Clear the Temple!

“In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” John 2:14-15

What are the tables that need to be kicked over in your life? Who are the money changers that crowd the temple of your soul that need to be driven out of your life so that you can make space for God?

I think it is all too easy to immediately go to those negative areas of our “character defects” and think that we must cleanse ourselves of all our impurities.

Perhaps what needs to be driven out of our lives is fear, perfectionism, and worry etc. and from the religious laws and rituals that we attempt to abide by in order to make ourselves acceptable and pleasing to God. Perhaps what needs to be slaughtered and given up to God is our idea that we are unlovable and undeserving of our Creator’s love based on our merits, instead of God’s grace. Isn’t this one of the main messages of Jesus? He begins to break laws and codes that have robbed people of their humanity and dignity and he claims God’s love for all people, especially those kicked to the roadside by religion.

When we cleanse the temple it makes those who want to control God uncomfortable and paranoid but frees us to encounter God in our soul and to loosen our grip and enjoy the ride. Then we can say , "Look God, no hands!"