Daily Readings - Sat Nov 09 2019
First Reading - Ezekiel 47.1-2, 8-9, 12 or 1 Corinthians 3.9b-11, 16-17
Ezekiel
1Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.2Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.8And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.9And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.12And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."
1 Corinthians
9For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.10According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.11For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.16Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
John
13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.15And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.16And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade."17His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me."18So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?"19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."20The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?"21But he was speaking about the temple of his body.22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of life-giving water, purification, and the transformative power of God. In Ezekiel’s vision, we see a river flowing from the temple, bringing life and healing to all it touches. This river is not just a physical phenomenon but a symbol of God’s grace and the restoration He promises to His people. The prophet describes how even the saltiest waters are made fresh, and the barren land becomes fruitful, with trees growing on its banks that bear fruit every month. This vision is a reminder of God’s desire to bring life and fertility to His creation, even in the most desolate places.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes this imagery a step further. When He drives the merchants and moneychangers out of the temple, He is not just cleansing a physical space; He is declaring that the true temple is His own body. The temple in Jerusalem was meant to be a place of encounter with God, but it had become corrupted by greed and worldly concerns. Jesus’ actions are a call to purity and a reminder that the true source of life and healing is not a building but the living God. Just as Ezekiel’s river flows from the temple to bring life to the world, Jesus’ own life flows from the cross to bring salvation to all humanity.
These readings challenge us to consider how we might be temples of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. Are there areas in our hearts or lives that have become cluttered with worldly distractions, preventing the river of God’s grace from flowing freely? Let us ask for the courage to be purified and transformed, so that we might bear fruit in every season and bring life and healing to those around us. May we remember that the zeal for God’s house—the passion for His presence and purpose—should consume us, just as it consumed Jesus.