March 13, 2009
Sunday Scripture
Third Sunday of Lent
BY FATHER DONALD DILGER
It is the first of three Passovers during Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of John. Interesting is the fact that in the other three gospels there is only one Passover during Jesus’ public ministry. These gospels restrict Jesus’ public ministry to one year, an unlikely scenario. John must be closer to the historic situation — a two to three year or more ministry. Like many pious Jews from Galilee in the north, Jesus also goes up to Jerusalem in Judea for the pilgrimage feasts — Passover, Pentecost and Tents.
The goal of the Passover pilgrims was the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. Jesus enters the temple area, probably the so-called “Court of the Gentile.” Here non-Jews could also gather. He notices the market for animals needed for temple worship. There were also money changers. They, like the animal vendors, offered essential services for the local and visiting Passover pilgrams. Coins with “graven images” could not be turned in to pay temple taxes or other vowed and voluntary contributions. The money changers changed such coins into the Tyrian half-shekel, which was acceptable in the temple.
Jesus is not pleased with these goings-on. He forms a whip of cords and drives out the animal vendors. He spills the coins of the money changers and overturns their tables. He is a bit kinder to the dove vendors, telling them to take their birds out. What a mess! Why did Jesus take this drastic action against humble vendors who provided a necessary service for pilgrims entering the temple? We cannot be sure of the answer. As justification for Jesus’ attack on the temple, Mark (with Matt and Luke dutifully copying most of the quote from him) combines Isaiah 56:7 with Jeremiah 7:11, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.”
John justifies the attack differently. His quote, “. . . stop making my Father’s house a house of trade,” vaguely echoes Zechariah 14:21, “There shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord . . . on that day.” and Zephaniah 1:11, “All the traders are no more. All who weigh out silver are cut off.” Then John adds a quote directly from Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for your house (the temple) has consumed me.” The meaning of this quote in this context has to mean that Jesus’ attack on the temple was the primary reason for his arrest by the reigious leadership. John seems to know that the attack on the temple belongs just before the arrest of Jesus as we have it in the other gospels. He has stronger reasons for putting the attack at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry rather than at the end. The quote from Psalm 69:9 however tells us John was aware of the fatal nature of Jesus’ action.
The Judean leaders demand an explanation from Jesus. The temple was the employer of the majority of working people, priests and levites in Jerusalem. This was an attack on their “bottom line.” He gives them a mysterious answer, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” While his questioners think he is talking about the stone and mortar temple building which had been in the building process for 46 years, John notes that Jesus was speaking of his body. In John’s theology, Jesus’ attack on the temple becomes a preview of his death, an attack on the one who is the true temple of the Lord.
John, writing 60 years later, knows that this fatal attack on the true, ultimate temple of the Lord was not the end. There would be a resurrection to new life. John indicates that Jesus’ disciples were clueless about these matters until after Jesus’ resurrection. Even then, he does not say that they understood any more than we do. The outcome was not so much knowledge as it was faith, “They believed in the Scriptures and the words that Jesus had spoken.” Our faith continues to seek understanding we do not yet have.
This reading is the first edition of the Ten Commandments. The second edition with its changes and adaptations is found in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. They may be viewed as a summary of all 613 commandments of the Torah. If we try to connect this reading with today’s gospel, it might go like this. The two chief institutions of the Jews were Torah and Temple. Today’s gospel proclaims Jesus as the true and ultimate temple of the Lord. In John’s theology Jesus replaces not only the temple, but also the Torah. That is why John began his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word (Torah), and the Word (Torah) was with God, and the Word (Torah) was God.” Every pious Jew could agree with the first two clauses, but not the third. The written Torah was never regarded as God. In that third clause John proclaims Jesus as the true and ultimate Torah or teaching of God.
Paul notes that Jews demand signs (miracles) and Greeks demand philosophy, but he preaches Christ crucified. Jesus is the ultimate sign and ultimate wisdom or Torah (teaching) of God. Jesus is as profound and yet more rewarding than any philosophy.