Sunday, March 11: John 2:13-22
Jesus went to the temple, and was gravely displeased that people were conducting business there: buying and selling animals, exchanging money, turning it into a marketplace. He reacted in anger, chasing the offenders out and knocking over their tables. Then He prophetically said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” John explains, “But the temple He had spoken of was His body.” The scripture elaborates that following Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples remembered these words and “they believed.” This and other passages are signs that Jesus was truly the Son of God sent to die for the sins of all men, and that He would rise again to eternal life. Unlike the disciples, we have the advantage of centuries of Christian history and the written word which proclaims this for us. We have only to accept this truth and the Holy Spirit gives us the faith to do so.
We, then, should work to develop our faith, ask forgiveness for our sins, love each other, live as pleases God, and praise Him for His goodness. During Lent especially we should focus on the words and life and sacrifice of Christ, our Savior, examining ourselves, humbling ourselves, and rededicating ourselves to our beliefs. We have been given an incomparable gift of eternal life, which we should cherish, in contrast to the vendors and money changers who lost sight of the sanctity of the temple.
Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for the signs Jesus gave us so that we believe and follow Him. May our lives reflect our faith and gratitude for the immensity of God’s love and for His Son. Amen.