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This Sunday we focus on two central realities for the people of Israel - the covenant and the temple. The first reading, an account of the Decalogue or Ten Commandments, is best seen in the context of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. On that momentous occasion the people of Israel became God's special possession, "I am your God and you will be my people." The relationship between God and his people is described as covenantal implying that there are certain obligations on both sides. In return for God's care and protection of Israel, the people must obey his commands given through Moses.

The gospel reading is John's version of the cleansing of the temple. Whereas the synoptic writers give the cleansing as a reason for Jesus' arrest, John puts the episode earlier in his account and gives it a different significance. When asked for a sign to justify his action of driving out the sellers and moneychangers, Jesus replies, "Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up." John goes on to explain that Jesus is referring to his own body. Jesus will in fact be the new temple. His words must have struck his listeners very forcibly as the Passover lambs were about to be sacrificed in the temple at the feast of Passover for which Jesus was in Jerusalem. After Jesus' resurrection his disciples "remembered" his words, a technical term used by John to mean that they understood that Jesus had fulfilled the scriptural prophecies.

The law the people of Israel received from God is not meant to be a burden of obligations to be carried out. It is meant to be a delight and bring the people closer to God. Read today's psalm prayerfully and let the words help you to appreciate the life giving features of the commandments.

Although we are only half way through Lent, we are anticipating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What does John mean when he implies that Jesus will be the new temple? Can we speak of the Christian community as a temple?