This week’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple. He also refers to His body as a temple, saying that if it were destroyed, He would rebuild it in three days. Our own bodies are temples too, but do we treat them with the same respect and reverence?
Humanity stands apart from the rest of creation because we are made in the image of God. We are not only spiritual beings with eternal souls; we are also physical beings. When we die, our souls will be separated from our bodies, but at the resurrection, they will be reunited and perfected.
When Jesus rose from the dead, His disciples saw Him in His glorified body. He ascended into Heaven with that same body, which He will have for all eternity. His body isn’t like a piece of clothing that He wore for a short time. It is an everlasting part of His identity. Likewise, our bodies are an integral part of who we are. At death, our souls await reunion with our bodies in eager anticipation.
We should care for our bodies not only to stay healthy or live longer, but because they deserve our respect and honor. Jesus cleansed the temple of filth, but how often do we fill our own minds and bodies with filth? Treat your body as the sacred and holy place it is.
The human body, both male and female, is a work of beauty, but that beauty calls for modesty, not display. Revealing too much can lead others into sin. Many women would never walk through town in their underwear, yet some feel comfortable wearing a bikini on the beach. I have deep respect for those who choose modesty, and it’s one of the qualities that drew me to my wife.
We also need to guard our eyes and thoughts so we don’t view others as objects. Temptation surrounds us from nearly every direction, and resisting it will only grow more difficult. Just as we exercise our bodies to stay strong, we must train our minds, hearts, and souls to stay spiritually fit so we can resist temptation.
Jesus reminds us not to fear those who can destroy the body, but to fear the one who can destroy both body and soul. Everyone will be resurrected, but not all will rise to eternal life. Those who disrespected their own temple, or the temple of others, will struggle to find eternal joy. The pleasures we condition ourselves to enjoy have a way of ingraining themselves into our very being. Condition yourself to the pleasures of loving God, and that’s what your body and soul will seek in the end.
