Today’s Gospel John 2:13-22
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.
Today’s Gospel Reflection
As we delve into today’s Gospel from John 2:13-22, we witness Jesus’ passionate act of cleansing the temple in Jerusalem during Passover. The temple courts had become a bustling marketplace, with merchants selling animals for sacrifices and money-changers exchanging currency. This commercialization distracted from the sacred purpose of worship. Moved by righteous zeal, Jesus fashioned a whip from cords and drove out the animals, scattered the coins, and overturned the tables. To the dove sellers, He commanded, ‘Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.’ His disciples remembered the Scripture: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’
When challenged by the Jewish leaders for a sign justifying His actions, Jesus replied cryptically, ‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.’ They misunderstood, pointing to the forty-six years of construction on the physical temple. But Jesus spoke of the temple of His body, pointing to His death and resurrection.
This passage invites us to reflect on the purity of our own hearts as temples of the Holy Spirit. In a world filled with distractions, are we allowing worldly concerns to crowd out our devotion to God? Jesus’ zeal calls us to reclaim sacred spaces in our lives, fostering genuine prayer and communion with the Father. Let this Gospel inspire us to approach worship with reverence and passion, knowing that through Christ’s resurrection, we are invited into eternal life.
Take a moment today to examine your heart. What ‘marketplace’ needs cleansing? May this story draw us closer to Jesus, strengthening our faith. 🕊️
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, ignite in us a zeal for Your house. Cleanse our hearts and renew our commitment to worship You in spirit and truth. Amen.