Sunday Gospel Reflection (03/08/15)

Gospel – John 2: 13-25

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
many began to believe in his name
when they saw the signs he was doing.
But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all,
and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.
He himself understood it well.

Reflection on the Gospel

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

“Abandon me not to myself for one moment. For my own guidance and that of my students, grant me the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety, the spirit of a holy fear of you and ardent zeal to procure your glory” (Teacher’s Prayer).

“Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2: 16-17).

When we hear the story of Jesus casting out the moneychangers from the temple it usually makes us feel uneasy. We almost get upset with Jesus. Why would you do that? Where did that anger come from? The Gospel tells us that Jesus was acting with zeal.

Zeal is one of the twelve virtues of a good teacher laid out by St. John Baptist de La Salle and later extrapolated on by Brother Agathon, the fifth Superior General. Like other Aristotelian virtues we must make sure that when we exhibit zeal, we model it within reason like the middle-ground between two extremes. Webster defines zeal as, “a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm that makes one very eager or determined to do something.” This is part of the zeal that a Lasallian educator should exemplify but what is missing is the religious embodiment of zeal. “Religious zeal is the desire to give glory to God enthusiastically and lovingly.”1 Our students excel when we as Lasallian educators exhibit zeal in the classroom. Students learn better from our example more than from what we say. It is this basic truth why teachers need to be aware of the way they act and that they teach with more than just words.

People who study the narrative of Jesus’ ministry agree that the cleansing of the temple was the, “straw that broke the camel’s back,” leading to Christ’s arrest and crucifixion. Teachers are supposed to show the same zeal that Jesus did in his ministry. One of the Acts of the most recent General Chapter in Rome is asking the Brothers to revisit the Gospel narrative. It is imperative that everyone working in a Lasallian school does so as well. An example of how we can show this zeal is standing against what is wrong. When teachers stand up for what is right nothing else will be left more permanently in the minds of our students. It is only with zeal that any of this is possible.

1 Mueller, Frederick Brother, 12 virtues of a Good Teacher

Reflection Questions

How do you embody Christian zeal in your life and ministry?
How do we prepare ourselves to be the best role models for your students?

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Brother Javier Hansen

Postulant, San Francisco New Orleans District (RELAN)

I am a second-year postulant living at Jeremy House, the regional postulancy. In my two years in the classroom I’ve taught third to ninth grade. My degree is in Theology and Religious Studies from Saint Mary’s College of California.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us.
Live, Jesus, in our hearts – Forever!