There is a lot to unpack in this episode. Why is Jesus so angry? What connection is he trying to make when he talks about the temple of his body and the temple of Jerusalem? Why was it only later that the disciples looked back on this, understood, and finally believed? The economic system of exchange and sacrifice in the temple was designed to further enrich the wealthy and to keep the poor in a cycle of poverty. Jesus dramatically makes the point that unjust systems and worship of God cannot coexist.
In referring to his body as the temple, Jesus takes worship out onto the streets of Jerusalem, to the shores of Galilee, and to the Judean countryside. No longer is God confined to the temple, but is found in the desperate woman reaching for his cloak, the lonely tax collector at the edge of the crowd, and the grieving sisters angry because he was too late to save their brother.
In what ways does the church perpetuate or ignore injustice? How does this affect the body of Christ’s ability to worship in spirit and in truth? Where might we be called to take the Gospel message? Who might be longing for a word of hope, for a place to belong, to be met wherever they are in life?
In prayer, ask God to send you to a place or a person where you might best express a message of hope.