march 7
Lent 3
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,[a] and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore 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.
The gospel according to john
John 2:13-22
- Can you remember a time that you were zealous for something? The time does not need to be specifically “religious” zeal.
- Trade and changing money are not inherently wrong or bad. Jesus was furious because in the Temple setting they diluted and compromised the nature of that holy place, one set apart for worship and prayer. In what ways is worship diluted and compromised in our day? In your own life?
- Finish by asking the Lord to reveal any impurities in your life and purify in your heart.
visio divina
Jesus Cleansing the Temple by Carl Heinrich Bloch, circa 1874, oil on copper plate, 38″ x 34″ / Frederiksborg Palace, Copenhagen
What are you most drawn to in this image?
How are your emotions stirred by it?
Ask the Lord to increase your holy desires.
Celebrated Danish painter Carl Heinrich Bloch was recognized as one of Europe’s finest portrait painters. This painting was among 23 he was commissioned to paint on the life and death of Christ. He subsequently became considered one of the greatest artists ever to interpret Christ’s life and death.
Notice the triangular composition and triad color scheme–red, yellow, and blue. They focus our attention on Jesus and highlight the dramatic nature of this event. Until then, most of Jesus’ public life was as a preacher and a healer, so his actions in the Temple appear shocking. Bloch’s portrayal embodies the quote, “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:17).
The Lord’s relationship with his chosen people is both intimate and passionate. We usually reveal our deepest feelings to those closest to us, including anger. The Lord desires to be close to us and is distressed when something obstructs our connection.
Allow the bold colors of Bloch’s artwork to awaken your imagination. Have you permitted anything impure to plant itself in your soul? Perhaps you have become passive or feel powerless to do anything about it.
Invite Jesus to drive these “money-changers” out of his beloved temple, your body, and soul. His love for you is relentless.
Settling and Noticing (eyes open) – 2 minutes
- Take a few deep breaths. Settle into this present moment. Open your heart to God.
- Explore all of the details, colors, movements, and shapes in the image. Then focus more intently on a single aspect of the larger image.
Savoring and Pondering (eyes closed) – 1 minute
- Staying with the part of the image you are drawn to, close your eyes, and recreate or visualize that aspect of the image in your mind’s eye.
- While your eyes are still closed, notice any images, feelings, thoughts or memories from your life that might arise in association with this image
Conclusion (eyes opened or closed) – 2 minutes
- How does the image and your response to it meet you at this particular moment of your life?
- Have a little conversation with God about whatever has arisen in your heart during this exercise. You might find it helpful to write down what happened as you prayed with this image.
Musical Devotion
Worship
Lent 3: Delight in the Lord (Liturgical Folk)
Classical
Cantata: Dixit Dominus HWV 232 (George Frederic Handel)
