Sunday Readings: Exodus 20.1-17; 1 Corinthians 1.22-25; John 2.13-25
The Jewish Passover was near. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and money changers sitting at tables. Jesus made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple—sheep, oxen, money changers. He poured out their money and overturned their tables. He spoke to those selling doves. “Take these doves out of here. Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace. This is like the scripture says, ‘Zeal for your house consumes me.’” The official asked, “What sign can you show us authorizing you to do these things? Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up”
In John’s gospel Jesus’ cleansing of the temple becomes a revealing sign. This gospel writer sets up deliberate misunderstandings that require conversation about what Jesus’ actions mean. When officials ask Jesus for a sign of his authority, he makes a response with a double meaning. “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Jesus’ words are an enigma to the officials, who think Jesus refers to the temple building. For believers, Jesus refers to their post-Easter faith.
Jesus’ cleansing the temple calls us to clean our houses this Lent, to examine our hearts. Our fast-paced, productive lives can erode our relationships with God, make us feel like cogs in the wheels of commerce rather than friends of God who live and love in friendship with the Giver of Life. Coffee and conversation can help us reengage with those we love. Walks in the emerging spring can reawaken our connectedness to all that is, our place in the holy whole that is our Earth home.
Walks can stir us to get practical about caring for creation where we live. Lent this year calls us to listen to one another, to assess where we have enough and can give. Lent calls us to assess what we consume and what consumes us. It calls us to revive our faith in resurrection as a continuing process in our lives.
- What housecleaning do you need to do in your life?
- What housecleaning do we need to set relationships right in our Church?
- What do we need to clean up in our biosphere so life on Earth becomes sustainable? What can I change?