In the third week of Lent, the scene shifts to Jesus in the temple area. The first Sunday showed Jesus being tempted in the desert. The second Sunday presented Jesus on the mountain being glorified. This third Sunday, Jesus expressed His anger to the money changers and vendors of animals for offering in the temple area. Why was He angry?
He was angry because He saw that the people were more concerned with rituals than true worship. He was also angry because He saw the discrimination against the non-Jews (Gentiles). He was angry because sin was being committed right inside the House of God! He could not tolerate it. The very source and place of holiness is being disrespected by the proliferation of sinfulness. The House of God is being dominated by the presence of evil. The place to communicate with God has become a conduit for sins. They must go. They have no reason to stay. Out!
We can see here the hatred of Jesus against sin. Yes, He is compassionate. Yes, He is understanding. Yes, He is forgiving. But He does not compromise. He does not agree in any degree with sin. What is immoral is immoral. What is against God is against God. What is sin is sin. Either one is against God or for God. Many times we misinterpret or take this for granted. We claim that God can accept us with our sins. That is untrue. God accepts those who had repented of their sins. He could not accept it no matter how much He loves us. By His Holy nature, we must be able to accept that only our converted self can God embrace with compassion. Our sins must be left behind. Our sins must be completely severed from us. Our sins should be hated by us.
How are we so far with regards to hating sins? Do we regard more what others will say or feel than what God will? Do we allow even the smallest of sins thinking that it would not really harm us? The attitudes accompanying these questions are what the devil really wants to achieve. It wants us to compromise. It wants us to loosen our grip on holiness. It desires that we would rely on the love of God to the point that we would allow or even commit some sins. The Gospel today reminds us that we can not allow these attitudes. Sins, no matter how light or reasonable, are sins. Always and forever, they can not exist with God and His children. The least we could do is to be angry against it. That anger must be sustained and when the chance merits it, eliminate its presence. It must be nipped in the bud so as to cripple it and render it powerless. Jesus showed in the Gospel that against sin, anger is a worthy ally. Therefore, hate sin and fight it as best as we could and as thorough as we could.
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