Beyond Spring Cleaning

It’s that time of the year again, time for spring cleaning! While I confess that I don’t exactly spring clean, I do plan on scouring my house for items that can go to the Goodwill. In our scripture for today, Jesus arrives at the temple on Monday of Holy Week. There He sees the priests and leaders cheating people who have come to worship God. Not only that but there are noisy animals in the court reserved for the Gentiles, hardly making it conducive to prayer. So Jesus does His own spring cleaning and drives out the animals and the cheaters.

The problem with spring cleaning is that every spring we need to clean our houses again, and Jesus knew that His cleaning of the temple wouldn’t last long. Soon the greedy priests would be back to their old habits of selling and cheating. To confront the sin problem once and for all Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross four days later.

What a joy to know that Jesus wants to do more than a spring cleaning in our hearts. He wants to do a complete and total makeover. The Apostle Paul says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (II Cor. 5:17) Now that’s an amazing cleaning!

If you’re already a new creation, perhaps there’s some spring cleaning Jesus needs to do. Maybe there are thoughts or attitudes that need to be thrown out, or habits that need to be stopped. Whatever it is, the Holy Spirit not only convicts us, He graciously helps us. This Holy Week, let’s ask Him to clean our hearts and make us ready for His service.

Holy Week Reading, Matthew 21:12-17

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