Sunday, March 11, 2012

March 11, 2012 - "House Cleaning"


John 2.13-23

Jesus had a hard time of it.
Much of what he said was rejected.
Much of what he did was misunderstood.
It didn’t take long for Jesus to acquire a list of enemies.
They doubted his word.
Suspected his work.
Questioned his authority.
Followed him around.
Harassed him.
Tried to trap him.
Challenged him constantly.
Sound like fun?
I don’t think so.

And in this Season of Lent, we have to pay attention to the Dark Side of our Story.
Jesus came “to save” the world, we say … we call him “our Savior.”
But I suspect - most of us believe that Jesus came to “save the other guy,” right? … that we’re not so bad; it’s the other people who really need Jesus.
But reality reminds every day of something different.
I carry a small Bible in my car … if I’m stopped at an intersection, I might just grab the Bible and read a few verses.
Some years ago, at a light, I grabbed my Bible.
A car pulled up next to me.
Tough looking guy, disheveled hair, cigarette.
And for a fleeting moment, I thought, “I’m spiritual. Look at me; I’m reading my Bible.”
A terrible pride swept through my soul.
Jesus came to save me, too … without him, I’m lost.
Without him, I am blind.
My darkness is severe.
My sin is real.
My pride is awful.
That’s some of my story.
How about your story?
How about any of us?
What about all of us?
Did Jesus come only to save the Muslims?
Or the Buddhists?
Or the guys who rob and kill, the really, really bad guys?
Jesus come to save the world … and that means you and me.
Sometimes it’s Christians who really need saving.
Just because “we’re Christians.”
Before we know it, we’re dazzled with our good deeds, impressed with our righteousness, proud of our purity.
We pat ourselves on the back! Like the Mother Goose Poem:
Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating a Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I!"
Our need of salvation never ends! We need God’s love today just as much as we needed it 30 years ago … or thirty minutes ago.

For a few moments, now, let’s look at the Gospel of John.
In John’s Gospel, the first miracle is that of water into wine … a small miracle, in a small town, for a party … a wedding feast.
The host miscalculated.
The wine is gone!
Now what? 
I’ll look like a fool … the party will die … guests will go home laughing at me.
Mary tells her son … and in so many words, says to him. You can do something about it. So just do it.
Jesus says, Bring me what you have.
Huge empty jars trundled into the room.
Fill them with water, says Jesus.
Serve it to the guests.
The best wine of all!
Quite a story to begin John’s gospel.
With a clear point.
The spiritual resources of Judah are depleted.
There’s no more wine left for the party.
Jesus might have said, Who cares? If the host isn’t smart enough to plan ahead, let the chips fall where they may. If there’s no more wine, tough stuff buddy. Let the party end. It’ll serve ‘em right.
But there’s a wideness in God’s mercy!
A small miracle.
In a small town.
To keep the party going.

But there’s more to the story.
In a few days, Jesus appears in the Capital City, Jerusalem.
David’s City, a city set on a hill, Jerusalem the Golden … the heart of Israel’s faith … and on Mount Zion, the Temple - the glorious Temple. 
Huge buildings … still building.
Huge stones … engineering marvels.
Huge choirs … great music.
Thousands in worship.
Lambs and bulls and sheep and goats, doves and sparrows … you name it, you can find it … you need it, you can have it … all for a price, of course.
Jesus finds nothing more than a market place in the Temple Courtyard.
Noise and bustle.
Commodities and commerce.
Religion turned into business.
Business turned into religion.
Jesus is furious!
He fashions a whip.
Drives all of them out, including the livestock … can you imagine the noise? - folks shouting at Jesus, cattle bawling, sheep bleating … 

Jesus scatters the coins of the money-changers … overturns their tables … makes a mess of things … mixes everything up … “Hey, mister, that’s my table. These are my coins. Leave ‘em alone. I work hard all day for this. Get outta here; leave us be; we’re not hurting anyone. Who do you think you are?”

Who is Jesus?
He’s the best wine-maker in the world.
And a trouble-maker, first-class.
At the wedding feast, kindness.
In the Temple, fury.
Jesus wants the wedding feast to continue.
And the feast of fools to stop!
Jesus loves the empty heart, and gladly fills it with the wine of God’s love, and what joy it brings to us.
Jesus despises a heart full of itself, and forcefully empties it out, but what pain it causes us.
The wine and the whip.
The pain and the pleasure.
The transformation of the soul.
The making of a Christian.
Amazing is the love of God!
Amen and Amen!

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