09/04/2020
This is Holy Week. The struggle between good and evil reaches its climax. Initially it appeared that evil has won but Easter Day will change that. We saw this struggle when Jesus was born as Herod issued his dreadful decree we know as “The Slaughter of the Innocents”. We see Jesus himself struggling with the Devil in the temptations in the wilderness and before the week is out we’ll see him struggling again, this time in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he asks for the cup of suffering to be taken from him. Knowing it cannot be, he goes forward, “Your will, not mine be done.”
Holy Week begins so well with excitement and celebration as the pilgrims draw near to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Hope and joy abound as they cheer and welcome Jesus. “All glory, laud and honour to thee, Redeemer, King. – The people of the Hebrews with palms before thee went”. Arriving at Jerusalem Jesus cleansed the Temple, overturning the tables of the money changers and sellers of sacrificial items. (What do you expect if you’re not selling Fairtrade doves!) Tragically, “Hosanna” became, “Crucify” though. “Ride on! Ride on in majesty, ride on in lowly pomp to die- bow thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, O God, thy power and reign.”
We know the story so well but what’s coming through to me very strongly this year are the quiet moments in this busy and fast-changing situation. One of these could be shortly after the triumphal entry. In Matthew, Jesus immediately goes and cleanses the Temple but Mark says that by then it was late so Jesus went to Bethany, returning to the Temple the following day. Luke can be read either way and John’s different. In this fast-changing situation, is there a moment of quiet here? There’s certainly one on Maundy Thursday when Jesus goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. It could also be argued that The Last Supper itself is also a moment of calm and near normality before everything kicks off. This year those occasions are jumping out at me, probably because we’re currently all living distinctly odd lives. Nothing is normal and the situation in respect of Covid 19 is changing daily. Our routines lie in tatters around us as the struggle to manage the pandemic develops. How long is it all going on? What might be facing us next? Perhaps that’s why I’m finding Jesus’ snatched moments of calm and of near normality in the fast-changing Holy Week narrative so significant now. Jesus, I think, drew strength from them and that speaks to us as well.
I’ve always maintained that if I knew someone was about to come and take me away and kill me you wouldn’t see my exit for dust! I still think that’s how I’d react but as Jesus faced what he knew he had to face, the strength he drew and the value he placed on moments of calm and near normality seem to make a lot more sense now. There’s a struggle going on in with Covid 19 in many parts of the world now. We’re a long way off the battle being won and we’re not fools- we can appreciate that the current restrictions are likely to be in place for some time yet. There’s a battle going on in which we are all engaged. Jesus, however, sets the example that the strength needed to fight isn’t always to be found in action and busyness. It’s there in the quiet moments and in the near-normal moments too. “This was earth’s darkest hour, but you did light and life restore; then let us give all praise to you who live for evermore.”
