Clearing the Clutter
(Free Version)- The Third Sunday in Lent- Year B; Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22
This week’s readings can be found here.
We are continuing in this season of Lent, a time of “spring cleaning for the soul,” a time of making space for God and clearing out the junk and clutter of our lives.
Sometimes the clutter that we find is just that…clutter. After all, there is nothing inherently wrong with the stuff that creates noise in our world: social media, news, money, politics, etc. There is nothing inherently wrong with swinging by a grabbing that donut or hitting the drive thru on the way home. When we fast from certain things, we are not declaring judgement on those things. We are clearing out space.
However, there are some times when we discover that there are parts of our lives which sit underneath the clutter that are horribly wrong.
I remember a time several years ago when my daughter (then about 7) wanted to dump out all of the toys in her toy bucket on the floor of the living room. That’s fine. She was willing to clean it up after. That’s part of being a kid. But she had not been in that toy bucket for awhile and it was a large variety of different toys, mostly little, assorted toys.
She did a great job cleaning them up, but towards the end, she started slowing down…dad, there’s some really gross stuff on some of my toys and I don’t want to touch them with my hand. If you don’t have kids and you are judging me really hard right now, just trust me. This happens sometimes. A crumb gets caught in a toy bucket, a bug dies in there, etc. We gave her a cloth and some wipes and she got it taken care of.
Sometimes, when we shake things up, when we look at things we haven’t looked at in a long time, we clear the clutter, we find some pretty rotten parts of our lives.
Often, in order for us to see what is really going on in our hearts, and how God wants to change us, we have to clear out the clutter. This often means a re-ordering of our patterns of behavior. During Lent, we are challenged to clear out some of the things that we turn to on a regular basis (social media, coffee, a meal here or there, sweets, chocolate, alcohol etc.) not because they are bad, but because they often become the things that we depend on in subtle ways. We do not fast to take away our fun but to say along with the Psalmist “Search me O God and know my heart.”
Our Old Testament reading (Exodus 20:1-17) recounts the Ten Commandments. These are not conditions for being the people of God, but ways in which the people are called to live out their identity as rescued people. Their identity is in God, and the Ten Commandments reveal what God looks like, what is good. Specifically, they reveal what is not good. “Thou Shalt Not…” makes it clear that certain things lead to destruction. God has something better for his people to be in the world.
Our Epistles reading (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) reminds us that the way of the cross—this journey we intentionally walk during Lent, but which really characterizes the Christian life—is completely counterintuitive to the ways of the world. “Wisdom” is defined differently. The cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but the power of God to those who are being saved.
We are not to approach faith as those looking for “proof,” for a sign that will lead us to victory. Likewise, the faith is not merely about rhetorical skill or higher knowledge. The way of the cross is foolishness, but it is indeed wiser than human wisdom.
In our gospel reading (John 2:13-22), Jesus cleanses the temple. John places this at the beginning of his gospel, likely communicating that Jesus has authority over the temple. His shaking up of the temple is not because he is violent (notice that he is precisely not violent towards people), but because the temple (a good, God-ordained sign of God’s presence in the midst of the people), has been warped .
The reason why good things get warped are because of fear. The establishment from among God’s people were afraid of losing their power. They were afraid of what might happen if the door to God’s presence was open to Gentiles and sinners. Would they lose their identity? Would they lose the very thing they thought defined them? And they hide their fears in a few ways.
Some held on to idols: 1) the Temple as their place, rather than a sign that all of the world is God’s space. 2) The importance of physical violence and the idea of a Messiah who would come and militarily dominate their oppressors and give them large-scale signs of his power; 3) A detailed process of buying and selling which would keep them wealthy and in-charge and keep out the poor and the foreigner.
Jesus calls it out. He says you can’t hide behind this stuff anymore. You can’t hide behind the temple and the sacrificial system. He reminds them that this has never been their purpose! It’s always been about God blessing the world.
We might ask our congregants to get in touch with their fears. We all have a kind of basic fear that calls to us, tempts us. And we all have a variety of ways of meeting that basic fear.
Some are afraid of being condemned. You want to do everything perfectly so that no one can call your “rightness” into question. You don’t ever want to be seen as someone who made a mistake. This is what many of the Jewish leaders wanted, to be blameless in the eyes of God. The good news today is that you are loved just as you are! Our hope as pastors is for those who have such fear to be able to take off their mask and experience healing in the community of faith.
Some are afraid of being unloved. So, you spend much of your time trying to get people to love you through doing things for them. The good news is that you are loved by the one who matters the most! People fail in their ability to love. Though human beings are capable of loving unconditionally, we fail at doing that all the time. But God loves us without reservation or fail.
Some are afraid of being rejected. You worry that, if you don’t look good enough, perform well enough, are successful enough, people will think that you are not enough. This is the kind of leader much of the Jewish people were expecting: one who looks the part.Our world’s metrics of success are deeply flawed. God has called you to be something in the world, but you don’t have to “measure up” to anything. You are enough!
Some are afraid of being defective. You are constantly afraid that there is something wrong with you. The good news is that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You have everything that you need!
Some are afraid of being overwhelmed. You might be so nervous that you will not know the right thing or have the right answer to the question that it gives you anxiety to not have your environment all figured out. The good news is that God is never overwhelmed. And you are His! It’s ok to admit that you don’t have it figured out, to let go.
Some are afraid of being abandoned. You’ve had a lot of people let you down over the years. What happens if there is a crisis? Because of this, you may spend much of your time preparing, getting everything right. You have every insurance policy, every safety net imaginable.
This was one of the basic fears of the Jewish people. Has God abandoned us? Will he rescue us? Yes, life is risky, and the scary but also beautiful news is that none of us can ever be completely prepared. The good news is that you have a great hope, and that hope is secure. You have a God who has chosen you to be part of his family.
Some are afraid of being deprived. You want to live your life to the fullest! What happens if life becomes boring? Can you make it? Will you suffocate? The good news is that God knows the desires of your heart. It may not be exactly when you want it or how you want it, but God has good plans for you.
Some are afraid of submitting to another person. You’ve always been the boss. Think about the Jewish leaders. Who gave Jesus this authority?! How can he call us out on this. The good news is that there are safe people in the world. You need community just as much as the next person.
Some are afraid of separation. You live your life cultivating peace. You can imagine how you may have felt when a random guy makes a whip out of cords and starts messing with the peace! The good news is that he is the Prince of Peace. It is ok and often necessary for your life to be shifted. But the status quo is not the way to peace. You are loved by the Prince of Peace and he has promised that there will be a day when peace will reign to such an extent that the lion will lie down with the lamb.
As we hear the good news, we are then invited to the Table, into community, for our lives and for the life of the world. Lent is about clearing out the clutter, bringing the rotten into the light and trusting in the healing that only God can bring. God is with you, and Easter is coming.