Clumsy + Careless= Catastrophic Consequences

 

Have any of you ever broken anything really valuable? As a child I was probably the clumsiest kid you could ever meet. Okay, if I am being real I am still pretty clumsy. One time in particular stands out to me. When I was 12 I accidentally shattered my mom's Lladro. If you don't know what that is just know that it is really expensive and on top of that it had sentimental value to my mom (catastrophic combination!). I remember how it happened so well. I was sitting at the computer with my friend Mattie. I was being stupid and pushing the rolling chair back and making it stand on its wheels. Yeah, I know what you are thinking. That really helps a clumsy girl be more graceful... Needless to say the chair fell completely back and I tried to stabilize myself by grabbing the desk. The shaking desk knocked the Lladro to the ground. I remember watching helplessly from the floor as the Lladro descended in slow motion. All I had to do was reach out and catch it, but nope I was paralyzed. My friend Mattie just stood there. He said he saw it going in slow motion too, but he couldn't move either. I grabbed all the pieces and put them in a box under my bed. I went to find my dad. Before I could my mom walked in the room, BUSTED! I looked at her in shock, tears starting to form. She somehow just knew. She exclaimed, "MY LLADRO!" Yeah that is when I full on ran out the door. I found my dad and he asked if there was anyway we could put it together again (can you tell that this was a conversation me and my dad had often? yeah...) It was shattered, completely broken, beyond repair. My mom accepted my apology and forgave me, but it didn't change the fact that something precious was broken through my careless actions.

At the end of John chapter 2 Jesus full on loses it when He goes into the temple courts. He sees that what should be a place of worship has turned into a mall of sorts. People are using the temple of God to sell cows and sheep! All I can imagine at this moment is how filthy they must have made His House. Animals don't really control their bowels if you catch my drift. Sacrifices had become common business to the people rather than out of a place of repentance and humility. The people clumsily and carelessly had forgotten about the Most High God. They had failed to show Him the adoration that He deserved. They brought unworthy things into His presence, and what should have been a house of prayer became a den of thieves (Matthew 21:13). Instead, of desiring intimacy with God their pocketbooks ruled their lives. Sound familiar?It became more about what the temple could do for them than what they could bring to the temple. The temple of God was built for who? GOD! Today this sentiment still exists. "I don't go to church because it does nothing for ME." Part of the problem is we care too much about ourselves. Our appearances, our reputations, our money, our clothes, our cars, etc. All of those things will one day pass away. We are missing out on something precious by making church about us, and not about going to recognize the greatness of God. John 2:24-25 ends with these verses: "But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person." He didn't trust them because they believed readily in signs and wonders for their own enjoyment and pleasure. They didn't want to know Him and befriend Him. They wanted the spectacular more than they wanted a relationship with Him. 

Unlike my mom's Lladro  this can be fixed and repaired. Through the grace of God He can get the church's focus back to Christ and off ourselves. The only way true peace and joy can be experienced in this life is when we let ourselves go and take the hand of Christ. Jesus allowed His sinless, perfect life to be crushed for our iniquities and our sins. He allowed Himself to be broken, so that our souls could remain intact with Him in eternity. Stop forgetting that! Praise and worship Him for He is worthy! 

"His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:17