Reflection on Today’s Gospel
Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
St. John, in today's Gospel, introduces us to the true dimension of the temple. For Jews, the Jerusalem temple was the only place where sacrifices could be made to God. The richer ones sacrificed oxen and sheep, while the poorer pigeons.
During the holidays, the outer temple courtyard ("courtyard of the Gentiles") became a kind of marketplace. All trade was religiously justified. It took place because of worship. It was completely legal, approved. Moreover, not only traders but also priests made money on it. Despite official approval from the religious elite, it caused Jesus' indignation and anger. Jesus' anger and aggression results from an offense against the house of God, and thus God himself.
The temple of Jerusalem, instead of a house of prayer, became a place of religious trade, trade with God, and human piety was used to do business and enrichment. If the liturgy, prayer and the glory of God are not celebrated in the temple, the "liturgy of the market", the ritual of money, is celebrated. Jesus' speech in the temple recalls the anger of Moses, who smashed the stone tablets of the Decalogue in front of the people who worshiped another god - the golden calf during his absence (Exodus 32:19).
Through his anger reactions, Jesus is a real man and nothing human is alien to Him ... Hot blood flows in his veins; the sphere of his feelings is very rich. He can be resolute and knows how to laugh, move and cry. Sometimes he is very angry: anger accumulate in him gradually, until it finally breaks out like an intense storm. Although Jesus is angry, speaks harsh words and reacts aggressively, He does not want to condemn man; on the contrary, He strongly emphasizes the Father's love and mercy. After all, he came to save us! His anger is an expression of concern for us.
Today's difficult Gospel concerns each of us. A temple merchant is not just a man who earns money and uses the temple to earn honors, titles, privileges, or a career. A temple merchant is anyone who abuses the temple to "do business with God."
In fact, the temple is meant to be a place of conversion. Worship given to God is the whole dimension of life in the Holy Spirit, it is life in truth, it is a love similar to God's love, universal, irrespective of persons, not suppressed by adultery, betrayal, injustice ... The essence of worship is not only expressed in the gift we bring to God, but above all in our hearts. "For where your treasure is, there also your heart will be" (cf. Mt 6:21).
Jesus does not intend to limit the space in which we can pray and worship God. However, he wants to remind us that this place is not only a building, but also a temple of our spirit, of which talks St. Paul. The new sanctuary, the new temple is He himself - crucified and risen, suffering and glorious, who lives today in his Church.
Here, I would also like to remind us the ofwords of Saint Paul to the Corinthians: “you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. (cf. 1 Cor 3,9b-11;.16-17)
Now let us combine this text with today's Gospel to reflect on our lives. Does it not happen in our lives that we meet merchants in the temple? Or maybe we are such merchants? When we come to church to "trade" with God. Do our prayers are not an attempt to do business? And prayers should not be like that. The prayers should be an authentic, sincere conversation like a child with a Father with a loving Daddy. God is not an investor with whom we can negotiate, make a deal, asking for something saying: in return God I will do "this and that”. By doing this, we become merchants.
And when do we meet other merchants in the temple? When someone tries to gain something at the expense of the church. Many public figures often try to "authenticate" by sitting in the front pews of the church. Or by publicly declaring their faith. We have to distinguish between an authentic testimony of faith and an attempt to authenticate themselves. Many actors’, politicians are genuinely believers; but there are also those who try to make a career "on the back" of the church. How many men and woman known today from the front pages of newspapers have photographed themselves with the pope or with some bishop just to make the"Catholics" to vote for them. And then everything turned out to be just a political ploy when this gentleman or lady voted for abortion, in vitro, to close the church, etc.
There is also a point related to the passage from the Letter to the Corinthians. Our body is the temple of God. So, aren't there any merchants in our lives, in our hearts? Who litter our soul with various goods thus obscuring our life mission ... our calling. There are many such merchants in our heart. They sell us their "goods” by forcing it to us as something attractive. Then we compromise. We sin and not everything is as beautiful as we were promised. And then, it is worth summoning Jesus for help, then just like in the temple in Jerusalem He will chase away the merchants from our heart.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george