CLEANSING THE TEMPLE

Third Sunday of Lent

John 2:19
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
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We always see Jesus portrayed as serene and full of caring for His sheeps. Or the suffering Jesus, carrying the cross, being mocked by the crowd, being crucified and yet retain the serenity of His face. Or the triumphant Jesus having defeated death in His resurrection, with His face in glorious light and pompous serenity. Very seldom, if not, do we see Him with a whip in one of his hands as he chases animals and people out of the temple, as he overturns tables where people are selling animals and converting money. And yet, this is the way Jesus is portrayed in today’s scripture. He is a man on a mission, and he will not stand for his Father’s temple to be desecrated.

He did this not because he hates those merchants. He did this because these people are making easy money. They would sell the birds and the oxen for sacrifice in the temple, and these people would sell them at a higher price. And Jesus would not allow them to continue. In the coming days, people doesn’t need sacrifices anymore to atone for their sins. He would be ready to sacrifice Himself for our salvation. He is ready to cleanse us out for in three days, He would rise again as the true temple of God.

Jesus cleansed the temple. He took God’s house and made it right. He did it physically twice in His ministry, then He did it again on the cross. You see, on the cross he cleansed this world of its sin. This is where we turn to God and ask Him to cleanse us of our sin. This is where we ask Him to come in and overturn our tables, not out of anger but rather to make our lives and our community into what He has created us to be. Perhaps the fierce Jesus is needed. Perhaps Jesus needs to come in with a whip to cleanse us out.

Let us pray +

Almighty Father, clean out my heart. Come into my life with your whip and cleanse me out. Take those parts of my life that take me away from you and get rid of them. Fill me with your Spirit. Lord, you have the power to forgive and you have the power to change me. All of this in Jesus’ name.

Amen +

Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.