Gospel

Luke 19:45-48

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out

those who were selling things, saying to them,

“It is written,

My house shall be a house of prayer,

but you have made it a den of thieves.”

And every day he was teaching in the temple area.

The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,

were seeking to put him to death,

but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose

because all the people were hanging on his words.

Reflection

It's not hard to believe in any system that engages someone in something that is meaningful and purposeful can be turned through corruption into something very different. Instead of the temple being a place where you could encounter God, it was clear that it turned out to be a place that was making money for those who were running the temple.

It's a reminder of how often that we see in religion, those who run a religion get caught up in money and power, and it ruins the heart of what a religion is about. Creating a place of intimacy with God through ritual and through teachings. That's the work of the church. Not to take power, not to serve the needs of those who are in charge.

Closing Prayer

Father, for all of us who are ministers of your word, bless us with an understanding of what we're here to accomplish. Not to control behavior. Not to tell people what they have to do, but rather to invite them into a relationship with God that is transformative. That brings life, hope, and fullness. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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