Jesus Cleansing the Temple by Carl Heinrich Bloch – Danish
The Word of God for this weekend continues to ‘cleanse’ us for true worship – worship in Spirit and Truth. (John 4:23)
Jesus cleanses the temple of money changers and the animals used for making sacrifice, is a good ‘symbol’ for what is taking place each Lent, as Jesus is ‘going through’ our hearts, souls, and consciences to free us from all that prevents us from true worship of God.
When asked for a sign, Jesus tells the people: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19) Jesus has just cleared the temple of all the animals used for making sacrifices. Now, he remains as the true sacrifice acceptable to God, as the Lamb of God, who came to give his life as a ransom for our sins.
St. Paul today reminds us: “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified …” (1 Cor 1: 22-23)
In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well: “You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.” (John 4: 22-23)
Let us acknowledge the crucified and Risen Jesus who strolls in our souls, as the “power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor 1:24) He is Truth and Life. He is the God who came to die for us, as a sign of the infinite, unconditional, sacrificial love of God. St. Paul further teaches us that “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” ( Romans 5: 5)
Lent is a time for Repentance from our sins – to be renewed to Worship God in Spirit, Truth and Life.
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