God’s Foolishness and Man’s Wisdom
The Jews said to Jesus, “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.” Jn 2:13-25
3rd Sunday of Lent B
We have five senses and so we always want to see, hear, touch, and even taste before we give ourselves to believing something incredible.
Thus, the Jews asked Jesus for a sign to explain why He drove the sellers out of the temple. It had always been that way in the temple – many people came to the temple not only to burn offerings but also to exchange money and buy animals for the sacrifice. The Pharisees were never bothered by it. So why should Jesus be?
Jesus gives them a sign – that, if destroyed, he could rebuild the temple in three days. The Jews of course did not understand because Jesus was speaking of his dying and rising from the dead.
But even if they would, they would not accept as St. Paul wrote: “Jews demand signs, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, but to those who are called, Christ the wisdom of God.” 1 Cor 1:22-25 Some Jews particularly the Sadducees think that rising from the dead was stupid. Yet Christ’s resurrection is the greatest proof of His messiahship.
Indeed God’s foolishness is even wiser than human wisdom. Today’s Psalm 19 says that the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.
In our lives do we trust God’s words more than our human calculations? In Exodus 20:1-17 God gave His Ten Commandments. Do we still believe and practice them in our lives? Or have we already dismissed them as archaic and out of sync?
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