The two reading today serve to remind God's people that all eventual goodness usually comes about because it has had to endure challenges. There are times of necessary cleansing. The first reading should be a reminder to the Jewish people and to us of their history. The glory of the nation came about only through several major times of purification and suffering.
In the gospel verses before us St Luke leaves out the obvious: the important role animals played in their religious practice and the business that need created. The practice of the Jewish religion at the time required the sacrifice of animals. Apparently the sale of animals at the Temple had become a big business. It was too big because it had become too distracting, not so much in noise but in the corruption it fostered. Thus Jesus is cleaning house!
Our Church today and through its history has had to pass through various trials, various unpleasantries. We have had to endure necessary house cleaning at certain times because of scandals and heresies. The Church has been a divinely founded reality but it is a human organization as well. At times our humanity has challenged the Holy Spirit! There have been times when self-examination has had to come to the Church to guarantee fidelity to God and how his Church should be.
In a similar manner, all of us experience the same need to look at ourselves and how we are living up to the mission, the reason God brought us into this world.
