Temple

Last night was one of those nights where I walked into church service expecting one thing, and then getting something completely different and eye-opening.  Everyone attending was asked to write a secret that we've never told anybody down on a notecard.  For most of the service, I sat with a prideful grin on my face thinking, I've told everybody everything.  I've got nothing to worry about.  I'm good.  And when it came down to it, a thought popped in my head.  There was something I hadn't accounted for.  There were actually two things.  Crap.  I jotted it down on the notecard, and it was all fine and dandy until my girlfriend and I decided to swap secrets.  Oh man.  It was pretty safe writing it down anonymously, knowing that no one would be able to connect my name to the secret written on the card.  But, this was not safe.  My heart started pounding and I got scared, real scared.  

For the first time this Lent, and really for the first time in a while, I tapped into some pain that I wasn't aware of.  I was exposed.  I got found out.  I felt ashamed, embarrassed, and remorseful because I looked into her eyes and could tell that I had done wrong.  It once again put into perspective how prone I am to doing things that are hurtful without even knowing it.  Most of the time, I don't even know that I'm hurting somebody else until I'm feeling some sort of pain from my actions.  

Not only am I hurting on the inside, but my legs, thighs, and arms are on fire from a CrossFit workout I did on Saturday.  I shrugged it off yesterday when people asked me if I was sore.  Nah, I don't feel a thing.  I think denial was yesterday's theme.

In the scriptures this morning, we're looking at the esteemed and often referred to wedding party in Cana.  Jesus turns the water to wine, right?  I don't need to go through the whole story since most of us have heard it a million times, but there are a couple things that I noticed today that I haven't noticed before.  

First, we like to think that the wine is symbolic for partying.  Well, wine takes on a different role as well.  At Jewish wedding parties, after the bride and groom have exchanged rings (much like they do in the Christian tradition), seven blessings are recited by the whole room of people over wine.  It is possible that in the story of water to wine, the wine was running low before this event occurred.  I'm not going to go through all seven blessings, but I will go through one that really stands out.

One of the blessings includes a prayer that Jerusalem will be fully rebuilt and restored with the Temple in its midst and the Jewish people within her gates.  Was it a coincidence that Jesus would happen to be turning his first miracle, and it would have everything to do with the blessings of a restored Jerusalem?

The Jews didn't know that the Temple was in their midst, and the restoration had begun.  Jesus could have easily stopped the party and started preaching.  But, he didn't.  We're told that the host of the party didn't even know Jesus had done anything to the water.  He figured the bridegroom had been saving it for the end.  Jesus didn't get any credit for it, and he didn't want it.  That's a miracle to me.

Once again, we're reminded that our rituals of trying to make ourselves better and look better before God and people are not necessary anymore.  Jesus turned the water that was used for ritual hand cleaning into the wine that would be drunk as Jews verbally recited their hopes in the restoration of Israel.  So what do we do if the rituals are not necessary?  

There is action to be done, but what matters again is the heart.  What are my motives?  Am I trying to get something out of it, or am I trying to give something away?  Put in another way, are we washing ourselves off in order to get God's or man's approval?  Or, are we giving parts of ourselves away for good?  

May we go out today believing that we are being restored, even when the pain seems to tell us otherwise.  May we believe that we don't have to go to the Temple to find God, but that we are the Temple of God.  May we not beat ourselves up for our mistakes today, but be grateful for the grace that allows us to make mistakes and be okay about it.