Holy Week
I love this time of year. Spring has rolled in. Trees are greening. The smell of growth and bloom is in the air. And, I love the week we call “Holy Week.”
The celebration of Resurrection is the greatest event on the calendar – for believers and followers of Christ it is the very crux of our hope and belief.
In my book, The 40 Days of Lent, this final week in the earth-life of Jesus is the most pensive week of all time. The first day of the next week is time for celebration and joy – but this week? This is as serious as it gets.
Self Examination
It’s a time to take a deep and thorough inward look.
The closest followers of Jesus enjoy a Passover meal with Him. He serves. He washes feet. He whispers in ears and tells the one we call Judas Iscariot to go and do what he must do. That dinner has many facets we could expound on from here to Glory. But, today, I want to go straight to Gethsemane.
Gethsemane
Jesus and His eleven are there, in the garden. They have eaten, drank wine, and walked to Gethsemane. They were full and they were tired. And, they were ignorant. Jesus has warned them what was about to happen – but, did they fully believe Him? I think not.
He called Peter, James, and John off to the side to go with Him into the depth of the garden. To pray. Remember, it was Peter, James, and John who accompanied Him to the Mount of Transfiguration. These three men have seen His glory. They have heard the voice of God.
Profound, life-changing happenings.
Now, He has asked them to WATCH & PRAY.
Three times.
They fell asleep.
The Arrest
Jesus and His eleven are now gathered together when the band, led by Judas Iscariot, arrive. Judas kisses Jesus. The arrest pursues. Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus. Jesus heals the sliced-off ear and re-attaches it. The guards and soldiers take Jesus away.
And, the eleven fled. Left – ran off so scared some of their clothes fell off. Gone.
It is here in the story I ask myself…
Will I stay or will I go?
Two thousand years later, in a world so upside-down and inside-out, I ask myself and you…
Will you stay or will you go?
With Grace & Hope,
Sus’
Oh, those questions have given me so much food for pondering over my 29 years of being His. It always hurts. It always makes me ask the questions about myself ~ Will I stay? Will I go?
I always manage to find room to blame the 11, blame something other than myself, for my own doubts but that I cannot. I know that! Why would I even do that?? Just to get out of my own skin, I guess!
Lord, have mercy upon me as I think about running too. Guide me back to Your Son.
Linda, perfectly said. Father, always direct us to Your Son – our True North!
That is a powerful question, Susan. We would like to say that we would stay. They probably never thought they would run either. And so all I can do today is pray – Lord, give me the strength and the courage to always stay. May you and Lowell have a blessed Easter!
Thank you Joanne, and the very same to you and yours. ♥
As always pausing to reflect. There’s always a takeaway here.
Paula, I love take-aways!!!