John 2:13–22 (NRSV)
Read John 2:13–22 on biblegateway.com
Verse 13The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Verse 14In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Verse 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. Verse 16He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" Verse 17His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." Verse 18The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Verse 19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Verse 20The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" Verse 21But he was speaking of the temple of his body. Verse 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Devotion
The religious leaders were upset with Jesus for disrupting their business as usual. “What gives you the authority to do these things?” they asked. “Show us a sign.” Jesus responded with perplexing words. “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” What?!? The temple took 46 years to build. Who does this guy think he is?
We learn two important things from this story. First, the Temple is not a building. It is a body. John tells us that Jesus was talking about his own bodily resurrection. His resurrected body is the true Temple, and we, his disciples, are members of that resurrected body. We are the Temple.
The second thing we learn is that the reflection of God’s light comes through the movements of the body, not through the rituals of a building. Jesus drove out the greed of the people and demonstrated love and forgiveness through his death and resurrection. Together, we are invited to be that living Temple and reflection of God’s light to the world.
Prayer
God of Promise, thank you that Jesus has revealed the true Temple of God. Help us to never forget that we are part of the body of Christ and called to reflect God’s light to the world. Amen.