Family Bible Study - Third Sunday of Lent

Third Sunday of Lent, B
March 11, 2012
Gospel Passage
John 2:13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In
the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers
seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the
temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money
changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves,
“Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17
His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume
me.” 18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 19
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20
The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and
will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body.
22 After 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. 23 When he
was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because
they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part would not entrust
himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to testify about
anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.
Questions
Jesus was very angry in this reading when He sent the money changers out of
the temple with a whip. Why was He angry? If Jesus, who is God, could be
angry for a good reason, what does that mean about our anger? Can we get
angry at others if we have a good reason?
Jesus called his body a temple. St. Paul tells us that our bodies are “temples of
the Holy Spirit.” If that’s true (and it is!), how clean should we keep our
temple? How do we keep it clean? What can make it dirty?
Jesus had “zeal” for His Father’s house. Zeal means really strong love. Do you
have zeal for the things of God?
used with permission - Fr. Roger Landry