THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR "B"

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

Cycle “B”: Exod. 20, 1-17; John 2, 13-25

Jesus really burned with zeal for his Father’s house. The popular notion about today’s Gospel is that he wanted to make the place suitable for worship by cleaning up the sharp practices that had developed there. But it wasn’t quite that. Jesus was not out to purify the place. Jesus never criticised the practice of daily sacrifice. After all, it was quite reasonable that pilgrims could buy their animals, guaranteed to be accepted, in the temple area. They could not use the Roman coins since the image of the pagan emperor was engraved on them and not allowed into the sacred precincts. Only the Tyrean shekel was permitted. If you did not have any shekels, you could change your money in the Temple. There was a very small commission, as anywhere, but no pilgrim was ripped off with a 4% interest. No, the Jerusalem Temple fulfilled its purpose as a place of pilgrimage admirably. And Jesus’ action would not have held up the business for very long: the tables would have righted in a few minutes and everything would have gone on as usual.

So, what was all the fuss about? The real point at issue was the place and the people. Jesus was looking for a New Israel and a New Temple, with new people and new leaders  -  beginning with the twelve apostles. As a historical fact, the old temple was devastated by the Romans in AD 70. The violent action of Jesus was a symbolic anticipation of that destruction. Jesus was also telling the old leaders that God has provided for a New Temple, the indestructible Temple of the Body of Christ.

In this new Temple, God’s commandments will take on a new quality. From now on, the Ten Commandments will be illustrations of our intimacy with God.  Allow me to explain  with the help of just two commandments, the first and the fifth.                                                                                         The Ten Commandments may seem harsh at first, but there's a good reason behind each one. When you think of the Ten Commandments, do you picture a stern schoolteacher or an unsmiling drill sergeant explaining the rules to you? All those "thou shall not’s" can be intimidating at first. But behind each one is God's love and wisdom. Just think of God as a loving Papa, sitting among his children who work and play and hurt themselves. This sweet Papa presents the Ten Commandments to guide us and protect us from choices he knows will harm us. Here are some pointers to help us understand our loving Father’s guidance. 1.  “I am the Lord your God. You shall prefer no other images to me”. God needs to be your top priority. If you give more time, energy, or attention to anyone or anything else in your life, you cannot live the abundant life that God wants to give you. It's only when you commit yourself completely to God that you invite him to transform you completely so you can grow to your fullest potential. Why deny yourself this chance to grow ? And as for idols and images, remember that you will become like the image you pursue. Who do you want to look like? If you pursue Christ, you'll be transformed more and more into his likeness. If you chase empty images created by society's whims, you'll end up feeling empty and looking impoverished. 5. “You shall not kill.”  Most people can't imagine that they would ever murder someone. But when anger goes too far, that tragedy actually can result. And there are more ways to "murder" someone than physically killing that person. Anytime you injure anyone with your words or wish bad things to happen to them or ignore them as if they did not exist you're committing murder against them in your heart. Take your anger to God and let him heal your heart. After all, the one you’re angry with is your brother or sister, and God is as much a loving papa to them as to you. Jesus points to the ways of peace. His life and ministry powerfully demonstrate love of neighbor and wholly living in faith. But Jesus did not sit and watch the unjust practices of the world strengthen until they became the norm. He was never apathetic about transgressions against self, other or God. He did not avoid conflict out of fear of being perceived as a troublemaker or disturbing the calm. When faced with injustice, Jesus took action. We often shy away from the clearing of the temple account, afraid that it contradicts pacifist values, afraid of a Jesus for whom making peace may include righteous anger. Or perhaps we give this story no more than a cursory glance, categorizing it as an anomaly in the actions of Christ, out of fear that it calls us. It demands that we also take action when faced with wrong in this world, with situations that deny our God who loves and welcomes all unconditionally. This story challenges us to confront injustice out of love. It challenges us to do our part to dismantle systems of oppression, to destroy our preconceived notions of what (and who) is holy, and to break down barriers of inequality. There is a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to wait patiently and a time to stand up and lovingly proclaim that we will follow the model of a Christ who actively loved all, turning this world upside down and inside out. May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. ~ Franciscan benediction