Today Jesus goes to the temple in Jerusalem. Then he and the disciples continue on to Bethany. As they left Bethany the next day, Jesus realized he was hungry. He saw a fig tree and he went over to see if there were any ripe figs on the tree. If they were edible, they would satisfy his hunger for a period of time.
However, when Jesus came to the tree, there were no figs, only leaves. It actually was the season for figs to grow. Jesus then did something very unusual. When he realized that the tree had no figs, he said: “No one will ever again eat your fruit!” (I wonder if Jesus was in a bad mood?) Then Jesus and his disciples traveled on to Jerusalem.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they immediately went to the temple. When they entered the temple area, Jesus was stunned and outraged. In this holy temple, there were money changers plying their trade. Others were selling doves for sacrifice! The temple no longer was a temple. It had become a market place! In a loud and strident voice, Jesus said to his disciples: “My house is to be called a house of prayer!”
Take a moment and reflect: is your church a holy and sacred place to you? Or is it simply a building where you go to church? When you enter the church, do you sense the Divine Presence? The next time you go to church, I invite you to notice what you experience as you enter this sacred space. If we are present, awake and open, we surely will encounter the Divine there! However, only we can choose to be fully present and open!
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