Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Monday, January 20, 2014 Read Psalm 69:9-12 It is from these verses that Jesus quotes in John’s story of the cleansing of the Temple – “Zeal for your house consumes me” (Psalm 69:9). Once again the early Christians could see Jesus on the cross in this psalm. They had come to realize that Jesus was faithful to God and that his faithfulness led to his rejection and crucifixion. The psalm helped them understand Jesus. But, how does this psalm function in John’s story of the cleansing of the Temple? The question that arose from Jesus’ actions was what justification he had for doing what he did. Ultimately it was not that Jesus detested the Temple – Jesus treasured the Temple. It was the perversion of the Temple that upset Jesus. In this way John agrees with Mark, Matthew, and Luke. The problem is not the Temple itself but the religious leaders who have perverted it. We might ponder why Mark, Matthew, and Luke tells us Jesus quoted one set of verses in their rendition and that John has selected a difference verse in his version of the story. Likely the oldest tradition had none of the verses attached. It was the gospel writers who attached the OT to what they received. Again, this is an interesting observation that supports the idea that the gospels as we have them today and the work of editors shaping earlier materials to proclaim their message.