Lent Day 31
by Laura Miller
2 Chronicles 36:14-23, Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the LORD, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.
The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah. In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “ ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the LORD their God be with them.’ ”
Psalm 122
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the LORD— to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.
Ephesians 2:1-10, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
John 6:1-15 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Historically, followers of God have worshiped in many places -- the desert tabernacle, the Jerusalem temple, believers’ homes, churches, fields, and cathedrals.
Today’s Old Testament readings both have to do with the temple of God in Jerusalem. At the end of Second Chronicles, the people of Israel are in exile in Babylon. The temple has been destroyed and we get a glimpse at the hope of seeing it rebuilt.
Meanwhile, Psalm 122 opens with, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” It then describes the tribes singing praises to God as they go up to worship at the temple in Jerusalem.
The temple gets built, destroyed, and rebuilt. The people of God grieve when they have no place to worship, and rejoice when they can enter once again into God’s presence in the glory of his temple.
Since the coming of Jesus, Christians no longer have to go up to a temple to worship. As 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” Christians themselves have become the primary dwelling of the Spirit of God.
Like the physical location of the temple of God, our hearts can also be destroyed by the effects of sin. Our bodies can suffer from want or illness. And just as the people of God mourned and rejoiced over the state of the temple of God, we should still mourn when our hearts are far from God. We should rejoice when our hearts are restored, whole, and open to God’s presence.
The New Testament readings declare the ability of Christ to sustain and restore us. Ephesians 2 tells us that while we were once dead in sin, we have now been made alive by God through Christ. It’s a beautiful story of restoration. John witnesses the miracle of Jesus turning five loaves and two fish into a lunch for over five thousand starving people. Jesus physically sustained their bodies while preaching truth to their souls.
What about you? What is the state of God’s temple in your heart? Do you need God to help you make some repairs or clean out some spiritual junk? Or are you ready to welcome the peace of God into your heart and sing songs of praise in God’s dwelling place?
Laura Miller lives near Kansas City and is happiest when surrounded by tea, books, knitting, and friends. She hosts and produces both the Library Laura Podcast and the Crossroads Career Podcast, and writes for work and fun.