THIS WEEK’S THEME: He…overturned the tables
Lent marks a time in our Christian calendar when we wait once again for the unexpected. Yet, Jesus’ death and resurrection should not come as a total surprise, as the Scriptures are littered with hints of what is to come in this awful, yet wonderful, saga that is the life of Jesus Christ.
In the same way, this week’s theme, “He … overturned the tables,” may initially strike us, but if we take a closer look, these actions of the Holy One should not take us at all by surprise. Jesus proves just how radical he is time and again throughout the Gospel, calling his disciples to leave everything behind to follow him: casting his lot with the poor, the sick, the tax collector, the disinherited of society; claiming that the meek shall inherit the Earth; and telling those around him to love their enemies. Is Jesus’ radical response to the degradation of the temple really that out of the ordinary? I certainly do not think so.
The Scripture passages for this week take us on a tour of God’s covenant with God’s people, stretching from the Ten Commandments to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. These passages reveal that God’s path is one that is set apart, one that is radical. In this season of Lent, let us remember both the gift of God’s covenant, the accountability it instills in our relationship with God, and the radical call that Jesus made in his short time among humans. Let us remember not only the significance of Jesus’ jarring crucifixion and his even more miraculous resurrection, but also the tables that he overturned and the tables that we might seek to overturn in our own lives. Thanks be to God for that blessing and that challenge.