The Dividing Line Between Good and Evil (A morning meditation, Luke 19:45-48)

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Gospel:

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written,
My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.

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Jesus “drove out” the money changers from the temple.

This verb “to drive out” – ekballo – is the same verb used to describe the exorcism of demons. These money changers are like unclean spirits, profaning the house of God.

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Notice the symbolism here. Both good and evil are at work in the temple.

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Unfortunately, that’s true everywhere in the world – good and evil intermingle in governments, workplaces, even houses of worship.

As one Russian novelist put it, “If only it were so easy. But the dividing line between good and evil cuts through every human heart. And who wants to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

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As we prepare for Advent – the coming of the Lord into our world – perhaps we should consider those areas in our own lives where we need Jesus to cast something unclean out.

Whether it’s a particular habit, a temptation, an attitude, or a residual grudge. 

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Just as Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple – so he has the power to drive out whatever is unclean in us, particularly through prayer and the sacrament of confession.

If I’m a Catholic, when was the last time I went to confession? Do I believe I’ve outgrown the sacrament? Or will I go before he comes again?

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