March 5, 2012

March 5: He … overturned the tables

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By Mara Weaver, a senior history major from Bloomington, Ill.

THIS WEEK’S THEME: He…overturned the tables

DEVOTIONAL:

Lent marks a time in our Christian calendar when we wait once again for the unexpected. Yet, Jesus’ death and resurrection should not come as a total surprise, as the Scriptures are littered with hints of what is to come in this awful, yet wonderful, saga that is the life of Jesus Christ.

In the same way, this week’s theme, “He … overturned the tables,” may initially strike us, but if we take a closer look, these actions of the Holy One should not take us at all by surprise. Jesus proves just how radical he is time and again throughout the Gospel, calling his disciples to leave everything behind to follow him: casting his lot with the poor, the sick, the tax collector, the disinherited of society; claiming that the meek shall inherit the Earth; and telling those around him to love their enemies. Is Jesus’ radical response to the degradation of the temple really that out of the ordinary? I certainly do not think so.

The Scripture passages for this week take us on a tour of God’s covenant with God’s people, stretching from the Ten Commandments to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. These passages reveal that God’s path is one that is set apart, one that is radical. In this season of Lent, let us remember both the gift of God’s covenant, the accountability it instills in our relationship with God, and the radical call that Jesus made in his short time among humans. Let us remember not only the significance of Jesus’ jarring crucifixion and his even more miraculous resurrection, but also the tables that he overturned and the tables that we might seek to overturn in our own lives. Thanks be to God for that blessing and that challenge.

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Comments (12)

  1. Thanks Mary for an excellent insightful reflection. I pray that God’s word continues to deepen in your own life as you prepare to graduate from Goshen.

    Gary Guthrie March 5, 2012 |

  2. Thank you for your insight. I especially liked your last thought of what tables I might seek to overturn in my own life. I also wonder would it be the same “table” the Lord would like to overturn in my life too???

    Betty March 5, 2012 |

  3. I’m looking for the Scriptures to which you referred .

    Lois Kennel March 5, 2012 |

  4. Thanks Mara for sharing your thoughtful insights. Even more meaningful coming from you since we had a cup of coffee with you recently.

    Mary Mishler March 5, 2012 |

  5. Hi Mara,

    Excellent devotional, but where are the scripture passages to which you make reference but don’t cite?

    Thanks,

    Bob Palmer

    Bob Palmer March 5, 2012 |

  6. You’re quite right, Mara. There are tables I need to overturn in my life.
    Wishing you the austere joy of the Lenten season.
    Mervyn Carapiet

    Mervyn Carapiet March 5, 2012 |

  7. Thank you Mara for starting out this week with powerful and invitational thoughts to beckon us on our lenten journey…

    Frances R. March 5, 2012 |

  8. The lectionary Scriptures for the week that Mara refers to are: Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19, John 2:13-22, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.

    Devotions editor March 5, 2012 |

  9. Jesus was so radical that he even responded to a Roman centurion’s request to heal a servant in Matthew 8: 5-13. Talk about loving “enemies.”

    Gary Olsen-Hasek March 5, 2012 |

  10. Thank you, Mara. I, too, must think about the tables I need to turn over. And thank you Gary for your comment about loving enemies.

    marjorie March 5, 2012 |

  11. Mara, thanks for the thoughts and challenge!

    Sue March 5, 2012 |

  12. Belated thanks Mara for these good thoughts!

    Frances Ringneberg

    Frances R. April 2, 2012 |