SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2024
SUNDAY OF THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B
Exodus 20:1-17
1Corinthians 1:22-25
John 2:13-25
CLEANING AND PURIFYING THE TEMPLES OF OUR BODY, OUR LIVES AND THE CHURCH
Cleansing or purification of the temple in Jerusalem was undertaken by Jesus in the gospel of today. The evangelist John sees it as of greater value and as one of those many things that Jesus came to accomplish of which he declared that he has to “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
By the readings of today, we are reminded that the Lenten period is a time to clean up the temples, the places considered as the abode of our God: our hearts, our bodies, our church and our lives. Because in these places God desires to take residence, to lives in them and wishes to stay with us.
Again, the readings teach us the new ways, the new life, the commandments desired by our God, and the new worship pleasing to our God. We are directed to the supreme worship that God desires and we are called to participate actively in this worship.
So all these indications are given in the readings of today. Otherwise, why should this temple that had taken the Jews forty six years of hard labour and great resources be destroyed by the son of a carpenter? Why did Jesus proclaim this very openly, that this became a great accusation against Jesus during his trial before Pontus Pilate.
It means that Jesus wished, accepted and even carried out the purification of the temple and the reordering of the worship of God as some of the great tasks committed to him. For he actually came into the temple, and making a whip of cord, he drove out of the temple all money changers, all selling in the temple and all who have turned the temple into a business Centre.
This is very instructive for us today. That one place Jesus touched and expressed his emotion of serious attachment and holy anger happen to be the temple of God. Why so much energy invested here? Why so much emphasis placed on the value and importance of the temple by Jesus himself and he took so drastic stands to drive away these people and sought to restore the temple to its original intention?
To place this action of Jesus in context, we know the place of the temple in Jewish religious belief is the abode of God. It is the house of God. The temple represents the presence of God in the world. It is a place of encounter between man and God. It is where man is bless specially, a place where the holiness of God is displayed, a place which reminds us of God’s love, because here is where the sacrifices are done and accepted by God. So, the temple is a sacred place.
It is God’s house, intended to be a place of:
1. purification of man,
2. forgiveness of sins,
3. and a place of encounter between man and God. The overall intent and value of the temple is more therefore a place God gives the law, gives the grace and enables man to rise by listening and harkening to God’s words in other to practice virtue and making sacrifices for his well-being.
But unfortunately, it was turned into a place of social gathering, a place of entertainment and a place of economic gains. It’s original intentions were destroyed. The temple became a place of business where people take advantage of God’s mercy and make gains from buying and selling. The emphasis moved from house of God to place of business. From where God’s intentions and will prevails to a place where man makes gains and seek his advantage.
So the purification of the temple ranks among the greatest things that Jesus came to accomplish. He came to restore the originality, value and importance of the temple as a house of God and place of divine presence. His cleansing of the temple is apt and necessary. His declaration to rebuild the temple in three days was to remind the people that the
Messiah whose figure was foretold has now come to fulfill the prophecy and make the temple what it was designed to be.
That today, the sacrifice of Christ which restored human being to life is celebrated, as the altar of sacrifice is the main structure in the temple. The table of the word of God stands to speak to God’s people and the seat of Christ is installed and used to demonstrate the presence of God in the temple as the house, abode and place of encounter.
Here in the temple, man receives the words of God, the commandments of our God, and the ways to win life in Christ through his word, proclaimed from the pulpit. Here in the church the divine worship is offered not just our worship of God but the worship Christ himself gives to God on the altar of the cross which we as members of his household join him to celebrate to the honour and glory of God.
So, we are not alone in this worship assembly, and we are not primary agent either in this worship assemble. For the church reminds us in sacrosanctus concilium, “To accomplish so great a work, Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations. He is present in the sacrifice of the Mass, not only in the person of His minister, “the same now offering, through the ministry of priests, who formerly offered himself on the cross” [20], but especially under the Eucharistic species. By His power He is present in the sacraments, so that when a man baptizes it is really Christ Himself who baptizes [21]. He is present in His word, since it is He Himself who speaks when the holy scriptures are read in the Church. He is present, lastly, when the Church prays and sings, for He promised: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20) .”
So, it is not our singing, prayers, or gestures that matter most but it is properly the supreme presence of Christ in the sense that there is a replay or reenactment of the worship Christ gives and still gives through us to draw us closer to God, to make atonement for our sins, to restore our relationship to God. For we shall take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. This is of the greatest value of the temple as a place of worship. It is Christ acting, Christ praying, Christ sacrificing and Christ pleading on our behalf. We are only participants by joining Christ in this act of worship. And we are only ministers representing Christ but the power comes from Christ, the value comes from Christ and it is Christ who pleases God and pleads on on our behalf.
The efficacy of the church worship is very high because the emphasis is Christ not ourselves. Come to think of it, who actually died? Whose blood atoned for our sanctification, who was crucified but Christ. The church is all about Christ not ourselves. So we must come to it in humility and awe.
Our participation in any category must therefore never be taken for granted. The rites are not ours, but they are beyond us. The celebration must be carried out as specified with its sequence of rites followed strictly. Respect, honour and reverence must be accorded to the church, the celebrations and the rites.
The temple is not a place to display arrogance, seek miracle or perform miracle, or display human wisdom or eloquence of man as the second reading says. But it is for the pure intention of worship of God either as priests or as lay persons.
The house of God must be accorded it’s place as the Centre of divine worship, a place God blesses his people and a place of prayer. Come into this house with minds ready for instruction, with hearts ready to be lifted high, with awe and reverence ready to encounter the holy of holies, and disposed for graces to fulfill our religious mandate, grow in grace and be energized for virtuous life.
Through the church, and its worship we are purified, cleansed, graced and empowered to give honour and glory to God.
Heavenly Father, in your church, you reveal yourself, you sacrificed for us, we are blessed and shown mercy. Help us to make your house a place of encounter and receive your blessings. Help that we may never depart empty handed but fully blessed, our prayer answered and our union strengthened and our sins forgiven through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
