Jesus shook up what had seemingly become acceptable within the temple. Over time hearts which were meant to be made pure had become hardened to the truth that they were extending to others. In Lent our own life should be shaken up in a way that will rid ourself of all the practices of our daily life which are unacceptable of someone who claims to be a follower of Christ. At our baptism we were given a heart made pure and yet we all in some way have hardened our heart to what was begun in us at our baptism. Jesus driving people out with a whip of cords, Jesus overturning tables, and Jesus exhorting souls to stop making His Father's house a marketplace was something not only pointed towards those who have corrupted the life of the temple, but these words and actions are also being pointed towards us who have corrupted our life in similar fashion through a lack of trust placed in Him.
We are often left with the impression that Christ is tolerant of all of our actions no matter how harmful that they may be. Our Gospel shows us that is not the case. Christ saw hearts which were hardened and through His actions within the temple He desired to set those souls back to their original innocence. Christ is not falling into the sin of anger, but instead He is working charitably to give them their just due for their actions. The true sin would of been committed if He looked the other way and failed to challenge these souls to reform their life. In the Book of Exodus we are not given ten suggestions, but instead were given what are known as the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are not given in order to enslave us to the law, but instead through our following of them we are truly living life as we ought. When we live life in this manner we will truly come to discover that God is love.
There are some who like to be passive when it comes to their practice of religion. There are also those who like to fulfill the letter of the Law without allowing it to also penetrate into their heart in order that they may be truly transformed by God's love. We cannot allow ourself to fall into either of these categories. We cannot be passive about our faith because in return we are not fulfilling the Law and thus our heart cannot be conformed to the Gospel of Christ. Christ desires that we will live life accomplishing true happiness which can only be found when we live out natural law instead of remaining enslaved when we turn against it. The issue of what was taking place inside of the temple was the fact that people came to offer sacrifice, but those in charge of the temple had made this task difficult for the people. Money was changing hands and people were getting ripped off and thus what should of been freely offered was leading to other's personal gain.
Christ cleanses the temple because this signals to us that God who was made Flesh has come and He in return will be the one who will offer the perfect Sacrifice upon the cross. Due to Christ's salvific action we are no longer in need to offer the sacrifice of animals, but instead we are being invited to abandon our sin and to follow after Him. In the temple people were kept away from this great reality, but through Christ all people have been invited to enter in and to share in His love. According to Saint Augustine He drives them out of the temple with a whip made of cords because our sins are bound together and they create a cord from which we will be punished. Therefore they were driven out of the temple because of their sin which caused the hardness of their heart. They needed the tables to be overturned in order that they could have their faith shaken up.
This day may each of us truly come to embrace this Lenten season that is before us. We are all in need of having Christ to enter into our life in order that He may shake things up for us. We need to have our tables overturned and to be driven out with a whip made of cords. In this manner we will realize that our faith is serious and that through faithfully living it out we will come to discover God who is love. May we not fear to have our life shaken up during this Lenten season and may we not fear to be drawn into relationship with Christ. All that we must surrender and leave behind to grow in this relationship will be worth it because in return we will be freed from that which unknowingly leaves us enslaved. In the words to this Mass' Collect: "In fasting, prayer, and almsgiving have shown us a remedy for sin." May we embrace these Lenten practices in order that we may have our faith shaken up and therefore be once again sent forth on that path begun in us at our baptism.
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