We’re closer to the end of our Lenten journey for we can see Jerusalem now. In Jesus’ time you would have seen the temple, which had been expanded by Herod the Great, and heard the sounds of the city getting ready for Passover.
Roman sentries standing guard, more anxious than usual because of the sicarii, those militants with knives to do in a solider or two. If you weren’t sufficiently obeisant, they could grab you and pull you into a dungeon. They weren’t masked, of course, unlike the ICE agents of today, but they didn’t have name tags. They didn’t need them
Heading towards Jerusalem, you’re beginning to wonder about this Jesus you threw away your life for. What will you get from your sacrifice? In the America of today, we feel we haven’t been called to make the same sacrifices, but we see others around us who have, and we wonder if in the coming days we will as well.
Prayer for the Day
Trying not to let fear seep into us, O God,
We ask how we will be called to witness;
Then we remember the original meaning of the word,
And that deep sinking feeling begins again.
Be with us, O Lord, for we hesitate in this day,
And give us the strength we need not to falter.
In the name of the One who is always with us,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
[Jesus] plan called for action, and how He expressed it predicted its success. He didn't say "you *might* be my witnesses," or "you *could* be my witnesses," or even "you *should* be my witnesses." He said "you *will* be my witnesses.
Charles R. Swindoll, American pastor (b. 1934)
Choosing to suffer is particularly difficult in a culture that is addicted to comfort--a culture that teaches that pain should be avoided whenever possible and that ignorance is bliss.
Melanie Joy, American writer
“Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and do not do what I tell you?”
Jesus in Luke 6:46