Third Sunday of Lent
By Jackie Walsh, O.S.B.
The Temple scene we just heard about likely begins as any other around Passover time. As thousands of Jews do annually, Jesus goes to the Jerusalem temple for Passover. Upon arrival, Jesus finds a marketplace bustling with activity--“people selling” along with moneychangers.
Jesus is angry, outraged by these activities. Using a whip cord, Jesus drives out the larger animals, pours out the moneychanger’s coins, overturns their tables and orders the dove-sellers to remove the doves. Jesus then commands, “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” This was not Christ’s first visit to the Temple. Why was Jesus so upset now?
By revealing the temple as his “Father’s” house, this visit establishes Jesus’ authority as the Son of God. In Jesus’ temple visits as a child, he was never happy about the market activity denigrating the house of prayer. Now Jesus exercises his divine authority and halts all economic activity, returning the temple to a place of prayer.
The Jewish people were distressed by Jesus upsetting the usual order of business in the temple. As mentioned in the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, the Jews demand signs validating Jesus’ authority and legitimizing him as God’s representative. Jesus mentions raising up the temple after 3 days. The Jews misunderstand because they hear ‘temple’, but think ‘building’. Here Jesus refers to the temple of his ‘body’, resurrection language we all recognize.
Jesus trusted his mission to the disciples, 12 human beings. Their faith was growing, but still weak and vacillating. Jesus trusts us with his mission on earth today. Our faith is also growing, and we are learning each day we are alive.
Chapter 49 of The Rule states, “The life of a monastic ought to be a continuous Lent.” Our Lent is a 40-day journey of repentance and conversion. With this weekend, we are at the halfway point. What do our temples resemble at this juncture? In our marketplaces do we have evidence of judgmental thinking or speech, maybe the occasional murmuring, or participation in gossip?
We are companions on this Lenten journey when we do the inner work necessary to cleanse the temples of our bodies-opening our minds and hearts to God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness. As we progress in our cleansing- thoughts, words, and deeds become more welcoming, caring, understanding and compassionate, or how Christ wants us to be. Lent is our annual check-up to make sure we keep doing our part!