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ENTERING THE STORY We continue on our journey through Lent as we step inside the story of Jesus’ sacrificial stand for justice. We put ourselves in so that we might take a closer look and let the ancient story open us to deeper conviction for our role as disciples of Jesus. Enter Enter the story Enter the place you belong Not just looking on For this is your story Enter the story Enter Come enter the story Enter the place you belong Not just looking on For this is your story Enter the story The day after Jesus triumphant and risky entrance into Jerusalem he visits the temple. It is busy, noisy, Passover “tourist season” and what Jesus sees there causes him utter frustration and anger. In many ways, the Temple leaders are just engaging in “business-as-usual, “ but for Jesus far too much was at stake. Couldn’t they see that the moment demanded behavior that was radically new? We face this dilemma even now. With so much uncertainty and struggle in the world, the routine nature of our everyday lives, and even our worship, can seem ludicrous. Taking a moment inside the scene where Jesus is overturning tables in this “house of prayer for all nations” gives us a chance to step back and reflect more deeply. Maybe Jesus’ anger over the injustices of his religious tradition can help us reassess our own actions and make our own corner of the world a more welcoming place for all people. Enter Enter the passion Enter the place we belong Not just looking on For this is our passion Enter the passion Enter the passion Enter the place we belong Not just looking on For this is our passion Enter the passion Enter the story Enter the passion… Enter his passion. John 2:13-21 (NRSV) 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. 15 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. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!’ 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’ 18 The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ 19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ 20 The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. Psalm 69:8-16 The disciples are amazed, the scripture says, because they see Jesus’ zeal for the creation of justice in the temple that day. It recalls to their minds the passage from the Psalms, the hymnal of the Temple. The Psalm describes a person being shamed and ostracized for criticizing his community of faith. The disciples fear this will happen to Jesus and possibly to them, as a result of his righteous anger. 8 “I have become a stranger to my own brothers, an immigrant to my mother’s children. 9 Because zeal and passion for your house has consumed me, the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me! 10 I wept while I fasted — even for that I was insulted. 11 When I wore sackcloth, people made fun of me. 12 Those who sit at the city gate muttered things about me; drunkards made up rude songs. 13 But me? My prayer reaches you, Lord, at just the right time. God, in your great and faithful love, answer me with your certain salvation! 14 Save me from the mud! Don’t let me drown! Let me be saved from those who hate me and from these watery depths! 15 Don’t let me be swept away by the floodwaters! Don’t let the abyss swallow me up! Don’t let the pit close its mouth over me! 16 Answer me, Lord, for your faithful love is good! Turn to me in your great compassion.” Dramatist: Jesus! This is what I was afraid of. Tensions have been so high since we got to Jerusalem, and I saw Jesus get wound up in a way I have never seen before in these three years of following him. He is the one who sat with children and sick people and talked with outsiders—so able to stay centered in a peace that, frankly, was beyond my understanding. But now he is so worked up! I’m afraid. That’s it. I’m afraid in this moment that this is going to lead to trouble. Is this really the way to win over people to his cause? By causing a stir in the Temple? Isn’t it the Romans and the corrupt Jewish leaders they have in their pocket that we should be targeting? But instead he’s yelling at the people who are trying to help these pilgrims follow the laws of the Temple. And yet, I get it. I’ve been angry too. Not at the people who are trapped in the system, but at the system itself. The way things are. I’m so angry at “the way things are!" How will anything change? Only when we all look at our part in it. Only when we see how we prop up the system because of our fear—and for those that benefit from it—because of our greed. Only when we search ourselves, and cleanse the temple of our hearts, will we be able to be the change we want to see. So I will stay by his side, no matter where this leads.