Passover again! What a Passover this is going to be! This year we have Jesus the Teacher with us!
It's three years now since we gave up everything to follow him. His teaching has amazed us. And we're not the only ones! I remember how jealous the Scribes were when the crowds of people began to comment that he teaches with authority and "not like the Scribes." The people were right, of course. Over the whole period since then, we have seen it a hundred times over! Whether he was talking about the Kingdom of God, or prayer, or how you treat your neighbour - he spoke the truth simply and clearly. And when we weren't ready for the truth, he told us a parable, one of those marvellous stories of his! Who can ever forget them?
Who can forget, too, the amazing miracles he performs? When he touches the eyes of the blind, they can see again! The lame beggars get up and walk! He dares to touch the lepers and - they are completely healed! And - just now in Bethany - we have seen our friend, Lazarus
Now that was incredible! You see, we had gone across the Jordan River. Not so very far really - just a day's walk or so. This urgent message came from Mary and Martha to say that their brother Lazarus was seriously ill. For some reason Jesus just stayed on for a couple of days. Then he said we must go back to Judaea. We weren't too keen on that - some angry people had threatened to stone him to death. It just didn't seem safe at all. Then he said that Lazarus had fallen asleep and he had to go and wake him up. We were slow to pick up his meaning, so he said more plainly, "Lazarus is dead." Thomas made the wry comment, "Let's all go with the Teacher, so that we may die with him!"
Thomas, of course, was expressing a kind of reluctant pessimism that we all felt. Anything could happen in Jerusalem! I think he sincerely meant we should all stick with Jesus to the end.
Well, it didn't turn out the way Thomas, or any of us, expected! Lazarus must have died soon after the messengers had set out. He had been dead and buried for four days when we arrived. You can imagine what that would mean - all the mourning still going on, plus the added disappointment that their friend Jesus had been away.
Then Jesus said, "Roll the stone away!" Everyone in the town of Bethany was appalled. You just can't do that - for many days the smell would be overpowering! But - when they did - and when Jesus called, "Lazarus, come out!" - the dead man walked! Well, you know what I mean - his hands and feet were still wrapped in the grave clothes, and there was a cloth still over his face. Lazarus was alive! Jesus said, "Untie him, and let him go!"
You can imagine the stir that made in Bethany - and on us, his disciples! I'm still puzzled at why he waited. But I think that going up to Jerusalem must be part of a great plan. Perhaps now's when the leaders will admit that he's right, that he's the Messiah after all - perhaps even, as Peter put it, that he's "the Son of the living God"!
Well, it's less than a week to Passover, and we're going up to Jerusalem today. The fear that we had is mostly gone and we're excited. Something's going to happen! The whole show's really getting on the road! Jesus is going to ride this donkey into the city. The Roman authorities won't be suspicious of someone coming on a donkey, will they? But aren't they in for a shock!
Just as well it's a quiet beast - the whole crowd's a bit excited! A big welcome for Jesus! Come on, everybody!
Perhaps we should have sung that, not shouted it. I hope our enthusiasm hasn't made the Romans suspicious. Those who know anything about our religion will realise that Psalm 118 is just part of what we normally sing at this time of year, so perhaps they won't have noticed.
We're through the gate now. I'm not sure what Jesus plans to do next. No, he hasn't told us. A couple of the disciples have contacts with the Zealots, the Jewish underground - but that isn't really the style of Jesus. I think a Zealot would have gone for a completely hidden, disguised, secret entry into the city. But, sooner or later, he will have to confront the Roman governor, Pilate, to lay the demands of God's people before him. They're in for a shock at the size of the Jewish resistance!
But wait! It's the Temple he's heading for, not the Governor's residence! He's angry! He's got a rope and is using it like a whip! He's laying into the money-changers! He's overturning their tables - money is rolling everywhere! He's released the animals and birds that have been on sale here! He's driving them out of the Temple! He's not pleased at all! Calls the Temple his Father's house! Says it was supposed to be a place of prayer and not a den of robbers! The chief priests and scribes and Pharisees won't be happy about all this! They won't be happy at all!
Lord, what are you doing? You're cleansing out the practices of generations! What are you saying about our leaders? "A den of robbers," you've said! What are you saying about us too? We want to be your people, Lord! What sort of a people do you want us to be?
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