LENT 2016 – GOING TO JERUSALEM

Sunday, Third Sunday in Lent

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold: Matthew 24: 1 – 2

There are many dire predictions, these days, about the Fall of Christianity, or at least, the demise of the institutionalized Church. And not without good reason. Almost all of the statistics and demographics concerning the Church are frightening and dismaying. There are exceptions, of course, but things are not looking too healthy, generally speaking, for ‘Ye Olde Kirk’ as a whole.

It’s not all that hard to diagnose and analyze the issues that are leading to this ever-increasing erosion of relevance that has led to the society’s apathy and disinterest in the Church. Religion, per se, has a bad name, even if spirituality seems as vibrant as ever.  Some time ago, the Church got stuck in its own success. Then it got equally stuck in its traditions, structures, buildings, creeds, hierarchies, and stale habits. Some would argue that the Church also got stuck in its own narrow-mindedness, its hypocrisies, its judgementalism, its self-righteousness, its self-centredness, its arrogance, its inability to engage the culture with integrity, grace, respect, forgiveness, humility and love.

Somehow, somewhere, some-when, the Christian Church stood apart from Jesus, bit the forbidden fruit of self-sufficiency and lost its way.

The diagnosis is simple enough; the remedy is altogether something else again - much harder and far more difficult, if possible at all.

Sounds bleak, doesn’t it?

So let’s turn our eyes upon Jesus, or as he is called in Hebrews, “the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,” (Hebrews 12:2). He has come up with a very radical solution to the problem of sacred cows, stone-locked buildings, broken-down religiosity and the dull monotony of practicing religion by habit.  

But you are not going to like it!

Tear it down. Replace it with something totally new.  Jesus “attacks” the most sacred, revered institution in all of Judah, the Temple in Jerusalem. “Truly, I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another, all will be thrown out,” (24:2).

Jesus is a devout Jew, and, as such, no doubt, the Temple was very special to him. But as we saw at the time he overturned the tables in the Temple, he understood that a radical, deep-seated reform and renewal were very much needed. It was going to take far more than introducing a few contemporary songs for worship and using PowerPoint. It was going to take a new heart, a new attitude, a new passion, a new mission, a new flow of spirit and love to make his beloved Temple an integral part of people’s lives, once more. The Old had to go, before the New could happen.

In fact, the New Temple was no longer going to need stone walls and secret sanctums, but rather it will be made up of people, living stones, who will celebrate and worship the presence of God within their personal lives and communities. God is with us; not stuck in some old building.

The New Temple would be made up of people, poor, rich, men, women, anyone who follows Jesus Christ and wants to make a difference in a needy world. This New Temple will be made up of people who live, love, act, speak, serve like Jesus. This New Temple will be the inclusive, open-doored, open-minded, open-hearted body of people who incarnate the values and practices of Jesus Christ. Ask yourself: Would Jesus be so willing to die on the Cross for what the Church has currently become? Personally, I want to be worthy of that sacrifice.

So let’s take our metaphorical sledge hammers, pick axes, wrecking balls and let’s get to work. Jesus, the Risen Lord of the Church, has his sleeves rolled up and is wearing a hard hat, spitting in his hands, ready to take the first swing.