Every Lent my friend Christopher cleans out his closet.

He tries on old pants that no longer fit. He sets aside shirts that have gone out of style. He donates the pile of castaways to a thrift store.

When he’s finished his spartan closet streamlines his daily dressing regimen – he can now find what he’s looking for, and only bother with things that are in style and fit. Popular culture might call this Spring Cleaning. But my friend considers it a profound theologial reminder of humanity’s need to regularly sift through the clutter and make sure we’re only holding to the most important things.

This Sunday you and I will hear the familiar story of Jesus routing the merchants and moneychangers from the Jewish temple. “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” Jesus said as He overturned tables and drove out merchants. However, we notice that Jesus did not condemn the Temple or even the system. He did not tell people to leave the Jewish faith.

Rather, Jesus reminded us of a central place He plays in the Gospels - as a reformer.  He was not out to demolish all that was standing – but to clear away the clutter, toss out what didn’t fit, and leave behind the essential: a way to God that was clear, unburdened, and opened to all who would come.

Many of our spiritual closets need this same kind of cleaning. Are we doing this during Lent?  What traditions, habits, beliefs, and practices have we allowed to hang out too long – and are actually keeping us from connecting with God? What do we need to drive out of our lives so that a clear path to God is left behind? Can we take Lent to do the essential reforming of our faith that God is calling us to do?

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Reading
Still – Lauren Winner

Matterhorn – Karl Marlantes

The Witness of Preaching – Thomas Long