In the temple, he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons and the money changers at their business. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, 

with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple, and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, 

“Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”

(John 2:14-16) 

 John 2:13-25  

The cleansing of the temple is one of the more famous scenes in Jesus’ life. When we get angry, we often say, ah, yes, but even Jesus got mad and overturned tables. So what if I get impatient, raise my voice, or throw a temper tantrum?

Wasn’t Jesus being a bit harsh, though? The sellers and money changers provided a service to pilgrims from faraway places. They were selling animals that could be used for ritual sacrifices in the temple. They were helping to exchange foreign currency.

Yesterday, we reflected on “thin places” where God’s presence is more easily discernible. I think Jesus becomes angry because the traders have turned this significant “thin place” into a “thick place”. It seems that prayer and encounter have become secondary to trade and industry.

We can thicken up our “thin places” in many ways. Many churches are beset by internal conflicts and “politics”. Many places of pilgrimage have become commercialised. Sometimes, our devotions have become superstitions. Occasionally, we fail to recognise the holiness of the “thin places” in our lives. We make them thick by taking them for granted.

What “thin places” have you turned “thick” in your life? How did this happen? Is there a way you can restore the dignity of such places in your life? 

Reflections by Sean van Staden SJ

Loving God,
We have turned many of our “thin places” into “thick places”. Sometimes, we are unaware that we have done so until it is too late. Please help us to be aware of the places in which we have lost sight of your presence. 
Amen.

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