19 October 2021 Luke 19:45-48
Friday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time
PRODIGALIZED SACREDNESS
“It is written,” he said to them, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’ but you have made it ‘a den of robbers’ (Luke 19:46).
Jerusalem Temple – “Father’s House” was desecrated by merchants and money changers. There were designated precincts or courts for priests, women, Israelites and gentiles etc. Jesus’ act of cleansing takes place at the area of ‘Gentile’s Court.’
Jesus drives out two groups of people while cleansing the temple namely ‘merchants’ and ‘money-changers.’ (1) On the days of Jesus’ there was a marketplace at Kidron Valley in the vicinity of the Mount of Olives allotted for selling animals and birds. But Caiaphas the chief priest entertained his favored and preferred people to do trade of animals and birds at the Gentiles’ court area. (2) Business deals in Israel were done through the use of Roman coins. In the context of the Judeo-Roman enmity, the dropping of Roman coins at the temple treasury was not permitted as the symbol of Caesar was inscribed on them. Pilgrims were supposed to drop Shekel in the Sanctuary and temple treasury. Thus they had to exchange the Roman coins in their hands with the shekel. Money changers used to impose heavy and undue surcharges for the currency-exchange. Thus, Jesus observes money (Mamon) becoming a practical god at the house of his father, and thus chases out those who did exploitation and corruption namely merchants and money-changers.
Jesus generally appears gentle and meek in His words and deeds acts serious and aggressive on certain occasions namely when (1) the sacredness of temple is frittered away, (2) poor exploited and (3) faith hypostatized. In other words Jesus became furious at the face of the denial of God’s glory and human justice.
The tendency to interpret indifference and silence as Christian forgiveness is allowing evil to grow and flourish. Similar to that of temples every lifestyle whether consecrated or married life has goals sacred to them.
Any act of denial, abuse or corruption of sacredness attached to the vocation of the Christian is an act of desecration and thus needs to be cleansed. Amen.