Daily Readings - Tue Nov 09 2021
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
In today's readings, we encounter powerful visions of life, renewal, and the restoration of God's presence in the world. Ezekiel's prophetic vision describes a river flowing from the temple, bringing life and healing to all it touches. This river symbolizes the life-giving power of God, transforming even the most desolate places into gardens of abundance. The temple, as the source of this river, represents God's dwelling place among his people, from which flows spiritual nourishment and vitality. Ezekiel's vision is a message of hope, reminding us that God's presence can bring life out of barrenness and restore creation to its full potential.
In the Gospel, Jesus' cleansing of the temple offers a dramatic contrast to Ezekiel's serene and life-giving river. Jesus, filled with zeal for his Father's house, drives out the money changers and traders who have turned the temple into a place of commerce rather than prayer. This act is not just a critique of corruption; it is a call to reclaim the temple as a sacred space where God's people can encounter his presence. Jesus' words, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," point to the ultimate fulfillment of Ezekiel's vision: the temple of his own body, which would be destroyed on the cross and raised on the third day. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus becomes the new source of living water, flowing forth to heal and transform all who believe in him.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own lives as temples of the Holy Spirit. Just as Ezekiel's river flows from the temple to bring life to the world, and just as Jesus cleanses the temple to restore its sacred purpose, we are called to allow God's life-giving Spirit to flow through us. We must examine our hearts and lives, asking whether we are allowing God's presence to transform us and flow out to others. Let us strive to be sources of healing, hope, and renewal in a world that so desperately needs it. May we, like Jesus, be consumed by zeal for God's house, and may we become living temples from which the waters of life flow abundantly.