Sacred Scripture
Then Jesus entered the Temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.'” And every day he was teaching in the Temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words. ( Luke 19:45-48)
Reflection
The main evil Jesus is objecting to is the corruption of a sacred space – the temple. But he is also speaking about about the corruption of the human spirit. The ways in which the minds and hearts of the people have started to serve different gods: sometimes the gods of materiality, sometimes the gods of pride or vanity or self-aggrandizement. Sometimes we cannot forgive another, and the gods of insincerity and anger reside. In each of these cases and more, the theft that is occurring is robbery of the spirit.
In this day and age, it is important to consider how we are maintaining our” temples” — our bodies — in which the Spirit of God resides. What about our relationships with others? If we truly believe that the Spirit of God dwells within us, that means that we are in constantly in the presence of our Creator. With that in mind, we must ask, are we making God’s “residence” a house of prayer or a den of thieves? What are we doing that might defame and destroy the Maker’s property? How do we act to make God’s house beautiful and a place of joy?
Prayer of The Day
Lord Jesus, we know we don’t give your Word priority of place in our lives. Our selfishness and judging of others show that clearly. We listen only to those words that reinforce and “bless” our attitudes, lifestyle, and the choices we make. Yet, we believe we are temples of the Spirit, that you dwell within us. We know we need cleansing but are afraid to ask for it, for fear that we’ll have to change. Lord Jesus, please help us. Amen.
Daily Note
Christ reminds us that he and the Father are the God of the living. He gave us our life; we lost it. He became man, suffered, died and rose on the third day that we might have a new life — a life in and with God, now and for all eternity. He made us temples of His spirit. How blessed are we to house that Spirit and how important it is for each of us to remain in thought and action a dwelling place of the Lord.
