Who will roll the stone away?
Don't know.
Let's go anyway - I've got the spices.
Is that enough?
Don't know.
Me neither - let's go.
if it's the right thing to do, just do it
rolling the stone away can be somebody else's problem
Sunday, 26 February 2017
HOLY SATURDAY - MARK 15:42-47
there is an understanding that Jesus was key to the creation : John 1:1-3 and Col 1:16
there seems to be a clearer understanding that Jesus is with us still : Mat 28:20
and then there's also 'Jesus is the same yesterday, today, forever' : Heb 13:8
so - Easter Saturday - the only day in history when Jesus was unavailable
Easter Saturday - the divide between the old testament promises and the new covenant
the disciples must have felt lost, scared, furious, let-down, disappointed ...
it must of been the worst day of their lives
it wasn't a great day for the rest of the world either
there seems to be a clearer understanding that Jesus is with us still : Mat 28:20
and then there's also 'Jesus is the same yesterday, today, forever' : Heb 13:8
so - Easter Saturday - the only day in history when Jesus was unavailable
Easter Saturday - the divide between the old testament promises and the new covenant
the disciples must have felt lost, scared, furious, let-down, disappointed ...
it must of been the worst day of their lives
it wasn't a great day for the rest of the world either
GOOD FRIDAY - MARK 15:1-41
so much of this part of the story happens in darkness
the Passover meal doesn't begin until the sun has set - about 7:30
so all of this was in the darkness of night-time :
the last supper
they went out to the Mount of Olives
Jesus prayed that the cup be taken from him
the disciples repeatedly fell asleep
Judas brought the mob to capture Jesus
the first 'trial' with the Sanhedrin and the chief priests
Peter denied Jesus
and then it was morning
Jesus is 'tried' once again
then sent to Pilate
then tortured
then crucified
then the darkness returned again
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI
the Passover meal doesn't begin until the sun has set - about 7:30
so all of this was in the darkness of night-time :
the last supper
they went out to the Mount of Olives
Jesus prayed that the cup be taken from him
the disciples repeatedly fell asleep
Judas brought the mob to capture Jesus
the first 'trial' with the Sanhedrin and the chief priests
Peter denied Jesus
and then it was morning
Jesus is 'tried' once again
then sent to Pilate
then tortured
then crucified
then the darkness returned again
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI
MAUNDY THURSDAY - MARK 14:12-26
I guess this was the first time that the disciples hadn't been home for Passover. They would have spent every previous celebration with their families. As the time got nearer, it would have dawned on the disciples that they weren't going home but were spending Passover with each other and with Jesus. Maybe Martha started to assume that they would be celebrating at her house but Jesus's plan was to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem with his 'family'. He asked the disciples to do the preparations - probably the first time that any of them had done this, it would have ordinarily been their parents' job. One of them would have had the task of killing the lamb - an unwitting symbolic prophetic action.
During the meal, there were four questions with four answers
During the meal, there were four questions with four answers
- Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either leavened bread or matza, but on this night we eat only matza? We eat only matza because our ancestors could not wait for their breads to rise when they were fleeing slavery in Egypt, and so they were flat when they came out of the oven.
- Why is it that on all other nights we eat meat either roasted, marinated, or cooked, but on this night it is entirely roasted? We eat only roasted meat because that is how the Passover lamb is prepared during sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem.
- Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our food even once, but on this night we dip them twice? The first dip, green vegetables in salt water, symbolizes the replacing of our tears with gratitude, and the second dip, Maror in Charoses, symbolizes the sweetening of our burden of bitterness and suffering.
- Why is it that on all other nights we dine either sitting upright or reclining, but on this night we all recline? We recline at the table because in ancient times, a person who reclined at a meal was a free person, while slaves and servants stood.
Dipping food into a bowl and reclining whilst eating were both special features of the Passover meal, both heavy with symbolism and both tying the present to the past. Jesus added new traditions for the future - this is my body broken for you - this is my blood poured out for you.
(unleavened bread snaps when it is broken, you can hear it breaking when it is eaten)
Jesus ruined Passover for loads of people - the mob, the Sanhedrin, the priests - they were all taken away from their homes where celebrations would have been in progress in order to confront Jesus - they would have all been full with food and drink and none of them slept that night (apart from the disciples !!) - an angry, resentful, tired, over-fed, possibly inebriated mob - the perfect storm.
Jesus ruined Passover for loads of people - the mob, the Sanhedrin, the priests - they were all taken away from their homes where celebrations would have been in progress in order to confront Jesus - they would have all been full with food and drink and none of them slept that night (apart from the disciples !!) - an angry, resentful, tired, over-fed, possibly inebriated mob - the perfect storm.
WEDNESDAY 12th APRIL - MARK 14:53-65
This would have been a mess.
Jesus was led/man-handled/dragged into the temple courtyard by an armed mob in order to be confronted by people who wanted him dead.
The accusations would have been loud and angry and physical and all-at-once.
It's hardly a surprise that Jesus stayed silent.
Then the high priest rose to his feet.
"Are you the Messiah?"
Any remaining voices from the crowd would have fallen silent as they waited for Jesus's answer to their key question.
"I am"
what an answer - not just 'yes' but God's name for himself.
Then a frenzy of shock, offence, violence and blood with Jesus at the centre. He was spat upon and Mark says that he was hit with fists - a few days before, Jesus had decried the behaviour of the temple traders as they had made the temple a 'den of robbers', the very same place where he was now being violently assaulted in the presence of the nation's religious leaders.
(Did they blindfold him because he could look through you? as was his custom?)
Only the full Sanhedrin of 71 members could make judgement on a false prophet. So in the midst of all this hate and violence, the religious leaders were still doing the 'right' thing by gathering the entire group together to hear the evidence about Jesus. Religion getting in the way of justice and peace and righteousness - that sounds familiar.
Jesus was led/man-handled/dragged into the temple courtyard by an armed mob in order to be confronted by people who wanted him dead.
The accusations would have been loud and angry and physical and all-at-once.
It's hardly a surprise that Jesus stayed silent.
Then the high priest rose to his feet.
"Are you the Messiah?"
Any remaining voices from the crowd would have fallen silent as they waited for Jesus's answer to their key question.
"I am"
what an answer - not just 'yes' but God's name for himself.
Then a frenzy of shock, offence, violence and blood with Jesus at the centre. He was spat upon and Mark says that he was hit with fists - a few days before, Jesus had decried the behaviour of the temple traders as they had made the temple a 'den of robbers', the very same place where he was now being violently assaulted in the presence of the nation's religious leaders.
(Did they blindfold him because he could look through you? as was his custom?)
Only the full Sanhedrin of 71 members could make judgement on a false prophet. So in the midst of all this hate and violence, the religious leaders were still doing the 'right' thing by gathering the entire group together to hear the evidence about Jesus. Religion getting in the way of justice and peace and righteousness - that sounds familiar.
TUESDAY 11th APRIL - MARK 14:32-52
Jesus had spent 3 years heading towards Jerusalem.
He had spent 3 years heading towards his death.
He had told parables about it, he had prophesied about it, he had spoken about it with bluntness.
Yet, at the crunch, Jesus prays for there to be another way.
In this journey through Mark's gospel, alongside his determination, compassion, confidence and purposefulness, there are examples of Jesus's frustration, disappointment, weariness and uncertainty.
He gets there in the end but via a wealth of very normal human emotions and states of mind.
I suppose if Jesus had gleefully and blissfully marched towards his death, it would have been clear that his 'human-ness' was pretty superficial. Instead, he shows us a hesitant relentlessness - he seeks guidance, he seeks confirmation, then he is FULLY obedient.
He had spent 3 years heading towards his death.
He had told parables about it, he had prophesied about it, he had spoken about it with bluntness.
Yet, at the crunch, Jesus prays for there to be another way.
In this journey through Mark's gospel, alongside his determination, compassion, confidence and purposefulness, there are examples of Jesus's frustration, disappointment, weariness and uncertainty.
He gets there in the end but via a wealth of very normal human emotions and states of mind.
I suppose if Jesus had gleefully and blissfully marched towards his death, it would have been clear that his 'human-ness' was pretty superficial. Instead, he shows us a hesitant relentlessness - he seeks guidance, he seeks confirmation, then he is FULLY obedient.
MONDAY 10th APRIL - MARK 14:3-9
the oil was 'expensive', but something is only worth money if another person is willing to give away their cash in exchange - who would she have been able to sell it to?
I don't think this lady cared about the monetary worth and I can't imagine that she bought it - maybe it was a gift or an heirloom or an inheritance or maybe she was supposed to use it as part of her dowry.
To this lady, this perfume was her best thing, her treasure, her 'keep it for a rainy day', her 'what would you rescue in a fire'.
She wanted Jesus to have it because of what it meant to her not because of how valuable it was. She wanted him to have it in a way that meant no-one else could have it. She didn't just present him with the bottle, she poured the whole lot over his head - the smell would have been on him when he died.
I don't know what 'thing' I'd rescue in a fire - my iPad, old photos - I'm not sure what Jesus would do with my 'red' and 'blue' Beatles albums (I don't think he's even got a turntable) - maybe our 'best' is out time and our energy - can I give those to Jesus in the same reckless way that Mary gave him her perfume?
I don't think this lady cared about the monetary worth and I can't imagine that she bought it - maybe it was a gift or an heirloom or an inheritance or maybe she was supposed to use it as part of her dowry.
To this lady, this perfume was her best thing, her treasure, her 'keep it for a rainy day', her 'what would you rescue in a fire'.
She wanted Jesus to have it because of what it meant to her not because of how valuable it was. She wanted him to have it in a way that meant no-one else could have it. She didn't just present him with the bottle, she poured the whole lot over his head - the smell would have been on him when he died.
I don't know what 'thing' I'd rescue in a fire - my iPad, old photos - I'm not sure what Jesus would do with my 'red' and 'blue' Beatles albums (I don't think he's even got a turntable) - maybe our 'best' is out time and our energy - can I give those to Jesus in the same reckless way that Mary gave him her perfume?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)