When Jesus Shows up. Zombies and Little Brats.

Picture Jesus showing up. What would He do? In whatever situation, in whatever location, what does it mean for Jesus to show up? Most have their ideas that include anything from penance and prostration to barking and balling. In many cases there is an expectation for Jesus to validate what is already being done. Shame on us. When Jesus comes, things get turned upside down.

Matthew 21:12-17 gives a picture of what happens when Jesus shows up. It's both scary, and beautiful. Upon arriving at the temple Jesus flips tables and chases people out. Strangely enough these were the people who 'knew' how worship was to be done. They knew the number of doves, the right amount of grain, and what incense to burn; and incidentally they knew how much each one cost. It was worship -and business- as usual. The system was functioning fine. When Jesus showed up, the system was thrown out of the temple as it was cleansed. He called them theives. Imagine that, people using religion to make money.

Part deuce of the story: When Jesus shows up the system gets turned inside out. So about this time you have a whole bunch of venders and money changers fuming outside in the temple court. Meanwhile, the temple is filled with the lame and children. I'm sure to the Pharisees it seemed like a scene out of a zombie flick, with a bunch of lepers and such limping and moaning their way into the temple in order to desecrate it. So the 'system' is now on the porch, and the zombies and little brats (keep in mind children were seen as a nuisance [Matthew 19:13-15]) are running wild in the house. Strange, disturbing, beautiful.

"The church is the place for the weak" -Mike Yaconnelli

Right on Mike. I like to think of it this way: The church is the place where broken sinful people are somehow eqipped to live a righteous life they couldn't possibly live on their own. I guess a comparison would be a man with a broken leg running a marathon; or maybe Jesus doing a three legged marathon with our broken leg tied to his. NIKE!*

It would be ridiculous to say that the zombies and wild brats stayed that way. The lame were healed and the children shouted "Hosannna to the Son of David" Those who come into the kingdom are continually changed. God's love calls to us to enter his courts even as the leperous zombies we are, but He doesn't keep us that way. We leave the building joyfully leaping, calling the lame the poor and even little brats to come to God's house.

A blessing by Larry Hine (forgive me if the spelling on the last name is wrong)

May all your expectations be frustrated
May all your plans be thwarted
May all your desires be withered into nothingness
That you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child
And sing and dance in the compassion of God
Who is Father, Son, and Spirit.

May Jesus turn our temple upside down.