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ADVENT REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “the temple of His body” Jesus observed that dishonest and unjust activities were occurring in the temple where many have come to observe the Passover festival. The Passover was established during the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Many Jews and proselytes (people who had converted to Judaism) who had to travel long distances to Jerusalem could not carry animals for the Passover rituals and sacrifices therefore they had to convert their foreign currencies to buy animals which were sold at the temple court for their sacrifices. The changing of money and selling of the animals to travellers were not bad activities in themselves since they enabled people to easily have access to animals at the temple premise. However, with time it became a money-making venture for the sellers and travellers were being cheated. Money was being changed at very high exchange rates and animal prices inflated to make extraordinary profits from travellers who had already gone through a lot of stress to get to Jerusalem. Again some of these travellers were poor or underprivileged but had to make it all the way to Jerusalem to fulfil the requirement of Jewish tradition, custom and Scripture. This illegal and unjust development was known to the Chief Priest and his cohorts at the temple but they did not stop it since they benefited from the unlawful and just trade and profit which were being made at the temple. It was for this reason, when“the Passover of the Jews was at hand, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple, he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 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. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”…So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John 2:13-16, 18-19)

Beloved in the Lord, Jesus having realised that the temple which was the dwelling place of His Father had been turned into a place of corruption and injustice, He laid a new foundation for the new temple which was His own body. ” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 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.” (John 2:18-22) Jesus’ body will become the new temple for the new generation of believers. After His suffering, death and resurrection His body became the new temple upon which the new temple of believers was established through the power of the Holy Spirit. No longer would money be changed or trade carried on nor animals sold for sacrifice in the new temple of His body, for Jesus Himself had become the final and ultimate sacrifice offered as ransom to atone for the sins of as many as will repent, believe and be baptised in Him as Lord and Saviour. Jesus had assured the Samaritan woman that “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem…Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21, 23-24) The only sacrifice needed from us is for us to offer ourselves to God on account of Jesus Christ as living sacrifices. It is for this reason, Paul admonishes us that “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1). By offering ourselves as living sacrifices we please God in the temple of Christ’s body. In this new temple, we have become the church or the body of Christ without blemish, therefore, we must not repeat the sins of the past by perpetuating injustice and corruption in the temple of His body (the church) or become beneficiaries of injustice and corruption at our various workplaces and in the society in which we live. Let us remember that believers who are beneficiaries of the temple of Christ’s body have been set apart for His glory. Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, strengthen us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices in the temple of our Lord Jesus’ body. Holy Spirit, grant Church leadership wisdom and direct the Church of Christ so that we may not condone or engage in any practice that will incur the wrath or displeasure of God which will cause His glory to depart from us. Amen