ whose face we contemplate in that brother or sister of ours in need, in the sick, in the street children, in the dying in the hungry, in the poor, in the lonely… Surely, if Jesus was moved with all that oppressed others, we have no other option as Christians but to feel just what he felt and act just as he did.


For Personal reflection:
1. Lets sing: Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers; That you do unto me.
- When I was hungry, you gave me to eat; When I was thirsty, you gave me to drink.
Now enter into the home of My Father.
- When I was homeless, you opened your door; When I was naked, you gave me your coat.
Now enter into the home of My Father.
- When I was weary, you helped me find rest. When I was anxious, you calmed all my fears.
Now enter into the home of My Father.
2. Does the content of this song say anything to you? How much have you done this lent?