Lenten Devotional - day 32

I won’t write too many more of these. Thank you for spending time journeying with me to the cross. I am grateful to be together.

You asked me when Jesus cleansed the temple. Was it on Sunday, or Monday, or Tuesday? We don’t know. We just know that he did. We just know that he walked into the temple one day, shortly before he was killed, and turned tables upside down. I remember when someone walked out of church when I was a kid, because he was upset the guest preacher invited people to sit wherever they wanted. It doesn’t take much to make a memory in a holy place where some things become rote.

Jesus flipped tables, tossed about money, one gospel even says whipped those who were either exploiting worshipers, or keeping Gentiles from being able to worship where they could, or both probably. Jesus wanted the place to be a house of prayer, a place of connection with the Divine, not a marketplace.

You know as well as I do, that this act of righteous anger reminds us that our faith is not separate from our actions. In the name of love of God and neighbor, Jesus made a scene that hasn’t been forgotten. It also reminds us that he calls us to challenge systems of oppression and stand up for justice and compassion too.

When we were young that seemed easier. There is a certain wisdom to youth. Yes, when we are young, we often think we know everything. But, wasn’t it just knowing that something is right? We knew the call of justice then, perhaps we didn’t realize how hard it would be. Or, maybe we simply didn’t have a mountain of failures that made us realize how much grace we need. It’s hard to be full of righteous anger when I have so much wrong in me.

And, that is another lesson of Lent, Jesus’ teachings on surrender and sacrifice. It was during this week we believe he prayed, “Not my will but yours be done.” He surrendered himself to the Divine will. So much of our work for justice first requires our own surrender.

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” Jesus said in John’s gospel on the last night of his life. We talk of him taking away the sins of the world, and for many people that means so that they can go to heaven. I’ve always assumed Jesus thought I could live as a citizen of heaven here and now.

In our living we are called to surrender our will to the Divine will, to trust in the midst of difficult times, and to trust so certainly that we will lay down our lives for those we love… and difficultly, we are called to love everyone. This call to love means we are called to serve others. Have you tried acts of service this Lent? This love means we are called to challenge systems of injustice. I know you do that. This love means we are to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. How can we do that well?

If any of this feels hard, impossible, or simply too daunting in a dark and terrible world; don’t forget, the hope of resurrection always remains. May this Holy Week be a time of reflection, surrender, and transformation for us all. Only a couple days more of our walk with Jesus to the cross, and our emergence in the light of the resurrection.

Until later,
Garrett