Walking with Jesus during Holy Week: Monday Teaching the Crowds



Street Celebration Honolulu, Hawaii



The festival crowds have gathered in Jerusalem and Jesus is a person of interest. He returns to the city in the morning and begins to explain his way; he tells parables and spars with the authorities. The picture his stories paint and indeed his words sound ominous. Coming rejection, criticism of the current ways, and woes for the city’s future, pour forth from his mouth. Listening to him today may hurt. The religious leaders have hardened their opposition. Passover is their celebration of Judah’s liberation from slavery and the founding of a nation chosen by God and they are its directors. No upstart from the hill country should threaten their position, so they challenge Jesus’ authority. As you walk ask Jesus to teach you—listen for words directed particularly at you and your concerns.

Today’s passages are Matthew 21: 18 – 23: 39.

Jesus has an encounter with a fig tree on the way into the city. When he enters the temple the chief priests and elders confront him asking for credentials for what he does. Jesus turns the question back on his challengers so we’re left with question: "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" (Matt. 21:23b) How will you answer?

Jesus continues telling story of two sons who respond to their father’s request differently and more importantly both do the opposite of what they had promised. Jesus’ next stories increase the intensity of the message of the coming rejection of the one God has sent. The caretakers of the vineyard kill the owner’s son when he comes and the king’s wedding invitations are snubbed by the ‘good’ people so only the riff raff attend. Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet." (Matt. 22: 8-9)
Be honest—would you be among those who accepted the invitation?

The Sadducees now come to question Jesus; they intend to dampen his appeal to the crowd by forcing him to answer loaded questions. But he gets the better of them and turns the table. He asks them a question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" (Matt. 22: 42). Their answer Jesus proves impossible. The religious authorities are silenced. But we must answer. How will you?

Jesus now lays bare the hypocrisy of the religious establishment and their misuse of their position to bind rather than free the peoples; they will miss the anointed one. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" (Matt. 23:29) Be with Jesus in his lament, his pain for Jerusalem.

Walk today with the word you hear in Jesus’ debates.

Walk today with Jesus who laments the failure of many to understand, particularly those who should. How is Jesus lamenting today?

Reflect on your walk and what you hear from Jesus.