Prayer: Thank you for this story of Jesus, God. Now, please encourage us to be courageous instruments of your peace and justice. Amen.

This Lenten season we’ve been learning and exploring what it means to for us to live in a way that is true to what Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia: “It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who live but Christ who lives within me.” If Christ lives within us, then the traits he exhibited are excellent traits for our lives as Christians.

Tonight, the trait Jesus exhibited is one we don’t often talk about—being righteous. I’m not talking about being self-righteous. Self-righteous is the trait that we often frown upon—that’s when a person thinks they are better than everyone else, always having the right answer, living with no modesty, etc. Being righteous, however, is a trait in which we recognize God’s acceptance and grace is a part of our daily lives, and a desire to do the right thing fills us with humility and gratitude… the thing that is pleasing in God’s sight… the thing that reflects the light of the Holy Spirit living within us.

Jesus reflected God’s light. He was righteous. As he approached Jerusalem, this city filled with the people of God, he saw how they had strayed away from righteous living to self-righteous living. He saw in them waywardness and aimlessness. He saw in their spiritual leaders a lack of shepherding, something they were supposed to do… he saw a lack of spiritual feeding… a lack of spiritual direction which would assist people in coming close to God. The hierarchy of religious Judaism was supposed to be God’s servant.

Instead, he saw kings, priests, scribes, lawyers, focusing on their own selves that they lifted up, their own power that they used to oppress the peasants and perform acts of injustice on them, their own self-righteousness that they used to puff themselves up thinking they were in God’s favor spiritually.

So, Jesus weeps over the what could be and should be a humble servant of God, but clearly is not fulfilling its role. So, when Jesus cleansed the temple, and overturned the tables, it wasn’t so much an action against selling stuff; it was more a symbolic action against a distorted prioritization found in Judaism. Jesus was righteous for justice.

Was he committing a sinful act? Absolutely not! He did the thing that was pleasing in God’s sight. The thing that reflected God’s light within him, even though it was dangerous for him.

Might this trait of being righteous for justice that we see in Jesus be a trait we might see in ourselves? If so, where? Where in our lives? Where in our world is there a need for us to be righteous for justice?

I think the need is all around us. In our world, in our culture, there are several arenas, among many more, that could be servants of God, but clearly are not. Instead, these arenas focus on elements and characteristics which are worth nothing in God’s light. These stack on top of each other building what really amounts to a house of cards. Oh, if they only knew what would make for peace!

First, the political arena:

· Politicians, lawyers, judges, lobbyists.

· Above the law

· Swayed by BIG $$$$$

· Supposed to serve the people

· Lacks forgiveness, humility

· Forgotten “In God we trust.”

· Selling the public trust as a commodity, instead of earning it with integrity.

The political arena has built a house of cards. We weep over its waywardness. “O politicians, people of Washington, Harrisburg, Albany… if you, even you, had recognized the things that make for peace.”

Second, the Corporate arena:

· The bottom line: the Almighty Dollar!

· Decisions made are based only on protecting financial interests.

· In bed with the politicians.

· Insurance companies more concerned with business than with people.

· Health insurances focuses on cost basis instead of bedside manner.

· Creative innovations bought up by big companies and then shelved.

· Insider trading to gain more $ and advantage over the competition.

The corporate arena has built a house of cards. We weep over its waywardness. “O big business corporations,… if you, even you, had recognized the things that make for peace.”

Third, let’s look at the Internet arena:

· Scams

· Viruses

· Identity theft

· Predators on children

· Pornography

· Lack of the “human element.”

The Internet arena has built a house of cards. We weep over its waywardness. “O computer programmers and cyber-space junkies … if you, even you, had recognized the things that make for peace.

How about the arena of our homes and families.

· Forgotten the importance of healthy relationships

· Domestic violence

· Child and/or spousal abuse

· Pre-occupation with selfishness.

· Shirking responsibilities to raise well-rounded children

· Lack of discipline.

· Lack of faith.

· Loss of sacrificial love, love of God, neighbor and self.

The Home and Family life arena has built a house of cards. We weep over its waywardness. “O parents, guardians, grand parents, youth, children… f you, even you, had recognized the things that make for peace.

Last, the Church arena:

· Forgotten the status as a servant of God.

· Prosperity gospel is preached.

· Lack of faith education

· Biblical illiteracy

· Takes limited responsibility as a doer of God’s justice.

· Business motif overlays the spiritual motif

· Lack of conveyance of God’s good news

· Little outreach to the marginalized of society,

The church arena has built a house of cards. We weep over its waywardness. “O pastors, lay people in churches everywhere… if you, even you, had recognized the things that make for peace.

As people of faith, people with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we have the opportunity to live with the traits of Christ in us. His trait of being righteous for justice caused him to cleanse the temple. We can be righteous for justice, too, and we may need to open our eyes to see what cleansing needs to go on in these arenas.

Symbolically, what arena do you identify with personally? What arena would you like to see cleaned up the most? If you feel so moved, please come forward now, and symbolically tear down the house of cards. Knock it down as a symbol of being righteous for justice. [the houses of cards are knocked over.]

As people of faith, we are called to live our lives filled with God’s Holy Spirit. We may be led to serve God by acting righteously for the justice. As people of faith, we speak to these arenas on behalf of God Spirit living in us. Amen.