NOT JUST A WEEK FOR REMEMBERING

This week begins Holy Week. It is for us who believe in Jesus a week to remember the events that took place during those seven days. From his triumphal, of sorts, entry into Jerusalem, to his cleansing of the temple, to his spending a lot of time on Tuesday dealing with those in authority who questioned him, to his dinner at Simon the Leper’s home where he was anointed by a woman, to his celebrating the Passover Meal on Thursday, to his arrest later that night and his crucifixion on Friday, to his resurrection late Saturday night (Sunday, according to Jewish reckoning) – all of this is much for us to remember and celebrate.

Yet Holy Week is much more than simply being about remembering that week that once was and is no longer, this year being almost 2000 years after all those events took place. Yes, we can and should remember those days and those events. We should ponder them, think deeply about them, give thanks, even. for them. All that is well and good and certainly necessary for us as followers of Jesus if we want our faith to become stronger each day.

But remembering is only for starters. To enter fully into the meaning of Holy Week we have to actually enter into it. We have to place ourselves there, not back in time, but place ourselves there in the present. For the events we remember that took place that Holy Week will actually take place this Holy Week both in memory and in fact, but only in actual fact if we do the work necessary to make it happen.

Entering into Holy Week beyond its mere remembrance entails understanding that what happened to Jesus back then is still happening today and that we can find ourselves in any and all of these events if we take the time to look and see who we are and where we are and how we are responding. That will no doubt be very uncomfortable as well as, perhaps, a little eye-opening as well.

For instance: are we part of the crowd that seems to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and shouts “Hosanna” but our recognition and following stop with our words and have very little follow up in our actions? Are we like those sellers in the temple whom Jesus clears out, people who take advantage of the poor for their own profit, or do we actually take care of the poor in our midst?

Further, are we like those authority figures who demand more of others than we demand of ourselves or like Simon who thinks he is better than others simply because he is so blessed? Are we part of the crowd who goes along to get along rather than standing up for what is right and supporting the innocent? Do we nail others to undeserved crosses to save our own skin? Do we rejoice in another’s resurrection to new life, however that resurrection takes place or find excuses why it is not deserved? And on and on.

Holy Week is not just a week for remembering the past. It is for entering into the present where the same events take place and where we are part of them. Understanding that truth means fully entering into those days and those still on-going events. May we do so.