Weekly Bible Notes

Weekly Bible Notes, 23rd March 2003

Lent 3

Year B, Purple

First Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

Cleansing the Temple
Cleansing the Temple

Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 
Gospel Reading: John 2:13-22 
Commentary: Cleansing the Temple 
Prayers: for Sunday and the week ahead in a time of international conflict

Opening Verse of Scripture—Psalm 19:14

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

Almighty God, you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves. Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

First Bible Reading  Exodus 20:1-17

And God spoke all these words:  "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 

"You shall have no other gods before me. 

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

"Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 

"You shall not murder. 

"You shall not commit adultery. 

"You shall not steal. 

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour. 

"You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour." (This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Epistle Reading 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Gospel Reading John 2:13-22 

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" 

His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." T

hen the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" 

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." 

The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. (This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God)

Post Communion Prayer

Merciful Lord, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Commentary: Cleansing the Temple

The commentary on the readings is intentionally short this week to allow space for special prayers and meditation at this time of war. 

Those of you who attended the excellent first week of our Lent Course will have heard Joan speaking about the incident when Jesus cleared the Temple of the money changers and traders. Joan spoke about the picture of this scene painted by El Greco and we explored the feelings which must have been present among those who witnessed the scene, who were subject to the whip wielded by Jesus and the feelings of Jesus himself. 

The gospel reading today challenges us to look afresh at our institutions and our personal lives. Perhaps we are being challenged to cleanse what is stale and corrupt? What abuses have crept into the way we govern our society, workplaces and lives? It is no good excusing ourselves simply because things have become accepted as the norm. We too must be prepared to challenge the status quo with the demands of the Kingdom. 

When Jesus attacked the abuses which had grown up in the Temple he was prepared to face unpopularity and the dangers of confronting the powerful. He was willing to be disliked and misunderstood, in order to bring about change. Are we as Christians prepared to be as courageous?   Charles Royden


Hymns (Mission Praise)

  1. For the beauty of the earth 152 
  2. God has spoken to his people 182 
  3. Make me a channel 456
  4. My song is love 478 
  5. There’s a wideness in God’s mercy 683

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead
at a time of international conflict

In the midst of the terrible war in which we are engaged, one of the most important things our churches can do is to be places of prayer for all nations. This week we have prepared a special prayer sheet and our Bible Notes also include special prayers

A Prayer for Protection of Those in Military Service 

God of Love and Compassion, we ask for your protection for those who are being sent to faraway places to prepare for our defence. we look forward to a day when no community will ever be asked to release its loved ones for purposes of war. But today, Lord, history and circumstances force us to release them into your care and into our country's service. We pray for their safe return; and not only for theirs, but for the safe return of others who are being sent from communities, so much like ours, in other parts of the world. As they face the myriad challenges and decisions that each day is destined to bring, may they be anchored by their faith, protected by your presence, and comforted by the knowledge that they are loved by you and by this community. We bless them in your name, and look forward to their safe return, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Safiyah Fosua


Prayer for Children 

O God, even as we pray for the day when no one's children will be sacrificed to war, we pray for the children among us. Give them, in the midst of the confusion around us, moments to play and to rejoice in your creation. Give us calm to comfort their fears. We include in our prayers those far away who seek to comfort, feed, and shelter their children in this time of tension and war. Give all of us grace to be still, know that you are God, and join our children in moments of simple joy that remind us all that life and love are your enduring gifts; in Jesus' name. Amen.

A Prayer for us all 

Christ, why do you allow wars and massacres on earth? By what mysterious judgement do you allow innocent people to be cruelly slaughtered? I cannot know. I can only find assurance in the promise that your people will find peace in heaven, where no one makes war. As gold is purified by fire, so you purify souls by these bodily tribulations, making them ready to be received above the stars in your heavenly home. (Alcuin of York c735-804)

For Meditation 

"Christianity is no easy thing. Being moral or ethical doesn't merely mean being good in the area of sexual morality. We are also called to be just, and that is much harder. We are called to honour everyone and to use no one. That is much harder" by the Rev. Anthony F.M. Clavier


First Reading: Exodus 20:1-17
Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 
Gospel Reading: John 2:13-22 
Commentary: Cleansing the Temple 
Prayers: for Sunday and the week ahead in a time of international conflict
Intercessions
Sermon: Ploughshares and Swords

 

Top of Page