In the Gospel for the third Sunday of Lent, Jesus drives out the merchants and money changers from the Temple. They had reduced worshipping God to a commercial act, and even prevented some people from being able to worship God at all. In this lesson, students will reflect on their Lenten journey thus far, and consider ways they can renew and refresh their own spiritual life.
The Cleansing of the Temple – Third Sunday of Lent | Year B
Lesson Overview
Upper Elementary Lesson Materials
Download all PDFsGospel Reflection
- Have students read the Gospel passage, or read it aloud to your students, and then answer the focus questions. You may have students answer them on their own or you may discuss them together as a class.
- Review and discuss the correct answers when finished.
Activity
- Have students complete the Handout B: Spring Cleaning activity. Then, ask for volunteers to share about how their Lenten journey has been going so far. Specifically, ask what students have done to help others, how their Lenten fast has been going, what challenges they have encountered in keeping their fast, and if they have any experiences of prayer they’d like to share about.
- Conclude by showing the video of the song “Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)” by Hillsong Worship, found at the following link: SophiaOnline.org/BrokenVessels. Invite your students to prayerfully reflect on their Lenten journey using the song. They may close their eyes and listen, or follow the lyrics in the video.
Answer Key
Handout A: Gospel Reading
- People selling animals )oxen, sheep, and doves), and money changers
- He made a whip out of cords and drove the people selling animals (along with their animals) out
of the Temple area, spilled the money of the money changers, and overturned their tables. - “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
- “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Jesus was really talking about His own body and His Death and Resurrection on the third day.
- Human nature.
- Jesus saw that worship of God in the Temple, the main and most holy house of worship for the Jewish people, had become irreverent and commercialized. The actions of the sellers and money changers in the Temple area did not lead people to true worship, and, in fact, prevented those who could not pay from worshipping God. Jesus’ actions were justifiable. His anger at the situation prompted Him to act justly by cleaning out the Temple area so that the people could worship God as they were meant to. Accept other reasoned answers. Be sure to make it clear that Jesus was not acting sinfully in this Gospel story, and that His anger was righteous and justified.
Lower Elementary Lesson Materials
Download all PDFsGospel Reflection
Read the Gospel passage aloud to your students as they follow along. Then, discuss the focus questions with them as a class. Share the background information with your students before discussing the focus questions.
Activity
- Have students read the information on Handout B: Clean My Room (or read it aloud as they follow along). Then, have your students answer the questions, or discuss them together as a class.
- Have students complete the Handout C: Spot the Differences activity. Tell your students to compare the two versions of the painting Casting Out Money Changers by Carl Bloch and find 9 differences between the two images. Have them circle the differences.
Answer Key
Handout A: Gospel Reading
- People selling animals (oxen, sheep, and doves) and money changers.
- He made a whip out of cords and drove the people selling animals (along with their animals) out of the Temple area, spilled the money of the money changers, and overturned their tables.
- “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
- “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Jesus was really talking about His own body and His Death and Resurrection on the third day.
- Jesus saw that worship of God in the Temple, the main and most holy house of worship for the Jewish people, had become irreverent and commercialized. The actions of the sellers and money changers in the Temple area did not lead people to true worship, and, in fact, prevented those who could not pay from worshipping God. Jesus’ actions were justifiable. His anger at the situation prompted Him to act justly by cleaning out the Temple area so that the people could worship God as they were meant to. Accept other reasoned answers. Be sure to make it clear that Jesus was not acting sinfully in this Gospel story, and that His anger was righteous and justified.
Handout C: Spot the Differences
Answers for Handout C: Spot the Differences are in Spot the Difference Answer Key resource.
