Reflections on Holy Week
Most of you who are reading this blog are aware that as of today, the Church has entered into one of the holiest times of the year. During “Holy Week” we take time to remember the last days of Jesus’ life, and we both celebrate and grieve. We celebrate Jesus’ short journey down the Mount of Olives and his hopeful entry into Jerusalem. Had things gone differently Jesus might have brought the visible Kingdom of God to the earth.
But our celebration is cut short because of the fickle nature of humanity. Those same people who hailed Jesus as King on Sunday, called for his crucifixion by Thursday or Friday. The Kingdom was not established in a visible way and we are still waiting, and grieving.
When I was last in Jerusalem in the summer of 2001 my colleagues and I went to the “Upper Room”. We know that it can’t possibly be The Upper Room, where Jesus and his disciples celebrated the first communion. Much of that part of Jerusalem has been repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes. But knowing that the room can’t possibly be the “real Upper Room” does not detract anything from those who are on a spiritual journey. They come to the Upper Room to remember the events that took place there, and they often kneel on the hard floor with looks of utter devotion on their faces.
When Jesus established communion as something different from Passover, he told his disciples to remember him as often as they break the bread and share the cup. This kind of remembering is never passive. When we remember, we find ourselves in the Upper Room with Jesus and the disciples. Suddenly we are breaking bread and sharing the cup with Peter, James, John, and Jesus. This kind of remembering can easily drive the believer to his or her knees.
As we move toward Easter, read the story of the last few days of Jesus life again. Ask God to help you remember, so that you are actually with Jesus and the disciples. Perhaps as you read this meditation you will hear Jesus saying to you, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Copyright © 2007 by Dwight R. Blackstock
But our celebration is cut short because of the fickle nature of humanity. Those same people who hailed Jesus as King on Sunday, called for his crucifixion by Thursday or Friday. The Kingdom was not established in a visible way and we are still waiting, and grieving.
When I was last in Jerusalem in the summer of 2001 my colleagues and I went to the “Upper Room”. We know that it can’t possibly be The Upper Room, where Jesus and his disciples celebrated the first communion. Much of that part of Jerusalem has been repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes. But knowing that the room can’t possibly be the “real Upper Room” does not detract anything from those who are on a spiritual journey. They come to the Upper Room to remember the events that took place there, and they often kneel on the hard floor with looks of utter devotion on their faces.
When Jesus established communion as something different from Passover, he told his disciples to remember him as often as they break the bread and share the cup. This kind of remembering is never passive. When we remember, we find ourselves in the Upper Room with Jesus and the disciples. Suddenly we are breaking bread and sharing the cup with Peter, James, John, and Jesus. This kind of remembering can easily drive the believer to his or her knees.
As we move toward Easter, read the story of the last few days of Jesus life again. Ask God to help you remember, so that you are actually with Jesus and the disciples. Perhaps as you read this meditation you will hear Jesus saying to you, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Copyright © 2007 by Dwight R. Blackstock
posted by Dwight Blackstock | 4:31 PM
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