THEY HUNG UPON HIS WORDS
Our heavenly Father's words
allow us to change and transform ourselves into the likeness of Christ Jesus.
He continues to teach us so that we can grow throughout our lives.
Today, in the Gospel of Luke, we read of an
incident where we see Jesus' startling and swift action in cleansing the Temple of those who were
using it to exploit the worshippers of our heavenly Father. The money changers
took advantage of those less fortunate and forced them to pay more than what
was just, and they did this in the house of God of all places. They were
dishonoring God and His people.
In these Scriptures, Jesus Christ quotes from
the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, "For My house shall be called a house of
prayer for all peoples (Is 56:7). Has this house which bears my Name become in
your eyes a den of thieves" (Jer 7:11)? His act of judgment aims to purify
the worship of God's people and to discipline their erring ways. Despite the objections
of the religious leaders, Jesus was usurping their authority in the house of
God, for those who listened to His teaching in the Temple regarded Him with great respect.
The most important part of the reflection is
that we ponder on these words from Luke's Gospel: "All the people were
hanging on His words" (Lk 19:48). Our heavenly Father's words allow us to
change and transform ourselves into the likeness of Christ Jesus. He continues
to teach us so that we can grow throughout our lives.