Daily Office Reflection: Advent Cleaning

Central Park, 2013, jfd+

Haggai 1:1-15; Revelation 2:18-29; Matthew 23:27-39; Psalms 31 * 35

Jesus is continuing his rant about the scribes and Pharisees in our reading from Matthew, telling the crowds and his disciples how hypocritical those officials are as a group. He has just had-it-up-to-here with them.

This is a perfect reading for us to have in the mid-to-end point of Advent. Jesus is using his foes as an example for us. There are a number of questions that can be prompted by this reading.

• What inner work do we still need to accomplish to live the kingdom life to which Jesus is directing us before we begin anew on Christmas Day?
• What facades do we have up, masking our real selves?
• Do our actions belie our words?
• Are we so stuck in what was, that we cannot move into the newness that each day presents to us?

Jesus is telling us to clean house, our own internal house, of the detritus that is ruinous to our ability to cross that bridge into the future, and the kingdom he opens for all of us.
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Copyright 2013, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved to images and words.