According to our gospel reading for today Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here” (Matthew 12:6). He was talking about himself and about God’s presence in the midst of the people. God’s work in Jesus was far more profound than the religious institutions of that day. In fact a part of Jesus’ ministry was to set the hearts of the people on God and not on religion per se. But few of the Pharisees seem to have understood what was going on. The institution-law and temple-was what they knew, and Jesus was flaunting it.
In fairness we shouldn’t be too hard on the Pharisees. One of the challenges that we must address today is how to serve God in and through the church without letting the church become the focus of our devotion. When we gather to worship we must remember that something greater than the church is there. When we talk about the future, about stewardship, about ministry and evangelism, about what it means to be faithful disciples, we must remember that something greater than the church is there. When we argue about doctrine and about who is more faithful to the scriptures, we must remember that something greater than the church is there. Otherwise we become the Pharisees of our day.
Something greater than the church is here! It is the Spirit of God at work, leading, teaching, building up, challenging, making restless, confounding, inspiring, and doing so much more. If we rely solely on brick and mortar, if we cling to the fellowship that we find so comforting, if we hold tight to “our kind of music” or “our kind of worship” then we will miss the opportunity to join in the magnificent things that God is doing. Truly, something greater than the church is here.
Prayer: Open our eyes, O Lord, and let us see what you are doing and how we might join you in that work. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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