Daily Readings - Sat Nov 09 2024
First Reading - Ezekiel 47.1-2, 8-9, 12 or 1 Corinthians 3.9b-11, 16-17
Ezekiel
1Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.2Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.8Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.9And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.12And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
1 Corinthians
9For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.10According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
John
13And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:15And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?21But he spake of the temple of his body.22When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the imagery of the temple and its profound spiritual significance. In Ezekiel’s vision, the temple becomes a source of life-giving water, flowing out to heal and nourish the land. This water symbolizes the grace of God, which restores and revitalizes all it touches. Ezekiel’s prophecy points to a future where God’s presence will bring abundant life, not just to Israel, but to all creation. The temple, as a sacred place, is not just a building but a source of spiritual vitality.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes this idea a step further. When he cleanses the temple in Jerusalem, he is not just confronting the corruption of commerce in a holy place; he is asserting that the true temple is his own body. By driving out the moneychangers and merchants, Jesus is preparing the way for a new understanding of worship—one that is not confined to a physical building but flows from the heart. His words, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” point to his own resurrection, where he becomes the living temple, the source of eternal life.
These readings challenge us to see ourselves as temples of the Holy Spirit, called to be sources of life and grace in the world. Just as Ezekiel’s waters flowed outward to heal the land, our lives should overflow with God’s love, touching the lives of those around us. Jesus’ cleansing of the temple reminds us to examine our own hearts, purifying them from worldly distractions and making them fit dwelling places for God. Let us strive to be like the tree by the river in Ezekiel’s vision, bearing fruit that nourishes others and bringing healing to a world in need.