What is the meaning of this "cleansing" of the Temple? The cleansing is not an act of a would-be-reformer. Jesus came not to restore the temple to its pristine purity (as some of the great prophets did before), but to transform the entire worship and service of Yahweh in terms of love (the two great commandments) thus truly fulfilling the Law and the prophets. But, it also invites us to think or reflect about our "own idolatry" and the 'true social character of the Law'.

"Our own idolatry": we need to recover a true sense of our idolatry. We, Christians, tend to assume that we are, free of idolatry. We think that the idolaters are the pagans who openly worship false idols or "gods". Yet, we are at times as inclined to idolatry as believers of other faiths. For we are often slipping away from the service of only one God - revealed in Christ Jesus - and we worship other "gods" populating our world: money, power, pleasure, security, reputation * are among the most worshipped. Indeed, not in a cultic way or manner, but certainly in deeds * Why are we slaves of consumerism? Of competition? Of the eagerness in having always the latest and most beautiful models.

"Social Character of the Law": we need to cleanse the idea which we have of the Law. The Ten Commandments consistently focus on the needs of the whole community. To obey the Commandments is to include our involvement in the struggle against the injustice of our time.