The Cleansing of the Temple

"Destroy this temple, and then raise it up in three days."  This is an intriguing story.  Unprovoked Jesus displays an anger never shown in his ministry.  He wanders about in front of the temple and overturns tables; chasing away the animals normally used in sacrifice.  Now in the Jewish religion at the time, having this market-like atmosphere was really a service allowed by the temple authorities.  How else would pilgrims be able to offer sacrifice.  And certainly the Jews would not accept a foreign currency, in Roman coinage, so they were able to exchange their money.

But the Word of God made flesh is offering something new.  Jesus becomes the new sacrifice, establishing the new covenant.  Men and Women are not brought close to God through the blood of farm animals, but through the blood poured out once through Jesus Christ.  The Paschal Mystery is the source of eternal life.

To come close to God now, Jesus holds out a model of selfless love and sacrifice.  Remember the call of the Disciples?  They immediately leave their nets, and in the case of James and John, their father, and follow Jesus down the road.  Then there is the rich young man who walks away sad because he has many possessions.  And lastly, as the Disciples are muttering over the fact that they had left everything, Jesus assures them that they will receive many more times the spouse, home, and children, in the Kingdom, and persecution besides.

True sacrifice changes hearts and transforms live.  Jesus demands total commitment from his followers.  The kind of devotion that sacrificing a goat cannot give.  Moreover men and women cannot bounce from moment to moment and discover Jesus.  We have to be faithful followers through the good and the bad, all the way through the cross.

Sometimes non-catholics are puzzled at our Lenten practices and the lifestyle we undertake.  To be sure simply going through the rituals gets us nowhere.  But for those who use these tools in their life to make changes and move from Sin, this is part of that dying and rising.  So we fast, pray, love each other without counting the cost, eagerly forgive, and are attentive to matters of justice and charity.

And this is the cross.  The sign of Christ's sacrifice.  Disciples embrace it joyfully, and in doing so give a living witness to all that Jesus is about..