Gospel of the Day
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John 2:13–22
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
LOVE, Not a Marketplace
This Gospel is one of the most surprising passages in the life of Jesus. We are accustomed to seeing Him healing the sick, embracing children, forgiving sinners and speaking with gentleness. Yet here we see Him making a whip out of cords, driving out the merchants, overturning tables and scattering coins.
The problem Jesus denounces is that the place dedicated to God was being profaned by a way of practising religion that could place material interests above an encounter with the Father, risking turning worship into a business.
Jesus does not simply express His disapproval through words; His reaction is firm and deliberate. And He acts this way because He deeply loves His Father.
He is not indignant because His personal pride has been wounded. He is not defending His reputation, His comfort or His own interests. He is defending the holiness of His Father’s house.
Jesus’ anger is not the opposite of His love; in this passage, it is precisely an expression of His love.
Jesus is gentle, but He is not indifferent. He is merciful, but He does not call good what destroys our relationship with God. He forgives the sinner, but He also invites them to change.
Sometimes, without realising it, we turn our love into a marketplace: we give expecting something in return, we keep track of who makes the greater effort, we demand that the other person change, or we use reproaches to get what we want.
Love then ceases to be a free gift of ourselves and becomes an exchange driven by self-interest.
Jesus wants to enter our marriage to purify the way we love. He wants to drive out the selfishness, pride, demands and judgements that have taken the place of self-giving.
He does not come to destroy our love, but to rebuild it upon the rock of His Love.
We are called to look at our spouse through the eyes of Christ, to accept them as they truly are and to learn to give ourselves without keeping score, seeking their good rather than merely our own satisfaction.
And when Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” He reminds us that our marriage, too, can rise again.
Even when tiredness, wounds or routine seem to have extinguished our love, Christ can restore it if we allow Him to enter.
Applied to Married Life
Paloma: Alphonso, I have to admit that sometimes I turn our marriage into a marketplace. I give to you, but I expect you to give something back. I make an effort, but I need you to acknowledge it.
Alphonso: That’s true, Paloma. And when I don’t receive what I expect, I get angry and reproach you for it. Instead of loving you freely, I keep score of everything I do for you.
Paloma: Perhaps Jesus wants to enter our hearts today and drive out everything that prevents us from loving each other as He loves us.
Alphonso: You mean things like pride, reproaches and always wanting to be right?
Paloma: Exactly! Although you’ve got quite a few tables that need overturning…
Alphonso: And you’ve got a few coins to pick up yourself! But you’re right: sometimes we turn our love into a marketplace, with me waiting for you to change and you waiting for me to change.
Paloma: I need to learn to see you through the eyes of Christ, to accept you in your weakness and to discover how I can help you draw closer to God.
Alphonso: And I also need to recognise that our marriage is not an exchange of favours, but a vocation to give ourselves to one another. I need to make a greater effort to give myself to you.
Paloma: So, Alphonso, shall we ask Christ to rebuild what we have gradually damaged? Shall we truly allow Him to enter our home and our hearts today?
Alphonso: Yes, Paloma. May He drive out everything within us that is not love and make our marriage a temple where He dwells.
Paloma: Then let’s make a real commitment to our daily prayer as a couple, asking the Lord for all these things.
Mother,
Teach us to stop making demands and to start giving ourselves.
We ask that our love, purified by you, may become each day a reflection of your Love.
Blessed and praised be Our Lord.