Jesus now in Jerusalem faces questions daily from various religious leaders, again trying to trap him into saying something that could be considered blasphemy so they would have a ground to arrest him but Jesus is able to deflect them. Clearly frustrated, they now just look for a more opportune time.
Aware of their intentions, Jesus warned his disciples of the persecution to come if they stood for justice and mercy as he had. We certainly see that now as the new regime reflects much of the approach of the old Caesar by attacking vulnerable communities and spreading fear and terror.
As Passover neared, his followers must have become apprehensive, knowing that the forces of evil have it in for him. But Jesus stands fast as we must against similar forces that would destroy us as a society, as a Nation.
Prayer for the Day
You call us to join this continuing Lenten journey, O God,
To remember our place in it and your call to love others;
You call us to this continuing Lenten journey, O Lord,
You who are found in the faces we see around us.
You call us to this continuing Lenten journey, O Holy One,
As we search for strength and courage in our day and time.
In the name of the One who is our source of strength,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
I could not move against this if I did not pray and all that is said of me is untrue/Would make lame my gait if I could not free myself from the weight of other’s Malice
Tabia Basri (713-801), Sufi mystic
Resistance to oppression is often based on a love that leads us to value ourselves, and leads us to hope for more than the established cultural system is willing to grant ... such love is far more energizing than guilt, duty, or self-sacrifice. ... Solidarity does not require self-sacrifice, but an enlargement of the self to include community with others.
Sharon Welch, from The Feminist Ethic of Risk
In that day, says the Lord, I will assemble the lame,
And gather those who have been driven away, and those whom I have afflicted.
The lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
And the Lord will reign oer them in Mount Zion, now and forevermore.
Micah 4: 6-7