Week 1: Palm Sunday & MondaY

Palm Sunday Scripture: Mark 11:1-11

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”  They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it.  Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,


“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!”

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Monday Scripture: Mark 11:15-19

Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?

But you have made it a den of robbers.”

And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

Reflection:

The first ten chapters of Mark’s Gospel relate stories of Jesus traveling through Galilee, healing and teaching.  They have all been leading up to this last week of Jesus’ life in Jerusalem.  We know much of what happened this week because our worship services retell the stories.  But Holy Week is much more than palm branches, a meal, and a cross that finally bring us to alleluias and Easter lilies. Mark has much more to share with us as we walk with Jesus through Holy Week.


Holy Week begins with two processions into Jerusalem before the Passover feast.  First, the governor Pilate road into town with all the power and authority of the Roman Empire at his disposal.  Because the feast of Passover celebrated the Israelites freedom from Egyptian slavery and oppression centuries before, Rome worried about political unrest during the feast. Oppressed people didn’t need to remember previous freedom from oppression.


The second procession is much different.  Jesus comes into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a war horse.  His “red carpet” pathway is strewn with the cloaks of the poor who cry, “Hosanna!  Save us!”  The poverty and seemingly powerlessness of this procession—who could see it as a threat to the Roman Empire?  And yet, it was.


The next day—Monday—we see that it’s not just Rome but the Jewish leaders who are also threatened by this donkey-riding rabbi as he literally shuts down the temple operations by giving a place of prayer a much-needed cleaning.  The temple consisted of a series of “courts,” beginning with the Court of the Gentiles and ending with the Holy of Holies.  The Court of the Gentiles was designed to be a place where non-Jews could come to pray.  However, it had been taken over by commerce.  The money changers exchanged the currency of foreign visitors into the temple’s standard currency.  People often traveled a long way to come to the temple to offer sacrifices.  It made sense for them to buy animals in Jerusalem rather than bring them along. Hence, there were animals for sale.  But all this was happening at the expense of providing a place of prayer.


It’s only Monday, and already we can see two views of Jesus:  a marvelous rabbi who keeps one spellbound with his teaching or a frightening rabbi who needs to be killed.

Invitations:

  • Reflect on this week’s scripture.  Are there any words or ideas that especially resonate with you or challenge you?

  • What kind of Jesus do you want?  A powerful Jesus on a warhorse? Or a humble Jesus on a donkey?  Be honest here. What we say we want and what we truly want aren’t always the same.

  • Do you have a place of prayer?  This Holy Week might be a good time to have a little corner for prayer.  All you need is a place set aside. You could add a Bible, a candle, a cross, or anything else that will remind you of this place’s purpose.



Prayer:
Jesus,
I want to walk with you through this Holy Week.
Open the eyes of my heart to see you more clearly.
Open the ears of my heart to hear more clearly your love for me.
     Amen.