Lent Exercises: Fight - Responding to Jesus' Disruption

I have a reputation for liking a good fight.  When people on my team say, “well, this will be fun for Jason,” it’s a signal that there’s a conflict to resolve.  Sometimes this reputation can be a problem.  I once sent a message to a colleague with the title, “wanna rumble.”  They later informed me that the title caused them to feel sick and avoid opening the email.  I apologized and, hopefully, learned my lesson.  

Still, I do like a good fight.  To be clear, I abhor violence, and don’t much like interpersonal conflict.  A good fight is different.  A good fight happens when we lean into conflict because something important to both of us is at stake.  It happens when we love someone enough to say, “I think you’re headed in the wrong direction.”  A good fight clarifies what we hold to be true, good, or beautiful, or worth fighting about.   

This week we’re reflecting on opposition to Jesus.  Religious and political opposition to Jesus didn’t emerge from nowhere.  At the end of Luke 19 is the story of Jesus ‘cleansing’ the temple, driving out money changers and those who were selling things.  In this action Jesus challenged an income stream for the temple. He’d disrupted worship.  Jesus challenged greed.  

In today’s passage in Luke 20:1-8 we find Jesus in conversation with the priests and temple leaders.  The last time Jesus interacts with this group in Luke’s gospel, he’s a boy of twelve.  

That day Jesus was able to sit in the temple and engage the teachers, amazing them with the depth of his insight.  Since then, Jesus has only grown in wisdom and in authority.  

The chief priests challenge Jesus asking who authorized him to disrupt their worship.  Jesus’ answers with a question.  Where did the chief priests think John the Baptist’s authority came from?  Jesus’ reference to John the Baptist is important.  John was famous for calling people to repentance, a turning away from evil and a turning towards God.  

The boy in the temple was precocious and admirable.  The man confronts their practices and summons them to turn back to God.  Why is it that the keepers of God’s space can’t recognize God’s call?   

There’s a little of the temple leaders in all of us.  It’s one thing to be impressed with or even comforted by Jesus.  It’s another thing to let Jesus flip over the tables and drive out your money changers.  

I like a good fight.  Jesus fought with the temple leaders because they mattered to him.  Jesus disrupts us in our complacency, selfishness, and sin, because we matter to him too.  

Imagine your life and habits as a temple.  What is the center of worship?  What sustains that worship?  Imagine Jesus entering your life and habits.  Can you imagine Jesus disrupting rhythms in your life or calling you to turn towards God?  How would you like to respond to Jesus?