Advent Devotions
All are invited as we Make Room this Advent season.
Turn the Tables
Today’s author is Prince of Peace’s Intentional Interim, Pr. Steve Sylvester.
“Jesus Cleanses the Temple,” which is the common heading for yesterday’s Scripture passage, is FAR too weak. In observance of The Passover, Jewish pilgrims travelled to Jerusalem to pay the Temple tax and offer sacrifice. Many, especially those who came from some distance away, did not bring their own animals. At the gates of the Temple, money changers set up tables to exchange whatever currency pilgrims brought for the Shekel of Tyre, the coin minted by King Herod which was the only acceptable currency for the Temple tax, and in the same area merchants sold animals for sacrifice. It was well known that the exchange rate of the moneychangers took advantage of pilgrims, and animals were sold for significantly more than they were worth. Jesus wades into all this, fashions a whip from nearby cords, screams at the top of his lungs, spittle flying and arms flailing, and drives the moneylovers and Godhaters out of the Temple. So, what heading would I give this passage? Maybe something like, “Jesus Attacks the Temple Industrial Complex.”
On January 7, 2026, Renee Good was murdered by an ICE officer. She was murdered as she was protesting the unjust actions of our present administration. Speaking as a Christian instead of an American, I choose to wave off any claim that Good had a right to be where she was, doing what she was doing. What I would say instead is that She was exercising her moral responsibility to do so. It was Jesus’ opposition to the powers and principalities of the time, illustrated most plainly by his attack on the Temple Industrial Complex, that resulted in his execution on a cross. It was Renee Good’s opposition to the power of our lawless and cruel administration that resulted in her murder.
Many have opined that Renee Good might now be skiing with friends or watching TV with her daughter if she had just done what had been asked of her, if she had just obeyed the commands of the ICE officers (and it needs to be pointed out that obeying would have been very difficult, as she was given conflicting commands). And now the rest of us are told that if we mind our own business and stop protesting injustice, all will be well. But injustice demands that we respond with disobedience, whether that disobedience is throwing tea overboard into the harbor, sitting at lunch counters, leaving water in the desert for immigrants or filming an invasion by federal agents. There will always be people who acquiesce to power, but as followers of Jesus, we should not be among them. Prayer and peaceful disobedience are how we weaponize our participation in society, and when things are this broken, we need to be very good at both.
Lastly, for those who are uncomfortable with their pastor “talking politics” in a weekly devotion, we are far past that. This is not a political disagreement. This is a moral disagreement about which we cannot shrug and “agree to disagree.” People are dying as this administration feeds us with Coliseum Cruelty for the purpose of titillating those who love it and terrifying those who oppose it. Even as we love our enemy, we need to feed off Jesus’ anger and frustration. We must turn the tables.
Previously…
Transforming Love
This past Wednesday we began our Lent Wednesday worship series, “Considering the Cost.” Each week the writings of a contemporary saint and martyr of the church are being shared. To start things off, we reflected on a powerful message delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a Lenten sermon. As we listened in, we were reminded of the profound truth that love transcends all boundaries and obstacles. In his stirring sermon, Dr. King illuminated the transformative power of love, urging us to embrace Jesus’ command to love our enemies.
Biblical Characters
The Bible is filled with characters, literally and figuratively. Perhaps the best way to describe how the Bible portrays its characters is “human” because they are, in fact, human. The Bible is true and the people that inhabit its pages were real people with real problems, just like us.
Adding It All Up
In the bustling streets of Jerusalem, a rich young ruler approached Jesus, seeking the secret to eternal life. His earnest inquiry revealed a hunger for something deeper, something beyond the material wealth that adorned his life. Jesus, looking upon him with love, offered a radical challenge: “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Distracted by Greatness
In the marketplace of life, the question of who matters most often clamors for our attention. It’s a question that echoes through the ages, resonating even in the hearts of the disciples who walked alongside Jesus two millennia ago. Mark’s Gospel captures this timeless debate, illuminating the distractions that clouded their minds.