Jesus drove out from the temple area those who were selling things. They have made it a den of theives.
The cleansing of the temple is a call to respect churches. But in a more personal note, I believe the cleansing of the temple is also an invitation for the cleansing of the self. Eventhourgh Churches are not turned into a market place but oftentimes we bring the market mentality inside the church, in prayer.
In the market there is the mentality of buy and sell - in order to get something one has to give something. In the market in order to get what we want we but it, we give money. In the market we give to get. Sometimes this mentality is brought into prayer. Because we give something to God or to the Church, time, talent, or treasure - we expect to get somethin in exchange. This is where frustration and anger come in when we do not get what we pray for. Because we think we ought to get. But the call of Jesus is different. If the market mentality tells us to give in order to get, Jesus tells us to give without expecting to get anything in return.
In the market, the goods are more important than the seller. Mas mahalaga ng tinda kaysa tindera. In prayer the opposite is true - the giver is more important than the gift. Sometmes we approach prayer focused on the graces that we want to get, that we shall ask for, that God should give us.We forget that the primary grace of prayer is an ecounter with the divine presence and getting close to God. Sa simbahan, mas mahalaga ang tagapagbigay kaysa ibinibigay.
Even without vendors and sellers in the church, cleansing is necessary whenever we bring the market mentality in prayer. In the market we give in order to get, but in the church we give without expecting to get anything in return. In the market the goods are more important than the seller, but in prayer the giver is more important than the gift.
The Church may not be a marketplace, but our hearts could succumb to the market mentality. We ask the Lord to cleanse our hearts.
