Today's Scripture Readings
Exodus 20:1-7 (NRSV)
Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work-- you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Psalm 19 (BCP., p.606)
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (NRSV)
The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
John 2:13-22 (NRSV)
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Blog Reflection
This Sundays readings seem to be full of contradictions.
In the reading from the Hebrew Scriptures we read about God giving the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The Psalmist writes words about praising God in nature and how even the sun gives glory to God. In the Epistle we read about what it means to be wise and foolish. In the Gospel we read of Jesus turning over the tables of the money changers in the court yard of the Temple. All the readings rolled together into one, sound as if we are watching one big drama unfold in front of us. It could almost be an episode of Murder She Wrote or Law and Order.
These readings and the message contained in all of them are no drama. They are the stuff of life with the element of faith. Put together they could lead us to ask ourselves this same question, "How serious are you about your faith?" Another question they could pose would be, "How valuable to us is our faith?"
In this journey of Lent, we are fasting, praying and giving alms as we spend time with Jesus in the wilderness of our hearts. I think this is about that time during Lent, when many of us feel a bit edgy. Spring cannot come fast enough. The political news media is full of images of what ISIS is doing. Our Congress continues to honor the wealthy at the expense of the poor and physically/mentally and psychologically challenged. The Alabama Supreme Court Justices just defied the U.S. Supreme Court telling their Probate Judges that they cannot perform marriage ceremonies for same-gender couples. Here in Minnesota, a State Senator just introduced a bill that would rescind a local Public School Districts policies to protect transgender students from discrimination in sports activities. This and a lot more can make us very angry.
Other than the scene in Matthew 23 where Jesus gives His opponents the business, the turning over of the tables is the only other story in which we see Jesus get this angry. In most Gospel readings we read of Jesus healing the sick, raising the dead, helping the blind to see and talking with His disciples. Here, we read that Jesus saw what was happening and did something about it. Now by many who interpret this Gospel narrative, this becomes an excuse to allow ourselves to become violently angry at just about everything and anything. If we use this Gospel too irresponsibly, we can justify any reason and/or path to dealing with anger, to the point of disregarding the dignity of other human beings. I would submit however, that this is the direct opposite of what we are seeing Jesus do here. We need to take these words deeper into ourselves and let the Holy Spirit speak to us there.
Anger is a response that is about feeling threatened and trying to protect ourselves. Unfortunately, due to prejudice and injustice that is out of control in most instances, our human tendency toward anger is all too often misguided and out of proportion. Anyone and everyone who speaks or thinks differently than we do becomes a target for anger. This is especially true for those who are targeted because of their religion, sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, race, etc. This is equally true for those who claim to have deeply held religious beliefs that are based on the Word of God towards those who are different from themselves in one form or another. The fact is, when we are angry about something our ability to see things beyond our limited perspective is greatly impaired. While anger is a healthy response, in many cases when it is out of proportion, it clouds our judgement and makes us sterilized to be able to love another person enough to respect their inborn human dignity.
Jesus' actions and words in today's Gospel are about directing our anger appropriately enough to wake people up to the reality of what they are doing in terms of their relationship with God and others around them. They do not have to necessarily agree with Jesus, but, given the action Jesus did, they have little choice but to take a good hard look at what their actions are conveying. Jesus in this Gospel shows us how to be angry, what to do with it symbolically (not literally), and how to call people to the all important task of being attentive to God in their lives. Our response to what Jesus does in this Gospel text, should not be what tables can we over turn in the world around us per say; but what tables within us do we need Jesus' help to turn over within our own lives. As we see both the best and worst of ourselves during this Holy Season of Lent, what are the habits, attitudes, behaviors and reactions do we need to let the Holy Spirit turn over so that we can allow God to bring us healing and reconciliation with ourselves and our neighbor? In the middle of a world and culture that regularly gives itself over to violent and reckless behavior, and all too common unfortunately in the name of some religious belief, how can we live into our relationship with God by finding appropriate and peaceful ways of responding in love, as opposed to reacting in fear?
As we continue to learn about what the Desert Mothers and Fathers did in their search for union with God, we also discover that their journey into the desert was not about fixing the world. Unlike many of us, they had the humility and courage of faith, to let go of what the world offered them to face the reality of who and what they were. Through prayer, contemplation and working for the good of their community they grew into a deeper awareness of God in themselves and the world around them. Consequently, St. Benedict also believed that "the labor of obedience will bring you back to him from whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience" (RB 1980: The Rule of St. Benedict in English, Prologue, vs 2, p.15). Yet, the difference the Desert Mothers and Fathers, and St. Benedict made on the world could not have been more significant. We make the biggest impact on the world when we take time for solitude and silence to spend with Jesus in our hearts and minds; and respond with transparent action with love of God, neighbor and self as our common goal.
Can Christians turn over tables in holy and life-giving ways? The answer is yes. However, the more we rely on our own interpretations alone of Scripture and pretend that honoring the dignity of every human person is not something we need to take seriously; the more we appear as angry Christians who don't seem to give a damn. Nothing could be more contrary to who Jesus is and what His Gospel is about. If Christians do regard the law of God as being more precious than silver or gold, then it befits us to listen more carefully to what Jesus is doing and teaching us during this Lent.
May it be so for all of us.
Amen.
Prayers
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves
to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and
inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all
adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil
thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent. The Book of Common Prayer, p.218).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family. The Book of Common Prayer, p.815).
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