What is faith? Is it an experience or transaction? In today’s Gospel Jesus is upset with the money changers and the clergy for making the Temple a market place. Faith had become a transaction where sins were forgiven and blessings given in exchange for paid sacrifice.

Today we may not have such sacrifices but our attitudes haven’t changed much either. In the first reading then Ten Commandments are given to humanity and our attitude towards the 10 Commandments is that of a transaction. We are asked to follow and keep the Commandments in exchange for a reward, not following the Commandments makes us liable for punishment. The problem with this approach is that we fail to recognize who God truly is. He doesn’t seek to punish us. He wants us to live life in abundance, therefore we need to live in a relationship with him to experience life in abundance.  If we do live life on our own terms, our selfish attitude create mess in our lives.

Why seek for earthly wisdom when Jesus is Wisdom himself? Seek him and you will have wisdom. Seek him through his Word  and you will be renewed spiritually. So seek him without expectation of material reward. Seek him for himself and you will realize the life of abundance he has in store for you.