Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal. It is a time to pause and consider the ways in which God is calling us to let go of what is no longer serving us and step into something new. In John 2:13-25, we find Jesus doing exactly that—cleansing the temple, overturning tables, and challenging the religious and political norms of his time. It’s a striking image: a zealous Jesus, whip in hand, driving out those who have turned a sacred space into a marketplace.
This passage is often unsettling. Jesus is angry. He is disruptive. He is not concerned with being polite or fitting into the expectations of the religious leaders. He is making it abundantly clear that the way things have been is not the way they should be. He doesn’t offer an easy explanation. When questioned, he speaks of tearing down the temple and rebuilding it in three days—a response that is both cryptic and radical. As we later learn, he is referring to his own body, his death and resurrection. But in the moment, his words leave people confused, perhaps even offended.
Starting Again as a Spiritual and Crafting Discipline
As we stitch through Lent, this passage invites us to ask: What in our lives needs overturning? What have we allowed to accumulate in the sacred spaces of our hearts that no longer belongs? Jesus’ cleansing of the temple reminds us that transformation often starts with disruption. It requires us to make starting again a spiritual discipline.
In many ways, crafting can be a spiritual practice that mirrors this process. Sometimes, a piece of stitching isn’t working—we miscount stitches, the pattern doesn’t align, or the colors don’t come together as we had hoped. When that happens, we face a choice: Do we stubbornly press forward, pretending the mistake doesn’t exist? Or do we take a deep breath, undo the stitches, and begin again? Unraveling a piece of work can feel frustrating, even painful, but it also creates the opportunity for something better to take shape.
Making Space for Something Holier
Jesus’ actions in the temple weren’t just about clearing out corruption; they were about making space for something holier. As we reflect on this passage, we can ask ourselves:
What expectations of God am I being invited to let go of so that I can see God more clearly?
Where is Jesus calling me to disrupt patterns in my life that no longer serve God’s kingdom?
What parts of my faith need to be unraveled and re-stitched into something truer and more faithful?
Lent is not just a time of giving things up—it is a time of making space for renewal. Just as Jesus was not afraid to challenge the systems that no longer reflected God’s heart, we are invited to consider what needs to be undone and remade in our own lives. May our crafting this season be a reminder that sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is start again.
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