HOLY MONDAY: CLEAN

And Jesus…drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.—Matthew 21:12 

It was an unheard-of scandal! Yesterday, Jesus had the whole city in a palm branch-ic, hosanna-filled uproar. Today, he stormed into the very temple itself and created chaos. Doves went flapping, men were shouting, women scrabbling after the rolling coins. This Jesus, once again stirring up trouble ... and this time, it was personal. 

Isn't it true, stirring-up is always what happens when Jesus enters the scene? This Monday of Holy Week, we stop and find its parallel in our individual journey of faith. He comes, and priorities are overturned, assumptions swept aside, sins we once thought were okay ... now seem unholy. Just as the first thing He did upon entering Jerusalem is the first thing He does on entering a life: He goes straight to the temple, to the place where we worship, and cleans out whatever is not part of God’s perfect design.

So what is He finding? What is it within you that needs cleansing? What is it that you expect He wants to get rid of but as you dig deeper, you notice that what He is asking, is actually something not expected but filled with surprise. You see, Jesus knew what stood between people in those days and God. “Astonished” is how Mark describes people’s reactions to that original cleansing, and astonished is how we feel when God’s housecleaning, gets underway within us.

Prejudice. Old hurts. A sense of inferiority. Habitual sin. Lying. Lack of Faith. Abusive words. Whatever blocks our relationships with Him, out it must go. He has found the sin and is here to overturn it in our lives. 

“What are you doing!” we cry when Jesus strides in.
 “I’m making myself a temple,” He replies.

Making your life a temple is the process is called by many names - most often sanctification. It's the recognition that with Jesus is in charge, many things we used to do, say, want, are no longer okay. As I type this, I see what God is saying that is within me that is not okay. We all have these places ... and it's time to listen to his voice and let him drive out the things that should not dwell within His temple.

This holy week, do not run away from the tomb with despair and sin separating you from God. Run straight into the arms of the Risen Savior with clean hands and a pure heart. He has overcome it all ... and there is no shadow that He will not light up within you.

After all, He washes us in mercy … we are clean.