Breaking the Word

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.  (Jn 2:13-22)

Temple is a place of worship. For the Jews it was the place where God resided. Temple was the meeting place for God and his people. It was the place where God revealed himself, his glory and his mercy. God communicated his himself (revelation) to the people. And the people reached God through sacrifices. People communicated through sacrifices.

Jesus came to the temple of Jerusalem and he saw the means of communication (oxen, sheep, dove etc). He did not find communication between God and people. The means (oxen, sheep, dove etc) have become end in themselves. People were satisfied with the means and neglected God and communication with God. It was this situation that made Jesus angry. Temple without God is a market place.

Material places, things and even physical body can become temple if there was communication between God and person. Jesus speaks of his body as the temple because there was perfect communication between God and himself (his body). The central thing in the temple is the communication. Wherever there is communication between God and man then that place (Bethel) or body (Jesus) becomes the Temple.

"Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?   Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" (17:7-10)

Servants are always servants in front of their masters. They may be different among their own friends and in their own household or when they are on leave. They are servants in their work place and they have their duties to complete and the master counts only completion of works. The master does not watch on anything else except him as a worker and the work completed.

This is in no way implies that a servant is a slave who does not have his own free time to do as he wishes. Servant has his own time of freedom in which he could eat and drink. Everyone has his own time to act as he wishes and the time of work in which to act as the master desires.

This parable only goes to tell the disciples that they should feel like the servant in this story. They are given works to do and they should only feel that they are servants and they are obliged to do their work only. In short the disciples should not feel that they are masters. There is only one master and all the rest are servants. The disciples are obliged as servants.