Purify the Sanctuary
Piety
Judas and his brothers said, "Now that our enemies have been
crushed, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it." So, the
whole army assembled and went up to Mount Zion. Early in the morning on the
twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Chislev, in the year
one hundred and forty-eight, they arose and offered a sacrifice according to the
law on the new altar of burnt offerings that they had made. 1 Maccabees
4:36-37, 52-53
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. Luke 19:45-48
Study
WHAT DOES IT SAY?
Two temples defiled. Two temples cleansed.
According to the Introduction in the NABRE, “The two Books of Maccabees
contain independent accounts of events (in part identical) that accompanied the
attempted suppression of Judaism in Palestine in the second century B.C. The
vigorous reaction to this attempt established for a time the religious and
political independence of the Jews.” These events unfolded about 100 years
before Christ was born.
[i]The
people of Israel have been specially chosen by the one true God as
covenant-partner, and they alone are privileged to know and worship God, their
eternal benefactor, and unfailing source of help. The people, in turn, must
worship the Lord alone and observe exactly the precepts of the law given to
them. The rededication of the Jerusalem Temple described in 4:36–59 (see 2 Mc
10:1–8) is the origin of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah.
By the time Jesus enters the temple in Jerusalem, the piety from the
first book
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
After cleansing it, the temple becomes the proper place for his
teaching ministry in Jerusalem. Thus, cleansed anew, the setting becomes the
home of his ministry because it is, in essence, his house.
However, we know from the hints in today’s Gospel, that the temple that
is Jesus’ body is now poised for destruction just as the people defiled the
temple.
WHAT DOES IT MATTER?
If the people genuinely recognized Jesus as “Emmanuel” (God-Among-Us),
would they have treated him or his temple that way? All week long, we have been
encountering people in the readings who either did or did not recognize Jesus.
Sunday, he warned us to accept no substitutes despite the false
prophets who would come around. (“See that you not be deceived, for many will
come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow
them!”)
Monday, the blind beggar could “see” who was before him while the
sighted followers did not. Tuesday, the tax collector climbed a sycamore tree
to see the “real thing” and respond accordingly by giving away his possessions.
Wednesday, the traveling nobleman (God the Father), trusted his prized
possessions with his servants to see who would adequately care for them. Thursday,
Jesus wept, knowing that those he loved would not recognize him.
Action
You would think God would learn his lesson. We, the so-called children
of God, prove time after time that we cannot be trusted to care for the temple.
Throughout sacred history, God sends prophets and saints to do just what Jesus
did, rebuild the church. But God keeps giving us another chance.
How is Jesus Among You, today? How will you encounter him in the people
around you? Do we have another chance to keep Jesus from breaking into tears again?
Are we up for the task this time?
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