God gifts a new way of life! - Sermon Lent 3B

Listen to the gospel and sermon here.

John 2:13-22

¹³The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. ¹⁵Making 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. ¹⁶He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” ¹⁷His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” ¹⁸The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” ¹⁹Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹But he was speaking of the temple of his body. ²²After 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.

The story goes that there was a certain pastor of a large downtown church.  And due to the church’s size and location it was a very, very busy church.  The doors always seemed to be open, every room was booked weeks in advance for various groups, meetings, programs, organizations, classes, etc.  There was so much going on that it was near impossible to keep track, especially for the busy pastor. There were so many groups using the facility, it was getting out of control.   

Well the pastor began to notice that almost every Sunday before and after worship there would be at least 2 or three tables or booths set up in the narthex with 2 or three different groups or organizations would selling something.  Some were fundraisers.  Some were for profit.  Some were for the church, but most had nothing to do with the church.  There was always someone selling or peddling something.  He didn’t want to cause a scene, but week after week it weighed on him until his blood started to boil.  

Well on one particular Sunday, after a difficult week, he was in his office preparing for worship when his secretary knocked on the door.  Pastor, I just wanted to let you know that they just borrowed another table to set up in the Narthex.  Before she could finish her sentence he had had enough.  He threw down his Bible and lef this office with a purpose.  Where are you going?, the Secretary said?  I have had enough!  The church is not a marketplace or place of business and I am going to braid my whip and turn every last table in this church!  If Jesus can do, then God willing I can too!

He tossed open the door to the narthex and entered with a fury.  The secretary stood in the office door and waited.  A moment later the pastor returned to the office with his head down, looking both exhausted and defeated.  So, how’d it go? The secretary asked.  Did you channel your inner Jesus and kick them all out?  

No..he sighed...I couldn’t do it…and until Jesus comes back and turns over a table of Girl Scout Cookies they can stay.  

Jesus enters the temple mount this morning as the festival of The Passover approaches.   

The Passover was a major festival for the Jewish people, and at that time more than a hundred thousand people might journey to the temple to prepare for the festival. Thousands and thousands of people passing through the various temple gates.  People, animals, moneychangers, and merchants filling every corner, cove and portico.

So when Jesus steps into the outer porticos of the temple mount, it is busy busy busy with preparations.   Jesus’ blood begins to boil.  Now it’s worth noting that the business of The Passover preparations were all, for the most part, necessary.  

For the sacrifice of animals it was necessary that they be of a certain age, they had to be clean, and they had to be without blemish.  It was nearly impossible for a family to trek all the way to the temple with their animals while keeping them clean and without blemish.   So, for their convenience, the Temple was more than happy to sell you whatever animal you needed for the sacrificial rituals and traditions.  There might be a small convenience fee, but it would save the family a lot of effort.

But for many families who traveled from far away, they probably didn’t have the proper currency for acquiring such animals.   Well thank goodness for the moneychangers.   They were more than happy to exchange whatever you had into a proper currency. There might be a small surcharge, but they could work something out.  

So hundreds of thousands of Israelites journeyed to the Temple mount for The Passover, not only for tradition, but because the Temple is where God is.  So with money exchanged, a proper animal purchased, families were ready to celebrate The passover. What was intended to be a holy remembrance and ritual celebration had become an opportunity of commerce.   

And Jesus had seen enough.  The whole scene sets Jesus off and he braids a whip from chord and drives all the animals out of the Temple.  He flips tables.  Pours out the coins from their coffers.   In short, he causes a scene.  And it’s so intriguing because it’s not our “normal” Jesus.   He was upset because the Temple and the occasion had become a commercial, profitable event.  People were taking financial advantage of one other in the name of religious tradition.  And Jesus was clear to say that God’s house was NOT to be a marketplace.

So now I picture animals fleeing out the gates.  Coins bouncing like plastic cups in a cafeteria.  Tables and chairs clanging.  One by one the crowds stop what they’re doing to see what the fuss is all about.

And the Jews said to Jesus, “What the heck!? What sign can you show us for doing this?”   Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.  Now we have to respect how appalling that statement would sound.  

They’ve been building the temple brick by brick for nearly 50 years, and not only does Jesus suggest they destroy it, but also that he could rebuild it in three days.

In three days I will raise up God’s temple.  It’s easy for us to read this in light of the resurrection and see what Jesus was talking about.  But for the disciples, the Israelites, the Jewish leaders, the moneychangers, and merchants, they were unable to hear significance of Jesus’ statement.

In three days I will raise up God’s temple.  Jesus wasn’t suggesting that he could physically rebuild the temple mount, but rather in the great three days he would rebuild their understanding of faith in God.    Jesus Christ IS the temple of God.

For Jesus, God cannot and would not be confined to a temple.  For God’s temple is Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God, and in the resurrection of Jesus after the great three days, Jesus would reform their understanding of the temple from a physical place to a body, The body of Christ. God’s place in the world is in the body of Christ.  That’s us.

Through the waters of baptism we are welcomed into God’s temple...into the raised body...the body of Christ. The actions and works of God’s kingdom is in the body of Christ. The transactions carried out in Jesus name through the people of God.  Jesus was proclaiming a new understanding of God’s presence in the world.

God could not and would not be confined to the temple mount, nor is God confined to the church today. We might do well to remember that the church is not a building, it is a people.  A community of faith joined by God in water, word, and wine to be present in the world.  To recognize and participate in the new kingdom of God being built here and now.  To represent and re-present Christ in the world.  God re-forming God’s people. Instructing, giving, and offering a new way of being in community, a new way of living and worshiping God.  

After all, that is what God has always done, and will always do. Several hundred generations before Jesus ever entered the Temple mount, God was already offering  people a new way of life.  As the Israelites wandered through the wilderness and desert they were tired and hungry and annoyed.  Sure they’re free from slavery, but at least in Egypt they had some food and a place to sleep.  They grumbled with Moses and with God about their current situation.  And honestly, they were questioning what kind of God would save them only to leave them hungry and homeless and lost in the wilderness? Their disgruntledness was clouding their experience of God.

So God offers them a new way of life.  God gifts the ten commandments.  We don’t always hear the commandments as a gift. We tend to hear them as negatives or rules; thou shall not...thou shall not…But I think what God is offering them, and us, is not purely a set of rules, or laws on how to live, but rather a God gifts a new way of life.

Thou shall have no other gods...God says I am the one and only true God, the God who freed you from Exodus.   You call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.

Thou shall not murder...I, God, give you the gift of life

Thou shall not lie...I give you the gift of truth

Since the dawn of creation, God has always been about creating and recreating, gifting and regifting, forming and reforming.  From the commandments to the temple mount... from the resurrection to today...God continues to shape us into a new a community and a new way of life.  

In light of our texts today, we might consider two thoughts during our Lenten journey.

First, how is God shaping, reshaping, forming, and reforming your life.  As you wrestle with Lent and relationship with God, what tables is God turning in your life?  

Are their hindrances in between you and God?

Second, how is God at work in this community of faith.  Are we like the Temple Mount, busy with self-interest and personal gain...transacting the traditions of our faith, numb  the significance of God’s work. Do we misuse God’s gifts?   Do we grumble with the God who freed us and saved us?

And friends, I pray we hear these questions not as convictions of our faith and relationship with God, but rather that we hear them as opportunities for growth.  

While working at Lutheridge we were evaluated every week.  Every week we would write down a measurable goal, and on Saturday we would receive an evaluation.  At the bottom of that evaluation was a space the read “Opportunities for Growth.”  Rather than identifying and convicting shortcomings or failures, they would assess our individual and communal opportunities of growth.

Lent is a beautiful season to reflect on our opportunities for growth.  From Ash Wed. to the great Three days, we are empowered to wrestle with our individual and communal faith, acknowledging any shortcomings and self interests, confessing any sins or misuse of the gospel, all because we know through our baptism that on the third day Jesus rose from the dead for the forgiveness and mercy of all of God’s people.  

Make no mistake, Lent is a season of growth, and as God reshapes and reforms, God desires us to grow into communion with God and neighbor.  Grow into our new God-given community in the body of Christ.  To grow in our faith and understanding of God’s grace, forgiveness, mercy, and love.  

And the good news this day, in all of Lent, and always is that God never ceases in helping us grow in faith.  We are not alone nor are we ever on our own to grow in God’s kingdom.  We are the body of Christ, and together we are continuously and relentlessly being transformed by God.