Author’s Note: I’m stepping outside of my normal process during this holy week of our Christian faith. We often read in scripture about the triumphal entry of Christ on Palm Sunday. Many congregations observe with solemnity Maundy Thursday in remembrance of Jesus’ suffering on the cross. Then, in great celebration of faith we arrive at the resurrection on Easter Sunday. Typically. This year will be different…obviously.
As I began my preparations toward Easter this year, I wanted to walk where Jesus walked during that last week. I wanted to see what I could learn from God’s son at a time in his life that required boundless courage and faith. The parallel accounts in scripture differ minutely in chronology. Don’t get hung up on those minor inconsistencies. We’ll look at the major themes along the way. I will post a devotional study every day during this week, leading up to Easter Sunday. Let’s see together where this journey can take us.
Background Passages: Matthew 21:18 -22:39; Mark 12:28-34
Jesus returned to Bethany at the end of a long and tiring day. It began with his ride into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey to the cheering throng of people throwing their cloaks on the path before him, waving palm trees in celebration and singing praises to the Son of David. Jesus remembered how the praises of the people rang hollow. How he wept as he approached the walls of this great and doomed city. Jesus knew his disciple and the crowd that followed him failed to fully understand the kind of Messiah he came to be.
As he climbed the winding path from the Eastern Gate up the Mount of Olives toward Bethany he felt a wave of mixed emotions. Sorrow in knowing the fate of his people. The righteous anger at the merchants who turned the temple from a place of prayer to a den of thieves. His frustration with the intransigent nature of the religious leaders. His love for the children who sang to him as he left the temple.
As the sun set, Jesus rested that Sunday night in the home of Lazarus and his sisters, finding a respite in their undemanding companionship. He needed that solace in order to face his Monday.
Monday
When Jesus left Galilee a week ago, he set his eyes firmly on Jerusalem knowing beyond a doubt that the cross awaited him. It was for this reason he was sent by his Father. He knew the limits of his time with his closest disciples and how much they still needed to understand. Jesus also knew that the enthusiasm of Palm Sunday had his disciples walking on air, feeling a bit invincible. They had much to learn. The next few days would be difficult for them.
Despite the heavy burden he carried that would leave most of us cowering in bed filled with anxiety, Jesus and his disciples rose early to return to Jerusalem, the dawn of a new day little more than a glimmer on the horizon. It would be a challenging and a full day. Think about the things he endured probably before lunch time.
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- A barren fig tree became a talking point about the emptiness of Israel’s heart and the need for faith and prayer. The agony he felt for his people ran deep within his soul.
- The Pharisees challenged the authority of Jesus leading to some of the strongest and clearest statements from Jesus about the failure of the religious leaders and the coming of a new kingdom of God built upon genuine faith, service to others and spiritual humility.
- He battled his detractors with some of the clearest and most pointed parables ever uttered, calling them out for their false piety and wanton indifference toward those in need. He told them they would forfeit their place in God’s kingdom. These were difficult conversations.
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After crushing the theological traps set by the Pharisees and Sadducees, an expert in religious law recognized that Jesus was providing great answers to their challenges. He was impressed with the teacher’s knowledge. In a sincere effort to engage Jesus, he posed his own question.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
Jesus looked at the man intently. Seeing within him a different heart. He smiled and said,
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I imagine the expert in the law laughed out loud and clapped his hands as he glanced at the Pharisees and Sadducees murmuring at the edge of the crowd. “Well said, Teacher,” he replied, engaging in a brief but substantial conversation with Jesus. The man shared his view that those two commands were more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices one could offer. Jesus looked knowingly at his disciples because he had shared a similar thought not too long ago.
Jesus nodded his approval. “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Though scripture doesn’t tell us so, I want to believe a private conversation between Jesus and this legal expert ended in the man giving his heart to our Lord.
It is this story that struck me about Jesus’ last Monday before the cross. It was a ray of hope in an otherwise dismal day. Not only was Jesus carrying the burden of the knowledge of his impending death on the cross, he had faced the bitterness and anger of people who ought to know better. Challenged at every corner. His every word parsed and picked apart by people so busy trying to make a point they probably didn’t hear him anyway.
Then, out of the blue, an associate of the religious leaders who questioned his authority, stepped forward. The conversation was a breath of fresh air. Non-confrontational. Non-threatening. Instead, they talked about what was most important in the middle of these contentious arguments.
Jesus, set those arguments aside. What’s really the greatest commandment God gave us?
I think God knew Jesus needed to end the morning on a positive note. This conversation gave Jesus a chance to refocus his heart and mind. To set aside the discord and the discourse and think about what mattered most. Our relationship with God and with each other.
“Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind.” With all that is within you love the Lord. Total and complete. Dominating our emotions. Defined by our actions. That’s the greatest command. Once you’ve tuned your being to the heart of God, the next commandment falls in place.
William Barclay said about this passage, “It is only when we love God that man becomes lovable. Take away our love for God and we can become angry at the man the unteachable; pessimistic about man the unimprovable.” Only when we love God are we able to love your neighbor.
The coronavirus has much of the world on the edge of panic. We sit today sequestered in our houses or working at an appropriate social distance uncertain of what tomorrow might bring. Though I think I’m handling things pretty well, I find myself at random times getting antsy, anxious about tomorrow. It helps to be reminded of what is important.
Jesus had more reason to feel distress in this last week before his crucifixion than any of us could possibly feel today. The weight of the whole world was squarely on his shoulders. God choose a most difficult time to remind him to love.
Perhaps it is a good reminder for us in the middle of a global pandemic. Love God. Love your neighbor. Our hearts, our very being must turn to God with the love of one eternally grateful for his provision and his sacrifice. He provided a way for everlasting security for all who love him and believe. That’s a powerful thing to remember in times of crisis.
It’s also a great reminder that we are called to love others. What better time to do so than when everyone is feeling the strain? When everyone needs a loving touch…even if it is long distance. Demonstrate your love of God this week by calling friends and family to check on their status. Pray for one another. Help where you can.
A neighbor did exactly that for Jesus that evening. Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany for the evening. The ate supper in the home of Simon the Leper, most likely he was someone Jesus had healed in the past.
During the course of the evening a woman of the house, who intuitively understood the path Jesus walked, was so overwhelmed with love, that she broke open an expensive bottle of perfume and poured it over Jesus’ head…An act Jesus understood as her way of anointing him, honoring him, by symbolically preparing him for burial. An expression of love.
Monday’s message is clear. Forget the struggles of the day. Just love God. Just love your neighbor. As the song says, it’s the only thing there is just too little of.