It’s interesting to note that Jesus never offers any “new” teaching. His primary goal seems to be to reassure his closest followers that he is still with them, although in a different manner. But one element that is distinctive is the empowerment by the Holy Spirit and the mandate to not only preach the good news, but to, in particular, preach on repentance and the forgiveness of sins.

When is the last time you really felt part of something? The last time you had the overwhelming sense of deeply connecting with a group of people? The sense of sharing a cause, a purpose, a vision, a mission? The sense of being rooted in something much, much greater than yourself?

Though it seems that many Western Christians are obsessed with believing the “right” things, “saying the right formula”, I am not so sure God cares what we say–cares if we have all our doctrines right. And I am quite sure God cares a lot about what we do and how we live. And so I have come to think that resurrection is less doctrine than practice.

This is not new—God consistently disappoints us—mostly because, at heart, we are more interested in what we want God to be than in who God is. We do a marvelous job of projecting our own wants, needs and desires onto God. Why didn’t I get that job, God—what’s wrong with you? Why did my friend get cancer, why did you let that happen God, what’s wrong with you? Why did my loved one die—if you had been here he wouldn’t have died, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you care at all? Why do you so consistently disappoint me? We want God to be a talisman-the One who protects us from bad things and when that doesn’t pan out, we are disappointed-and angry.

Jesus is painting a picture of his impending suffering for the disciples—of the redemptive power of his suffering. This is a very difficult message- no easier to hear then that in it is now. The message that if we protect our lives as they are—if we prevent conflict, change and pain-we will find, at the end, that we had no life at all. If on the other hand we hate our lives-which I take to mean if we hate all that cheapens our lives- spending our time and energy chasing comfort, security, power and prosperity—if we start chasing God instead of all of these things, we will find abundance.

Jesus cannot possibly be condemning people  who do not believe in him, can he??? There has to be room for people of other religions and people with no religion, right??? There has to be another way, a less exclusionary and more compassionate way.

This morning we encounter a Jesus who probably shakes all our ideas of him. No gentle Jesus meek and

mild here-instead a table turning,

whip wielding,

people turfing,

angry man. Why? What could drive

this ever compassionate man to this extreme? Well,

when Jesus loses his temper,

it is usually about

injustice or about religious people acting in ways opposed to God’s will. This morning it is a little of

both. But why does Jesus get so riled up about people defiling the Temple?

Just like the disciples, “we’re setting our mind not on divine things, but on human things.” We’re evaluating things using the wrong framework. We still don’t want to believe that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Because it’s hard to believe. Because we’ve tried so hard to be first. Because we thought winning was everything.

Admitting that “it’s not all okay,” and that we can’t seem to make it all okay, no matter how hard we try…well, that’s the first step toward freedom.

Because telling the truth–the truth that we can’t do it on our own–allows space–finally–for God. The God we box out with all our efforts at self control, self sufficiency, and self promotion.

When it comes right down to it, there’s really not all that much room for God in most of our lives. And I think we tend to be pretty content with this, because our God is a God who somehow ended up dying on a cross. And that’s really a pretty terrible thing. It’s not something that makes much rational sense. Not something that feels very safe or comforting. Not something that inspires us to enthusiastically join up as followers.