Lectionary Reading for 3 Sunday in Lent
The message of the cross is madness to those on the way to destruction, but to us who are on the way to salvation it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Reading. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 One of the phrases that has entered our vocabulary is “fake news”. This phrase has different meanings for different people. For some it means news that I don’t want to hear or believe. For others it means news which distorts the true facts. In “Through the Looking Glass”, Humpty Dumpty said “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” In other words I am the master and I will decide what is true. Ah! If only it were so! However, truth is not limited to our powers of intellect or experience.
That is part of Paul’s issue as he promotes the meaning of the cross. At the time of Paul’s message the cross presented a most hideous way to die. Such horror did crucifixion entail that it seldom came up in conversation or discussion. To think that God could use the cross to bring in a new and better life was so foolish that it could be discounted without a second thought. Despite the social barriers Paul continues to promote God’s action through the cross. He makes clear that it is the cross which divides people into two groups, namely those who believe in what the cross has accomplished and those who don’t.
In our modern world we are uncomfortable with that kind of demarcation yet the fact is that there are those who see the cross as a message of foolishness. Certainly if we try to grasp the meaning of the cross through intellect or knowledge alone we will never understand. The meaning of the cross is understood by faith and not by doubt. This is true of any new understanding. If we begin by doubting something new it creates a barrier from the very beginning. Paul reminds his readers that the truth of the message comes through the preached word. We hear and believe but it also suggests an openness to hear God’s call through the preaching; thus we need to have an open mind. In an era where we hear a lot of “fake news’ Paul’s message still rings out truly, “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”. 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NRSV)
Prayer. Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts. Psalm 85:7-8 (NRSV) Merciful God, Lord of all; we turn once again to you and give you thanks and praise. You alone can give us life in all its fullness. We come to you with hearts filled with expectation for we know that you love us with an everlasting love. May your arms embrace us as we venture through this day. Protect us from evil and guide us with your almighty power that we may always safely remain in your presence. This we ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever Amen
Reading. John 2:13-22. The Jews seemed to think that Jesus was making an important point when he turned out the market stalls from the temple. However his response made no sense at all to the religious leaders. John gives us the readers, the reminder that Jesus is referring to his body and the resurrection.
The temple was more than a place for people to worship and make sacrifice, it affirmed the presence of God among the people. It had its beginnings in the Tabernacle on the wilderness wanderings which reminded the people of God’s promise despite the hardships, to deliver them safely into the Promised Land. When the nation became more settled a more permanent structure was needed. The original temple was built by Solomon and so linked back to the time when David had established Israel as a dominant kingdom and the promise of God to deliver them had been renewed. So the temple for the Jews was the sign that God was in control and they could rely on his promises. However the prophet Jeremiah had warned the nation long before, that simply trusting in the building but not living out godly lives was going to bring the nation down. Failure to live in God’s way would result in losing God’s protective presence. (Jeremiah 7.)
Jesus’ action was to cleanse the temple but then according to John’s understanding Jesus himself was to become the New Temple. By his cleansing as the new temple, Jesus was to be the one through whom the promises of God would be fulfilled. It was his obedience to submit to a sinless death that placed authority back into the hands of God and inaugurated the true kingdom of God. It was in the kingdom that every person would be safe, for in the kingdom every one was under the guidance and grace of God. Thus, early in his gospel John has laid out the direction that Jesus was to take.
Prayer. With humble hearts we come to you Lord, and once more thank you for sending your Son to bring a new beginning over the entire world. Under your sovereignty we can be at peace and enjoy the wonders of your creation; above all we can walk in obedience to your will and so honour you with our words and with our deeds. Help us to keep our confidence and trust in Jesus; may we maintain the hope that sustains and inspires us as we live through each day, constantly looking for that day when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Amen.
Collect. Lord our God, hallowed be your name. Incline our hearts to your commandments, and give us the wisdom of the cross; so that, freed from sin which imprisons us in our own self-centredness, we may be open to the gift of your Spirit, and become living temples of your love; through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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