Today I am preaching on 'grace'.  I had planned to do 'sin and grace' - how stupid there is too much material in one of those, let alone both, for one service.  But first, a quick reflection from the Lectionary...

Exodus 20:1-17
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
John 2:13-22

A strange mixture!  The ten (plus) commandments, the Psalm we have been pondering for a few days, Paul's introductory words to the Corinthians about the foolishness of the cross, and John's clearance of the Temple - here not in Holy Week but right at the start of Jesus' ministry (whether this is a clever literary device, or whether he knew of a second incident, or whether he just doesn't care about chronology, I leave you to decide).

It is interesting to juxtapose the Exodus and the John... a list of thou shalt/shalt nots and the total chaos in the Temple.  The religious authorities would have claimed they kept the Law to the letter but they had missed the point, it had become a stumbling block (to nick a phrase from the letter of Paul), more important not to have 'mucky money' than to have a space for worship; more important to tithe your mint and rue than to feed people who are hungry, more essential to point out fine details of the law to others than to love them...

I just wonder, if Jesus walked in to my congregation today what it is that would cause him to overturn the table, drive out the zealots.  I wonder who it is he would affirm and who condemn.  I wonder...

Loving God

Lead me from legalism to love

From proof texts to principles

From self-righteousness to right-living

Show me the

Tree trunk

In my eye

Then

(gently please!)

Pull it out

So that I can see

My lovely

Neighbour

Whom

You call me

To love