On Monday of Holy Week, Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them,
“It is written,
‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’
but you have made it a den of robbers.”
The sin of Israel was to see Jesus as a one-dimensional character in the story, but he is multi-dimensional. When Jesus enters the scene he is communicating a lot more than first meets the eye. Zechariah 9 instructs us that he is a King who is finally come home to set things right. The abuse of his home is over and a now a gracious ruler is here to guard the true religion of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Our temptation is to treat his coming on the Monday of Holy Week like business as usual. We are tempted to say: “In my home, there is no corruption. I am the right kind of housekeeper. Jesus, there is no need to change the furniture.” But Jesus comes to teach you that there is always cleaning up that needs to take place. When Jesus comes it’s Spring cleaning time.
It’s time to give your sins over to Jesus so He can carry them to the cross where he bled and died. Or, perhaps it’s time to allow Jesus to save you from your current residence! Aren’t you tired of the cycle of sin? Aren’t you tired of apathy? Aren’t you tired of not noticing any spiritual growth in your life in the last 2,5, 10 years? It’s cleaning time! It’s time to allow Jesus to enter and change the make-up of your home as he did in Jerusalem. It’s not going to be comfortable. He’s going to crush some things that you treasure a whole lot, but he’s going to give them back to you in a new way on Easter Sunday!
Prayer: Merciful Lord, you cannot tolerate uncleanness in our hearts and so you call us on this Monday to dine with you at the table of repentance. Keep our eyes on your Holy Passion that we may never cease to worship at your cross through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
