One of my favorite professors from my college days would offer us a playful challenge about once a semester. Dr. “VB” would assign us a text to read on Friday, to study and research all weekend, and then on Monday everyone could share what they thought it was all about. Then he’d add, “And after you’ve all shared, well, then I’m gonna blow your mind!” It wasn’t arrogant–it was a playful challenge that raised the bar for us. Underclassmen would typically try to work all on their own, with a desire to prove their individual brilliance to VB. It never worked well. Upperclassmen learned to cooperate, pool resources, divide and conquer who read what and present a central argument to VB. It was better than the underclassmen, but ultimately the good teacher would still blow our minds, every single time. And we loved him for it! The Lord spoke to Haggai in a similar progression. As the exiled Jews of Assyria and Babylon were allowed to come back to the promised land, they were focused on reestablishing their own work and homes and livelihoods. They were like underclassmen, focused all on themselves. We can understand they’d be desperate and struggling, but these “freshmen” are chided in Haggai 1:5-6 for being self-focused, and it isn’t working out. Even with food, drink, and clothing, they’re not satisfied. Haggai is one of the voices God used to call the people together to rebuild the temple of the Lord. He’s asking them to recenter themselves and to reestablish religion and worship. It’s an invitation to be upperclassmen, to see a bigger picture. This serves the people well, but they still don’t have their minds blown. Ezra 3:7-12 recounts that when the temple is rebuilt, it’s a joyous occasion for many, but a despair for those who remembered the former temple. This building couldn’t live up to the old one. Yet Haggai still has a vision of hope, and a mind blowing one at that! Haggai 2:6-9 speaks of the “desire of all nations” and “greater glory” and “peace,” that God will “shake the heavens and the earth.” This is exciting! This is the mind-blowing next step, not from a teacher but from The Teacher. But I wonder if even Haggai could clearly perceive what he was talking about. This glory isn’t in a building built of stone and timber, it’s talking about Jesus! The temple that Jesus would tear down and rebuild in three days wasn’t the house of worship, it was his body (John 2:19-21). This is what it’s all about! The reestablished religion and temple worship served the people well. It was a way to “give careful thought to your ways” (Haggai 1:5 & 7) and this is the good side of religion. Yet it wasn’t the full, mind-blowing picture just yet. I hope that we are religious people, that we give careful thought to our ways, that we pray religiously and fervently and purposefully, that we tithe and worship and serve, that we generally act as upperclassmen focused on a bigger picture than just ‘me, myself, and I.’ But friends, despite all the good that we can live into by virtue of godly habits, never settle for anything less than the mind blowing ultimacy of the Living Christ who defeated death and sin and the grave, all because of his great love for you and all nations! - Pastor Steven