Thread by @eddierester

Thread . . .
Holy Week begins Sunday. I woke up today with a deep desire to simply read through the last week of Jesus' life with us. I grabbed a notebook and simply read and jotted some notes.

I'd challenge you to do the same. Luke's telling is (in my opinion), the clearest and easiest to read. You can find it here: bible.oremus.org/?ql=422078354

What do you notice reading it as one story?
What stands out?
What surprises you?
What connections do you see?

I'll share a few of my thoughts throughout the day on this thread.

I started my reading a little before Jesus' entrance to Jerusalem. Interesting that the final miracle (healing the blind man), the final encounter (Zacchaeus), and the final parable (the parable of the pounds), all seem to have themes that repeat in the last week:

Seeing/recognizing: The Good Religious People (GRP's) can't see and are willfully blind.
Zacchaeus is gifted with salvation: this lost one welcomed Jesus.
The judgement of the parable is clear that the GRP's who "do not want Jesus to be King over them" will lose their salvation

This lead-in makes clear the battle lines for the week ahead. The GRP's will not let their understanding of faith and religion be challenged by the Messiah. In the end they will choose a murderer over a Messiah.

I saw very clearly in the reading today: the intentionality of Jesus. Wow. Nothing would deter him from going to Jerusalem and facing what awaited him there. Nothing. There is a love within that intention that merits our response.

As I continue to reflect: Jesus refused to let the GRP’s and politicians use him. At all. He brushed aside their questions. Let them speak about him. In the end he was truth and love and that was enough.

Reading Holy Week as 1 story reminded me of how many amazing stories happen during the week that we pull out of that context throughout the year: Paying taxes to Caesar, parable of the wicked tenants, the widow's mite, who's the greatest. The week is filled w/teaching moments.

Maybe one of the most stunning parts of the week is the scene right AFTER Jesus has completely blown up the passover meal, reminded the disciples that he's going to die, and then dropped the news that one of the 12 will betray him. What do the disciples do w/all of this?

Luke 22.24-30: They argue about who's the greatest. That's right. Everything about everything is going to change and the disciples are trying to figure out whose got a better reputation/ranking. It's a jaw dropping moment that doesn't get nearly enough attention.

But here's the amazing (maybe even more stunning thing about that moment:
Jesus still plans to use this group of knuckleheads. v. 28 "I confer on you." Jesus watches them miss the point completely and STILL tells them: You're the ones who will show and teach the world my grace.

Final reflection (maybe). Luke 23.5 says, "But they [the GRP's] were insistent . . ." Here's the cautionary tale for us (the GRP's of our day). The GRP's around Jesus couldn't even consider that their position could be wrong; that maybe it was time to change.

Their insistence that they knew what was best for the Kingdom kept them from seeing/recognizing the Messiah whose grace and hope and salvation was for them; Where am I so insistent that I know what's best for the Kingdom that it's keeping me from seeing/recognizing the Messiah?