Reading for Easter Sunday

Mark 16:1-8

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Twenty-five years ago this May, my mom jumped on a plane with my newborn brother to help care for Ed, a family friend who was waiting for a new heart. Back then heart transplants were fairly new. In fact, Ed was only the eighty-third heart transplant done in Tampa. Ed and his wife, Kathy, remember my mom driving ninety miles per hour down the interstate that day in May when he got the call that they had a new heart for him. Ed still is mystified why someone who died would give him new life.

This is the kind of mystery Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome face that early morning when they go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’s body according to the Jewish tradition. On their way, the women wonder how they will roll away the stone Joseph had used to cover the opening to the tomb.

But when the three of them get to the tomb, the stone is already rolled away AND Jesus’s body is missing! Who would be strong enough to roll away the stone? Who would want Jesus’s body? Where did they take his body? Nowhere in their panic is there any memory of Jesus attempting to explain that he would rise in three days. In their minds, someone has taken Jesus’s body.

Then a man in white appears to Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome. They are frightened. But the angel says, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you” (Mark 16:6-7 NRSV). Despite this encouragement, the women run from the tomb as fast as they can and, in their fear, tell no one (Mark 16:8).

Mark 16:8b says Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome told no one what the man in white told them. Can you imagine if they had? People would lock those three up in some mental hospital. And who is this man in white? The women may have thought they had seen a ghost. Or perhaps they wondered if they had gone mad. What would they even say? “Jesus’s body was not in the tomb, but some man in white was there and said Jesus would meet us in Galilee just like he said.” Who would believe them? We believe Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome, because we understand how the story comes together.

The people who walked on earth with Jesus may have initially missed the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead. They missed the fact that Jesus has overcome death and given us life. But we have not gone to the empty tomb clueless. We have heard the story over and over again. We understand Jesus had to die to save us from our sins and to overcome death so we could enjoy eternal life. God’s light is still in the world; all we have to do in believe in Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. It is a mystery, of course. We may not totally understand how or why God would sacrifice his Son for us, except that he did it out of love to give us eternal life.

Jesus later appeared to Cephas, the twelve, five hundred brothers and sisters, James, all the apostles, and the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). And now Jesus appears to you and me today. Jesus meets us wherever we are in life. Jesus meets us where we live. Jesus meets us morning, noon, and night—whatever time we call out his name. Jesus wants to meet with us to bring us into a relationship with God the Father. That is God’s whole plan of sending Jesus to walk on earth with us: to bring us into a relationship with him. What a glorious gift!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17 NRSV).

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you Jesus Christ’s death on the cross to redeem us from our sins. Help us to understand the mystery of Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Come to us in our daily lives, so we can meet with Jesus and be in relationship with you. Keep us in the light, so we may know your love. Thank you for meeting with us in both ordinary and extraordinary ways. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How does Jesus continue to redeem you of your sins?
2. Where does Jesus Christ meet with you? How does he appear to you?

Painting by Erin M Diericx © 2014

Reading for Saturday of Holy Week

Mark 15:42-47

Devotion

Peace be with you!

To bury Jesus, the Son of God, is to admit he is really dead. Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Sanhedrin, goes to Pilate and asks if he can have Jesus’s body. Joseph is also eagerly waiting for the Kingdom of God (Mark 15:43) and was probably not a part of Jesus’s trial, according to Robert H. Stein. Matthew 27:57 calls Joseph a disciple of Jesus, and Luke 23:50 calls him a “good and righteous man.” Joseph is follower of Jesus Christ who was motivated to “protect Israel from violating God’s command in Deuteronomy 21:22-23,” which states that a man who is hung should be buried the same day so that the land God gives Israel by inheritance is not cursed (Stein 2008).

When Joseph asks for Jesus’s body, Pilate is surprised he is already dead since it usually took individuals a day or two to die on the cross (Stein 2008). Pilate sends a messenger to the centurion who was present at Jesus’s crucifixion to make sure he is really dead. When the messenger comes back confirming the report of Jesus’s death, Pilate grants Joseph Jesus’s body to be buried. Pilate shows respect for Jesus Christ by allowing Joseph to give him a proper burial before the Sabbath.

Jesus dies around three in the afternoon, giving Joseph just a few hours before the start of the Sabbath at sundown to get all the preparations done. Preparing for burial included seeking Pilate’s permission to take custody of the body, obtaining a linen cloth, getting Jesus off the cross, cleaning his body, and wrapping him in the cloth before placing him in the tomb. Despite the rushed time frame, it is important to Joseph to give Jesus a proper burial in order to show him respect and honor according to the Jewish tradition.

The fact that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses see Joseph bury Jesus adds to the veracity of the story. There are witnesses to Jesus’s death and burial. No one can argue Jesus is still alive, because Mary Magdalene and Mary can testify he is dead.

This is the darkest moment of all; Jesus’s burial seems to be the final “nail in the coffin” to any hope for Israel’s deliverance. Yes, this is a dark moment. Yet even in the darkest hour, we can see glimmers of light on the horizon. And it is because of that light that we are waiting for Easter morning. And Easter, my friends, is coming tomorrow!

Continue to follow the light. The story is still unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Joseph’s quick thinking and willingness to give Jesus a proper burial. Help us to bury our old selves in the tomb with Jesus as we wait for Easter morning. Thank you for giving us the light, even as we bury Jesus in the tomb. Amen.

Works Cited

Stein, Robert H. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Mark. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008.

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. What are you placing the tomb today? Why?
2. What does it mean to you that Jesus died?

Photo Credit: Alan Salt via photopin cc

Reading for Good Friday

Mark 15:16-41

Devotion

Peace be with you!

After Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified, the soldiers take him into the courtyard of the palace, which was the governor’s headquarters, and dress him a purple (the color of royalty) cloak and a crown of thorns. Then the soldiers mock him by yelling, “Hail, King of the Jews” (Mark 15:18 NRSV). The soldiers mock Jesus regarding his claim to be the king of the Jews. The word “hail” comes from the phrase “Hail, Caesar!” and mockingly equates Jesus to Caesar. The soldiers kneel down and pay homage to Jesus as a “fake” king. Their mockery is a result of their lack of belief and understanding. The mockery is the soldiers’ attempt to humiliate Jesus and show him who is in charge. No one but Caesar can just claim to be a king.

As they continue to mock Jesus, the soldiers strike his head with a reed. Imagine the pain of being struck on the head with a crown of thorns on. I can only imagine it was far worse than my worst three-day headache.

After mocking Jesus, the soldiers strip Jesus of the purple cloak and dress him in his ordinary clothes. The word strip indicates that the soldiers wanted to strip Jesus of any sense of royalty—except the crown of thorn that continued to cause him pain—and any respect he has. Yet unknowingly the soldiers are fulfilling the scriptures and God’s plan. Isaiah 50:6-7 states:

I offered my back to those who attacked,

my jaws to those who tore out my beard;

I did not hide my face

from insults and spitting.

But the sovereign LORD helps me,

so I am not humiliated.

For that reason I am steadfastly resolved;

I know I will not be put to shame (NET Bible).

Jesus understands he has to suffer according to God’s plan. Through their mockery, the soldiers unknowingly proclaim Jesus’s kingship.

Then the soldiers get Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’s cross as they lead him to Golgotha, “the place of the skull,” where they crucify Jesus on the cross with an inscription above his head: “The King of the Jews” (Mark 15:21-22, 24a, 26). The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes (Mark 15:24), which fulfills Psalm 22:18: “They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments” (NET Bible).

A passerby mocks Jesus by saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross” (Mark 15:29-30 NRSV). And the chief priests mock him, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” (Mark 15:31-32).

Yet all of the mocking of the soldiers, the chief priests, and the passersby merely lets the truth be known, even through their disbelief. Jesus is the King of the Jews/Israel. Jesus does destroy the temple by being crucified. Jesus will rebuild the temple in three days through his resurrection, which overcomes death. Jesus is the temple that he was talking about, but the unbelievers misunderstood. The world is told the truth through the mocking of the soldiers, the chief priests, and the passersby. People just have to believe.

Jesus calls out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and he takes his last breath (Mark 15:34, 37). The curtain of the temple is torn in two (Mark 15:38), and it is finished. Jesus is ready dead. It is a frightening fact as we realize the light in no longer in the world, the shepherd is gone, and hope of the Messiah has gone away. Even as we hate this part of the story, it has to take place to carry out God’s plan to save us from the darkness. Yet, even in the darkest hour we can see glimmers of light on the horizon.

Continue to follow the light. The story is still unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for continuing to show us your love—on the cross, with arms spread out. Help us to understand why Jesus had to die on the cross. Remind us of your love and forgiveness as we weep at the cross. Thank you for showing us the cross. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How does Jesus’s suffering affect you?
2. How do nonbelievers continue to mock Jesus?
3. How do believers reject who Jesus really is?

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography

Reading for Thursday of Holy Week

Mark 14:43-15:15

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As the week goes on, the story gets all the more challenging, especially since we probably can relate to the disciples. As we read about Peter’s three denials (Mark 14:66-72), we cannot help but think of times when we have effectively denied knowing Jesus. The servant girl of the high priest is certain that Peter is one of Jesus’s disciples. She inquires three times if Peter is one of the disciples, and each time he states he does not know or understand what the servant girl is talking about.

How many times do you walk quickly past a preacher on a street corner? Or how many times do you ignore the call to tell someone the good news? We have our excuses: too busy, they wouldn’t understand, not convenient, not the place, not enough energy, etc. When I am tired or not in mood, I just zone out and ignore any call to tell the person next to me the good news. Satan preys on our excuses and uses them to get what he really wants.

The chief priests and the whole council are looking for any testimony against Jesus, so they can fulfill their plan to condemn him to death, even if they are grasping for straws with false and contradictory testimony. Someone does come forward and reports Jesus said, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands” (Mark 14:58 NRSV). This report of Jesus’s words is only partially true in that it misinterprets a statement he once made which actually referred to his body being destroyed and coming to life again.

The high priest tries to provoke Jesus and get him to argue against the testimony. Finally, the high priest asks Jesus if he is the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus answers, “I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’” (Mark 14:62). This is enough for the high priest to condemn Jesus as worthy of death. If the Sadducees and Pharisees had been able to understand the majesty of the Trinity, if they had been able to understand that Jesus was not blaspheming against the one true God but rather proclaiming the truth of his nature (one God in three persons), would they have still sought to crucify Jesus? Regardless of the motives of the religious leaders, God’s plan had to be fulfilled. God used even incomplete theological understanding and the jealousy of these men’s hearts to bring about his purposes in the world.

Since only the Roman authorities can execute the death sentence, the Jewish leaders hand Jesus over to Pilate. Pilate asks Jesus if he is the king of the Jews, and he replies, “You say so” (Mark 15:2). Then the chief priests jump in and accuse him of many things, yet Jesus says nothing to defend himself. Jesus understands this needs to happen to carry out God’s plan.

Pilate is determined to release Jesus since he finds no fault in him. Since it was traditional for him to let the crowd choose one prisoner for him to release during Passover, Pilate brings Barabbas, a murderer, out and gave the crowd the choice between Jesus and Barabbas. Unfortunately, the chief priests are in the crowd and use their influence to get Barabbas released. When the crowd yells for Barabbas to be released, Pilate is confused and asks what he should do to Jesus, to which they reply, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:7-14). To please the crowd, Pilate hands Jesus over to be beaten and crucified (Mark 15:15).

How many times have you felt helpless like Pilate? You know the right thing to do, and yet [whatever “it” is] stops you. Pilate failed because he did not own up to his responsibility. To know what is right and fail to do it is sin and cowardice.

Yet as human beings, we can relate to Pilate’s weakness, just as we could relate to Peter’s. I believe Jesus understands our inadequacy to give the good news every time we get the chance. We continue to fall short of his glory. He understands our battle with the devil and with our own sinful nature. Even as we hate this part of the story, it has to take place to carry out God’s plan to save us from the darkness. Yet even in the darkest hour we can see glimmers of light on the horizon.

Continue to follow the light. The story is just unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for forgiving and loving us even when we deny you and fail to do what is right. Help us to be more faithful to you, for you have given all for us. Thank you for Jesus’s willingness to go through such suffering for us. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Have you ever effectively denied Jesus through your words or actions?
2. When have you failed to do what was right out of fear?
3. How can Jesus’s love and forgiveness empower you to put the past behind you and move on with the future?

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography

Reading for Wednesday of Holy Week

Mark 14:32-42

Devotion

Peace be with you!

After Jesus has the Passover dinner with his disciples, he goes and prays in Gethsemane. In his human nature, his nerves are beginning to get the best of him. He is distressed and agitated about the coming days, plus he knows Judas Iscariot is about to arrive with a mob ready to arrest him. Jesus prays, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want” (Mark 14:36 NRSV). Jesus, in his human nature, would like to avoid the coming suffering, but, in his divine nature, he knows it is God’s will for him to suffer so much pain on our behalf. Jesus loves God the Father with his whole being, and so he will do what he is instructed to do. Jesus prepares for the suffering ahead by asking for endurance and strength to go through the crucifixion and dying process. Jesus knows God the Father will raise him again, but that will not take away the potent pain of the cross.

When Jesus prays, he tells his disciples to stay awake and keep watch (Mark 14:34). Jesus seems to be telling Peter, James, and John, who follow him to Gethsemane, to pray for their own courage and strength so they do not run away in fear. Jesus comes back three times to his three disciples, only to find them asleep. Each time, Jesus tells the three disciples to keep awake and to pray for their own safety in this time of need (Mark 14:38). The third time Jesus returns, he wakes his three disciples up saying it is time for him to be betrayed into the hands of sinners (Mark 14:41).

As sinners, we are the ones who betray Jesus and have him crucified. We are joined to both the Jewish people and the Roman people who together nailed him to the cross, united in our guilt because of our sin nature which takes us away from God. We are the ones he dies for in the name of forgiveness of sins. We are the ones Jesus comes for, the ones he saves on the cross.

Judas comes with the mob sent by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders and tells them he will kiss Jesus on the cheek. When he does, Jesus is arrested. Jesus questions why the crowd comes armed with swords and clubs since he was accessible—not hidden—in the temple daily. He points out that they didn’t arrest him then when they had easy access (Mark 14:48-49). Yet Jesus knows the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders arrest him now to fulfill the scriptures (Mark 14:49b) in order to carry out God’s plan. We know the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders believe they are punishing a false prophet since they do not believe he is God in human flesh. We also know that they feel threatened by Jesus’ growing popularity and power among the people. Despite both well-meaning and selfish motives, God uses the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders to carry out his plan.

Out of fear, the disciples scatter and desert Jesus just as he predicted (Mark 14:50). We can relate to their fear so well. Surely they feared also being put to death. Running is easier—and safer—than sticking around to watch things unfold. Yet their betrayal is hard to stomach, even as we acknowledge ways we betray God daily. Even as we hate this part of the story, it has to take place to carry out God’s plan to save us from the darkness. Yet, even in the darkest hour, we can see glimmers of light on the horizon.

Continue to follow the light. The story is just unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for continuing to unfold the Passion Story in front of us, even as we dread that it had to happen. Remind us that the Passion Story happened according to your will to bring us back into a relationship with you. Keep our eyes fixed on the unfolding light to come in the story. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How can Jesus’s example of prayer in the midst of fear and anxiety guide you in your own struggles? How can you watch and pray?
2. How does Jesus’s willingness to undergo suffering for your sake make you feel? How can knowing his love for you motivate you to follow him?

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography

Reading for Tuesday of Holy Week

Mark 14:17-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Saying goodbye to close friends is always difficult. Recently, I found myself walking with a colleague and a friend, Barb, during her final days on earth. Last August she was diagnosed with cancer. Over the next six months, a Facebook group was created to keep friends, family, and colleagues informed of Barb’s progress. Barb’s final two months on earth were focused on reflection and spending time with friends and family. A week or so before Barb died, she gathered with her fellow diaconal ministers and presented them with her “blessing” basin as a community. The basin is the symbol for the diaconal ministers and is used in foot washing. Barb gave the diaconal community the “blessing” bowl to continue her ministry in the world after she passed away.

Jesus knows this Passover dinner with his disciples will be his last meal with them until his resurrection. He has a lot to do before his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, including giving them ways to honor God. Jesus also understands the coming days will be just as hard on his disciples as they are on him. The days will come when his disciples will be facing similar fates due to their belief in and loyalty to the Triune God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Somehow Jesus needs to give his disciples the strength, courage, and hope to make it through difficult times in order to spread the good news, like Barb did with her fellow diaconal ministers.

During supper, Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to his disciples saying, “Take; this is body” (Mark 14:22 NRSV). Then he takes the cup, gives thanks, and gives it to his disciples to drink saying, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:24-25 NRSV).

Compared to today’s standards, taking bread and wine seems like such a simple act. But it is what Jesus does with the bread and the wine that makes it special. Jesus blesses the bread and the wine before giving it to his disciples. The bread and the wine become symbols of Jesus’s body and blood and become holy to us as Christians. When Jesus alludes to the fact that his blood will be poured out for many, he is saying his blood will seal a new covenant between God and the people. Jesus will become the sacrifice that will repair their relationship with God the Father.

When Jesus says he will not drink again until he drinks it anew in the kingdom of God, he alluding to his resurrection. Jesus will usher in a new era when he goes to heaven where there will be a grand banquet, and there will be a new covenant between God and the people. We are made new through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Our relationship with God the Father is made new with the new covenant. The Last Supper is important, because it gave the disciples and gives us as Christians a reason to keep going. In the face of the darkness, we have something to remind of God’s love. We live in a world where the deceptive devil reigns; the Lord’s Supper is a needed point of connection between Christ and his disciples in such a world.

But Jesus does not stop with the bread and the wine. He makes three predictions about his disciples. The first prediction is that one of his disciples will betray him (Mark 14:18b). We already know from yesterday’s reading that Judas is planning on betraying Jesus by leading the chief priests to arrest him. It is hard news for the eleven disciples to hear. How could one of them betray Jesus?

Then Jesus says they will desert him, citing Zechariah the prophet, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Mark 14:27; Zechariah 13:7). Jesus is our shepherd, and we are his sheep. Jesus endures crucifixion and death on our behalf. We and the disciples run away because we are scared of the unknown, of what people will think, and of the uncertainty life gives us. Running is easier than standing around waiting for the next punch.

Finally, when Peter says he would never desert him, Jesus tells him Peter will deny him three times before midnight (Mark 14:30). Peter argues he would never deny Jesus, even if he had die with him (Mark 14:31). In the perfect world as perfect individuals, we would never deny Jesus, even in the face of death. But let’s face it: dying is a little scarier than we would like to admit. When faced with the decision between life and death, we prefer life.

These predictions are hard to accept, let alone accept that they have to happen. Judas has to betray Jesus so that Jesus will be sentenced and crucified and then rise again and ascend into heaven. This all must happen for the forgiveness of our sins. The disciples have to desert Jesus in accordance with the scriptures. Even as we hate this part of the story, it has to take place to carry out God’s plan to save us from the darkness. God’s path is not the easiest to accept, but even in the darkest hour we can see the light.

Continue to follow the light. The story is just unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for coming into the world to experience our personal struggling. Help us to accept the parts of your plan that we do not like, so your plan continues to unfold according to your will. Thank you for unfolding your plan through us as your children. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the blehavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How has God used you to unfold his plan?
2. Which prediction of what is to come do you find hard to accept? Why?

Photo Credit: Kieran Lynam via photopin cc

The liturgical season of Lent, followed by Holy Week, is my favorite time in the church year. For pastors and lay leaders, Holy Week is like marathon—at least four different sermons in an eight-day span that covers every emotion imaginable. You have to reflect on the Passion story—following Jesus to the cross, finding an empty tomb, and rejoicing over the risen Lord. Holy Week plays upon every emotion—excitement at Jesus’s possession into Jerusalem, resentment and jealousy of the chief priests and the scribes, confusion for the disciples, sorrow for Jesus’s mother and other women, pain and anguish of the crucifixion, and joy at seeing the risen Lord. Every detail builds upon the next, and if you miss a detail, you are easily confused.

I love reflecting on the events of Holy Week, because they remind me Jesus Christ feels every emotion I feel. Jesus is celebrated when he processes into Jerusalem, seeks relief and strength as he prays in Gethsemane, is betrayed by Judas Iscariot, feels resentment and scrutiny from the chief priests and the scribes, undergoes pain and suffering when he is beaten and crucified, and enters into joy in his resurrection. Jesus goes through it all on our behalf, so we never have to be separated from God the Father again.

I love reflecting on the events of Holy Week, because they remind me how I am never alone when I struggle and how I have prevailed over the devil. I have experienced my own “holy weeks”—when I got divorced, when I had MRSA, when I am at odds with a friend or family member, when I had my skiing accident, and at other times as well. I have struggled with having cerebral palsy and not being “normal.” After thirty-two years, I have finally accepted my cerebral palsy as a blessing and have felt raised to a new understanding of purpose in the world. Each time I suffer a loss, God raises me back up again, and I feel anew again. God finds me in the darkness and leads me to the light through Jesus Christ.

I love reflecting on the events of Holy Week, because they reminds me God is with me through the good times and the bad times. Jesus praises God the Father at his baptism and prays to God the Father before Judas Iscariot betrays him. I can go to God the Father in times of need and rejoice with him in good times because he understands my most inner feelings and thoughts. I do not have to hide anything from God because he has been in the world—been there, done that—and has the scars to prove it. And Jesus has no problem doing it again and again and again and again and again and again…

Holy Week is a love letter to us from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father loves us so much that he sent his only begotten son to die for our sins so that we can be in a relationship with him. God will not allow our sins to get in the way of us being in a relationship with him, even if he has to pay the ultimate price by sacrificing his only son for the forgiveness of our sins through his grace and love.

Thanks be to God!

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography

Reading for Monday of Holy Week

Mark 14:1-16

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The characters in today’s Gospel reading all have a role in setting up Jesus’s betrayal, arrest, and ultimately his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. But their roles may seem odd: a woman pouring ointment on his head, the chief priests plotting against Jesus, and Judas making a deal to betray Jesus. To us, these events seem odd to us. There is really no reason for any of this to take place. What is the significance of the woman pouring ointment on Jesus’ head? What do the chief priests have against Jesus? Who betrays their faithful leader? Why does this all have to take place?

Jesus visits Simon the leper in Bethany two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Mark 14:1, 3). When a woman pours ointment on Jesus’s head, the disciples object because such an expensive item could have been sold and the money given to the poor (Mark 14:4-5). To the disciples, the woman is wasting money that could have been used to help those in need. The ointment of nard could have paid for a family’s expenses for a year. It seems a ridiculous waste. However, Jesus stops the disciples in their tracks and explains the importance behind the woman pouring ointment on his head. Jesus states that the poor will always be with his followers, but he would not (Mark 14:7). For us today, this makes sense: we have never physically seen Jesus. We do see the poor all the time. Since Simon is a leper and not able to work, the household Jesus and his disciples are visiting is, yet the woman anoints Jesus with expense ointment.

The woman was actually anointing his body for burial beforehand (Mark 14:8). The woman gives Jesus the honor and dignity that he deserves before he suffers crucifixion and death. The woman gives up money to give honor to Jesus. Anointing before burial was often reserved for important individuals, such as kings.

Then we come to Judas Iscariot and the chief priests who set devastating events into action. Chief priests were already plotting to arrest and kill Jesus (Mark 14:1), though it could not be during the Passover, because it would cause a riot (Mark 14:2) unless a disciple came forward to help them (Perkins 1995). When Judas comes forward willing to betray Jesus (Mark 14:10), the chief priests are able to carry out their plans.

Now, Judas does not care why the chief priests want to arrest Jesus. Judas’s only concern is himself, and the chief priests are willing to pay him money for giving them Jesus (Mark 14:11). Because of his greed and desire for personal gain, Judas is willing to hand Jesus over.

Readers cannot help but compare the woman who poured ointment on Jesus’s head with Judas. While Judas plans to betray Jesus for money, the woman who poured ointment on Jesus’ head sacrifice expensive nard to show him respect and dignity. The woman gives up money for Jesus, whereas Judas takes money as he betrays Jesus. When the woman prepares Jesus for his burial by anointing him, Judas puts into motion the events leading up to the crucifixion.

It would be easy to mark the woman who poured ointment on Jesus’s head as a saint and Judas Iscariot and the chief priests as sinners, but we are not called to do that. Each of these characters play an important role in the Passion story. As I stated above, the woman who poured ointment on Jesus’s head gives him the honor and dignity he deserves before fulfilling the scriptures. In the same way, Judas and the chief priests play an important role in allowing Jesus to fulfill the scriptures, even though that is not their goal. Ultimately, Jesus has to die on cross for our sins and rise again to overcome death. The woman who poured ointment on his head, Judas Iscariot, and the chief priests help Jesus to carry out God’s plan, even without their knowledge.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the woman, Judas, and chief priests who played important roles in carrying out your plan. Help us to recognize the way in which you use us Christians—and even those who do not believe—to further your plan, even unknowingly. Thank you for using us as you continue to unfold your plan. Amen.

Works Cited

Perkins, Pheme. “The Gospel of Mark: Introductions, Commentary, and Reflections.” In The New Interpreter’s Bible, by Leander E Kirk. Nashville: Abringdon Press, 1995.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. How has God used you in a tough situation to continue to unfold his plan?
2. Where do you find yourself in the story?

photo credit:  Listening to Jesus via cc

Reading for Palm Sunday

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29.

Mark 11:1-11

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem for the final time before his crucifixion takes a bit of preparation, but Jesus has it planned out to a “T.” While still on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Jesus sends two disciples to a village to get a colt and to bring it back to him. Roman officials commonly requisitioned animals and human labor. The fact that Jesus instructs the two disciples to say, “The Lord needs it” (Mark 11:3), tells the owners that a powerful man needs the colt. However, Jesus’s promise to return the colt immediately sets him apart from other rulers.

Now, the colt is significant for a few reasons. First, Jesus was the first one to ride it, which would have been an honor to an important Roman official. Jesus enters Jerusalem on a young colt as a king. Second, Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a colt fulfills Zechariah 9:9:

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Lo, our king comes to you:

triumphant and victorious is he,

humble and riding on a donkey

on a colt, the foal of a female donkey (NRSV).

Jesus presents himself as the long-awaited king of Israel, the Messiah. Even though the disciples and the crowd may have missed the significance, Jesus has now made it known to all that he is the Messiah. The crowd and his disciples may have acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah but may also have understood his role as being the one who would conquer the Romans as a military hero, not as the Son of God who would die for their sins and redeem them to be in a relationship with God the Father.

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, we cannot help but get caught up in the excitement of welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem. A crowd welcomes Jesus into Jerusalem by laying down their cloaks and palm branches in his path. The crowd yells, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mark 11:9-10 NRSV). One cannot deny the excitement of the crowd, excitement that Jesus would rescue them at last from the Romans.

Jesus carries out a careful plan to reveal himself as the Messiah—the one sent by God to free believers from their sins. As readers, we can identify Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem as a messianic action. We understand the significance behind every little details. Jesus is beginning to prepare for the events of redemption.

As we begin the Holy Week journey, put yourself in the different characters’ mindsets. Feel their fear and joy as they watch the unfolding of Jesus’s crucifixion. Ask yourself where you are in the story.

Go out into the world and shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mark 11:9-10 NRSV). Welcome Jesus into your town and into your home. Celebrate Jesus’s Messianic claim. Jesus may not be a king in quite the way we expect, but he is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for how Jesus entered Jerusalem as king, giving us a reason to celebrate his Messianic claim. Help us to claim Jesus as our Messiah in a world where it is easier to deny him or reject what his kingship means for us. Remind us of your glory this coming Holy Week as we walk beside Jesus and watch him be the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Thank you for your glory. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Where are you in the story of Palm Sunday? Are you with the crowd shouting “Hosanna”? Or are you hiding in fear of the Pharisees? Are you understanding Jesus’s goal and confusing it with your own?
2. How would your congregation welcome Jesus into your church?

photo credit:  Waiting for the Word on Flickr via photopin cc