The sanctuary that was his body. Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent, Year B.

How should we understand the actions of Jesus in the Temple? Could I suggest that the best way to understand what Jesus did is to see it as a prophetic gesture, or as an acted parable of judgment. The Hebrew prophets often dramatised or acted out their message. This prophetic gesture is not saying that the institution of the Temple needs to be reformed. It is saying that the days of the Temple are numbered. The Jerusalem Temple has been replaced by the body of Jesus as the true holy place, as the place of mediation between God and human beings.