Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-22
If God had a “home address” on Earth, this temple would’ve been it.
If we picture it like a house that we would see today, then maybe we could imagine it with pristine white carpets and crisp white walls. Maybe there would even be bold, ivory couches, with light piercing through every window, illuminating perfection from every angle. Not a dust bunny in sight.
Next, let’s imagine someone else walking into that person’s home with their boots covered in mud, after a long day of work. As they walk through the whole house, they leave a trail of soiled footprints in the carpet, and brush against the wall too closely, leaving a muddy handprint. Just like that – the pristine condition of the house wouldn’t be pristine anymore; it would now be blemished and defiled.
Now, if we take it a step even further, we can picture what it would be like to invite a petting zoo into that person’s pristine house, while the owner of the home was hosting a Bible Study. Not only that, but selling your own goods, in the center of the room where people were trying to worship God.
This sounds like something only a crazy person would do, right? Well, unfortunately, I have some bad news for you and me.
Friends, when we allow sin to enter into our lives and hearts, we are allowing our grime and filth to blemish the very place God resides. When we try to enter into worship with him, while ignoring the sin that is still chaotically wrecking all that is around us, we are blinding ourselves to the reality of the praise God deserves, and to our inadequacy, as we attempt to mend this on our own. We have all missed the mark, and tarnished this perfect space; we’ve all brought our baggage and sin into a perfect relationship. We have all “sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
When we read this story, we see Jesus become righteously angry with people for misusing the temple, and defiling God’s holy dwelling place. He knew that they were focusing on what they could gain, not what praise they could offer. Their pride, greed and idolatry separated them from true worship. When the temple was defiled, so was their relationship with him.
Often, you and I will attempt to fix our own blemishes and “soiled footprints”, but in doing so, we rub the dirt in even deeper, or attempt to hide the stains by covering them up.
But, the story doesn’t stop there. Luckily, for you and I, our “muddy boots” and “grimy hands” are no barrier for the power of God’s grace and Jesus’ sacrifice. He restores the home to its original design, every single time we take a muddy step. Without fail, he heals what we have broken, again and again. Our sin that once separated us from God, no longer has power over us.
As beautiful as that is, there’s even more beauty involved in this concept of grace. When God sees us, he doesn’t say we have to clean our muddy shoes or take them off before we can enter his home. He chose us, muddy shoes, hands, socks and all. He knew that it was a package deal with all of our sin and baggage.
Because Jesus chose to come to Earth, live a perfect life, die on the cross, then rise from the dead, our relationship with God is no longer dependent on our holiness, but rests on Jesus, as our Lord and eternal Savior.
As we continue in this season of Lent, let’s give our brokenness to Jesus, the only one who can mend what we have broken, and confidently approach God’s throne, as his beloved children.
