it's holy week and i can hardly imagine what Jesus was going through right about now, tuesday night. he was indeed fully divine, yet fully human. talk about the five stages of grief! there were so many human emotions he must have experienced in a short time! the Bible does give small clues. sunday he may have felt joy due to the triumphal entry, by monday, the Lord certainly experienced anger. anger? so soon?
well, he goes to the temple and finds people selling stuff. and he goes all chuck norris on them. seriously, you don't wanna make Jesus angry like that! but when he's angry, it for a good reason. and if the story is in the Bible, you better get a full understanding of it to see why. the hosue of God had been trashed. Jesus cleaned it up.
after he drove out the money changers and people selling stuff, he began to heal people. Jesus operated in neverending compassion. a healing service with Jesus right there in the temple! children shouted "hosanna!"
then, frustration as the chief priests and teachers of the law became indignant by all the comotion surrounding Jesus. why would they be angry at someone who was willing to come and clean things up and for free?
sigh, then Jesus leaves the temple and goes to spend the night elsewhere, at a place called Bethany outside of the city. a long, frustrating and emotional work day for the Son of God. i wonder if he stayed with mary and martha since they lived in bethany?
early the next day, probably tuesday, Jesus is up and back to ministry. was he still frustrated? he passes a fig tree and prophesies over it and it withers! grrr! bad fig tree for not bearing fruit! but Jesus had a point. what's the use of having a tree that does not bear fruit? the disciples cannot understand what's going on with Jesus. they are clueless about the meaning behind the withered fig tree.
"what's up with him?" they say to themselves.
"why did the fig tree wither so quickly?"
"that was amazing!"
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer," (Matthew 21).
sigh, a deep sadness seems to be setting in. but the Lord continues on to teach at the temple. he undergoes a personal attack once again from the chief priests and the elders of the temple.
"by what authority do you teach?" they ask him.
"by whose authority do you do these things?" they press further.
sigh, Jesus responds with a riddle. personally, i enjoy such word games, but this is not a word game i'd want to get into. they are confused, but smart enough to leave Jesus alone.
the book of matthew goes on to tell a few of the parables Jesus used in his teachings. all in a days work. whew!
exhaustion must have been setting in by now. It seems that he spent alot of time throughout tuesday and wednesday of holy week trying to preach one last sermon. he used parables, he took time he coverd a wide variety of topics including taxes and tithing and the kingdom of heaven. but the people didn't get it. such compassion for the very people who would demand his death by friday! but it wasn't just them , it was me too and you also. we may not have been there physically, but he did it for us too.
question
regardless of criticism, are you working tirelessly for the Lord?
read
matthew 21
song in my head
'how i got over? how i got over? my soul look back and wonder how i got over!' -vickie winans
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