Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:22-25, John 2:13-25
The Gospel reading displays a Jesus who seems far removed from the compassionate healer that we often envision. As he enters the temple area Jesus demands that they stop selling animals and changing money; he overturns tables and even fashions a whip out of cords and physically drives the sellers out. This sacred place, a place of prayer and worship of God, has become a marketplace, a den of thieves.
What does this mean for us that the same Jesus who gives sight to the blind, makes the lame walk, who makes friends with Samaritans and tax collectors, that that same Jesus who brings so much healing and compassion to wounded individuals and a broken world reacts with such anger and violence in this story?
Every Gospel contains a version of this story. The early followers of Christ recognized that there was something
significant in this story, something that said something about who Jesus was that was essential to pass along to future generations.
As I read this story, I believe there is a lesson here about righteous anger. We are meant to live out Jesus’ ministry of compassion, but compassion sometimes means confronting the unjust systems that perpetuate the cycle of poverty and violence, not just addressing the wounds of those who are caught in the cycle. How do you address the underlying causes of injustice through your choices and actions?
Sarah Heiman, Campus Ministry