18th Day of Lent

John 2:13-16 (New International Version)
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

Here is Jesus, the Messiah, getting angry. This is only the second chapter of John’s Gospel. He hasn’t told many stories about Jesus yet, but this is one of his earliest. In the first chapter, John describes Jesus as “life”, “light shining in the darkness” and “full of grace and truth”. For John, the anger, passion and emotion of Jesus is not at odds with the life, light, grace and truth of Jesus.

How does this passage make you feel? How easy is it for you to imagine Jesus getting angry and emotional in this way? How comfortable do you feel with this emotion of Jesus? How comfortable to you feel with your own emotions? Would you say you get angry too easily or is it hard for you to feel emotion?

Throughout this day take an emotional inventory. As you go about your daily activities make a note of what stirs emotion within you. This could be joy, fear, anger etc. What caused it? Think about how you dealt with that emotion: did you express it? Did you suppress it? Would anyone else have been aware that you had that emotion? You could make mental notes or even jot things down on paper. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to reflect on your notes. If you are reading this at the end of the day, just think back through the day for a few minutes and make the same inventory.

When you have done this, spend a few moments in silence and invite the presence of Christ into your emotions. Don’t judge yourself or beat yourself up, but just allow the ”grace and truth” of the passionate Jesus to permeate your soul.