Friday November 24, 2017
Two days ago the reading began, “Jesus was now near Jerusalem,” yesterday’s began, “Jesus had come in sight of the city,” and today’s begins, “Jesus entered the Temple.” It has been a journey, and now he has arrived. In fact this theme of journey has been developing in Luke’s Gospel: during the previous ten chapters. Now begins his ministry in Jerusalem, which will lead to his death.
In his lament over the city (yesterday’s reading) he said, “Jerusalem… if only today you knew the ways of peace!” This was ironic when you consider that Jerusalem means “city of peace.” It is doubly ironic when you see that the first thing he does on entering the Temple is to cause a row! Luke spares us the details, but Mark says “he upset the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling pigeons” (11:15). It was a dramatic beginning! He had the fire of the ancient prophets in him—quoting two of the greatest of them, Isaiah and Jeremiah.
That Temple was leveled by the Romans in the year 70 AD. So, does it matter to us? Yes. The Temple, Eckhart said in a well-know passage, is now the human soul. “So like Himself has God made the human soul that nothing else in heaven or on earth, of all the splendid creatures that God has so joyously created, resembles God so much as the human soul. For this reason, God wants this temple cleared, that He may dwell there.”
