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III LENTEN SUNDAY – III DIMANCHE DE CAREME
LENT 2015
ICCG Europe / ICCS EuroMed Regions
Gospel according to John 2:13-25
“13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[b] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.”
FLOOR TO THE WITNESSES
Two direct witnesses accompanied Jesus everywhere during his life. They were also present in the temple and were surprised what has happened there. What wcoming through their minds?
PETER
I really could not believe my eyes: come on, Jesus, you cannot go against our habits and customs. You cannot go against our whole economic system! It is true, moneychangers are not always so fair, merchants tend to take advantage of situations and impose high prices even to poor pilgrims etc. but come on, why chasing them, our survival depends on the economic system, we cannot avoid it!
… but Jesus OVERTURNS the merchants’ tables… this action enlightened my mind: are world categories the best ones to respect others, to live a satisfying life or should I overturn them and change my perspective, adopting the only faith category that Jesus uses, i.e. the love He experiences with His Father? Maybe I should think about it, and make room in my heart for God’s love…
MARY
“Well, as a matter of fact, I am quite used to Jesus overturning my perspective!
He was still a little boy and I lost sight of Him when we were in Jerusalem (Lk 2:41-52). Finally we found Him in the Temple, lecturing to teachers! I was so so so ashamed, how could He dare??? His reply OVERTURNED my perspective: “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”. I needed this overturning, it helped me to understand that the Creator is God and I felt that I am a creature who is called to freely decide to let God work miracles in her life. This is what faith is all about: a free decision to trust the One who see things from a really “global” perspective, who only asks for permission to love me. If I let Him love me, I will be compelled to share His love, because His love will give meaning to my life. I accepted and I actually never regretted it.
FOOD FOR THE MIND
In this life of changing world and lack of time it is a matter of priority what we will do during our time of each of the days we´ve got. Peter and Mary followed Jesus everywhere and watched carefully what he did – it was their priority. His (Jesus) priority was in the temple to keep calm and respect in his Father´s house.
What is the priority of our lives? To listen to Jesus, follow him and keep calm? Or to turnover tables in the places where we are and something is wrong?
Maybe the little story can help us to think about it:
One grandmother says:
…“My granddaughter came to spend a few weeks with me, and I decided to teach her to sew. After I had gone through a lengthy explanation of how to thread the machine, she stepped back, put her hands on her hips and said in disbelief. You mean you can do all that, but you can´t operate my Game Boy?” I guess why there are lots of things I have never learned to do (such as operating a Game Boy). They are just not at high enough priority on my list. … Now apply this reasoning to spiritual things. When is the last time you made God your priority?….”
[Little story from: Russ Lawson: More Stories to Touch the Heart. Lulu Publishers, 2008, p. 35)
FOOD FOR HANDS – ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES
Jesus clears out the commerce going on in the Gentile court of the temple at the beginning of His ministry (John 2), and again at the end of His ministry, five days before His death. He came into the temple after His triumphal entry through Jerusalem, on the back of a colt. This fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, “…Behold thy King cometh unto you: He is just and having salvation: He is lowly, and riding upon an ass…” Righteous indignation compelled Jesus to overturn the tables, scatter the coins, and drive out those who were involved in taking advantage of those who were coming to worship God. He severely denounced their profiteering by quoting Isaiah and then welcomed the blind and lame, “and He healed them.”
FOR THE YOUNGEST MEMBERS
With twine, in which you have knotted the ends, make tiny whips. (***See note below***) Tape together and glue to Jesus’ hand. I used a half sheet of special paper made by Crayola to have the kids write with Crayola’s special pens ” My house shall be called a house of prayer”. That is an option for you to consider but not necessary. Color and cut out table, and glue together as in the finished project above. Draw coins here and there with metallic gel pens. ****Note: Jesus did not use a whip in the 2nd cleansing of the temple, you might want to explain this…If you feel the “knots” are not appropriate for a young child…use the twine plain or leave off altogether as one cleansing did not include a whip) The word for “scourge” in Greek is phragellion (Latin: flagellum) and I have artistically interpreted it to be a substantial tool. The word for “small cords” can mean either rope or rushes.
(https://auntiesbiblelessons.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/jesus-cleanses-the-temple/)
FOR SCOUTS AND ROVERS
Listen to the scene where Jesus cleanses the temple of the movie JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR by Andrew Lloyd Webber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG1JWJFGfOU
Discuss:
What are you doing in the house of God, which prevent you from listening to God’s words?
Where does your minds go instead of paying attention on holy mess?
Collect all such things which give us problem at the church and prevent us to attend with full attention. Write these problems on piece of papers and then put on fire (candle) and destroy symbolically.