Jesus, Do Battle on My Behalf

I love this time of year! The buds are beginning to sprout forth on the trees and flowers, bringing with them the new life that comes with spring. The weather is getting warmer and so it’s the time of year when I find any reason I can to be outside; picnics on the porch with my preschooler, walks or bike rides through the neighborhood, fireside s’mores on the patio in the evenings. Anything I can find to do outside, instead of being inside where I have been hibernating all winter long.

Even more than the warmer weather and the beauty of nature all around me, with the coming of spring always means the anticipation of Easter. This week in particular is my favorite week of the year, Holy Week. The Paschal Mystery, which we actually celebrate in full at each and every mass, stalls out this week and is played out in real time throughout Holy Week. During this week, I look forward to having the opportunity to slow down and spend time meditating on the events surrounding Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. I take time entering into this great mystery, the great love of God, and this leads me to be grateful for Jesus’ redeeming act of love for me and all of humanity.

Recently I came across this image, Christ driving the moneychangers from the temple, 1403-1424, Lorenzo Ghiberti (and assistants), Museo della’Opera del Duomo, Florence. It is of Jesus running out the money changers. For the longest time I saw this event as Jesus’ anger and frustration when He was confronted with bringing worldliness into the church, making a marketplace out of the church. But there was something about this image in particular that struck me, or maybe it’s just where I am in this season of life. I noticed Jesus raising his fist, ready to do battle against the money changers. He has rounded them up and is chasing them away in one fell swoop. Jesus is in full control of the situation and he is systematically chasing evil out. It is not a reaction in anger at the people, but a controlled effort to save the people from the evil they were cooperating with.

I see this to be also true in my own heart. I too have evil in my heart that is a disruption to the perfect love that my heart was created for. It is only when I let Jesus into my heart, when I open wide the doors and give him full access, that He will come in and do battle on my behalf. He will raise his fist to the powers of darkness that have been reigning in my heart, gathering them up and chasing them out!

I see a different Jesus in this situation than I did before. While I once imagined him acting in anger and frustration, I now see that he is defending the honor of his beloved, whether that be his bride the church, or it be the very heart of his beloved daughter. Jesus desires my heart to be cleared out of the powers of darkness. He desires to be the only one to reign in my heart. Like a bride with her bridegroom, my heart should have no other loves.

It is during Holy Week that I feel particularly called to clear a way in my heart for Jesus to come and reign. I do this by opening wide the gates of my heart and inviting Jesus in. He will come where he is invited, but I must also be ready for him to raise his fist against the powers of darkness and chase away the darkness with his light. Jesus does not anger at my sinfulness. He angers at the Enemy who sneaks his way into my mind and into my heart in order to get me to reject the redemption offered to me. When Jesus comes into my heart to clear out the darkness, He does so in the greatest love and respect for me. And yet at the same time, he raises his fist as a righteous battle cry against the Enemy.

Holy Week holds for you and for me an abundance of graces. God wants to pour out specific graces this week upon each one of his beloved children. Maybe he wants to bring healing, encouragement, or understanding to your life. No matter what those graces are that God has in store for you, I encourage you to join me in slowing down, taking time to meditate upon the Paschal Mystery more deeply, and letting Jesus into your heart in a new and life changing way.