Questions of Gain and Loss:

Some Thoughts in the Middle of Holy Week

Betwixt and between, between and betwixt, that’s where I am today. After the Triumphal Entry on Sunday and the Cleansing of the Temple on Monday, I find myself anticipating the great and terrible events of Thursday and Friday. But what of Tuesday and Wednesday – yesterday and today?

Jesus taught in the Temple on these two days. This is not surprising. We expect Jesus to be in the Temple teaching. He was a holy one, a religious teacher.

Why was he even allowed thre? The day before he had vandalized the place. (We don’t want to use the word ‘vandalized’ because Jesus is the Christ. But, we would certainly feel justified in using this word to describe almost anyone else that committed the same act!) But, Jesus was allowed in, and he taught.

Although this may sound benign enough, we learn that Jesus’ teachings were every much as confrontational as his actions on Monday in Cleansing the Temple. He told parables that were at best thinly veiled jibes at the narrow and rigid religion of the spiritual leaders of the day. And, Matthew recorded Jesus’ sermonic diatribe against these same leaders structured around the repeated refrain, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…”

In response the religious leaders tried to trick, discredit and side track him with questions: about the legality for faithful Jews to pay taxes to Caesar, about the authority by which he taught and ministered, about the nature of life after death, about whether he was a good Jew who knew the greatest commandment of the faith.

He answered by cleverly turning the tables on them, answering their questions with a questions, refusing to answer them, and pointing out that they did not know the true meaning of the scriptures. He only gave one questioner the compliment of a direct answer – the one who asked about the greatest commandment.

In thinking about these two days I keep remembering the book of some thirty years ago by historian Barbara Tuchman about the 100 Years War fought by France and England, “A Distant Mirror”. Her thesis was that the events and human behavior patterns and decisions that were occurring in the late 20th century were reflections of behaviors evidenced and decisions made in 14th century Europe.

Following Tuchman’s lead I can’t help but read fear into these stories of Jesus teaching in the Temple. There is so much fear. Fear does terrible things. Fear of losing control makes me cling to the little control I have with that much more tenacity. Fear of losing power or privilege, fear of being wrong, and fear of failure cause me to lash out at others. I want to put them down. If I’ve been through a particularly rough patch, I might even be tempted to seek their destruction. I become rigid. I won’t budge from my point of view. I will treat every hint of a slight or put down with violence of thought, word, and even deed.

As I look through the glass darkly I see all of this at work during these days – in 29 B.C.E. and now. On this day 39 years ago someone took out his fear of loss by assassinating Martin Luther King, Jr.

But, there is also a curious interlude in the mix of the stories of these two days. Jesus sat opposite the Temple treasury. In watching the rich make much of their offerings, a widow came forward. As Jesus said, “The rich gave from their abundance, but the widow out of her poverty gave everything she had.”

Why is this story placed here? Could the gospel writers find no other logical place to put it? Or, is it just where it ought to be? Obviously, I think it is the latter. I think that Jesus saw in the widow’s simple act of generosity and courage the symbol of his entire message of grace, love and humility.

In his monthly article, “Ready, Set Grow,” Randy Hammer, pastor of the First Congregational Church Albany, spoke of the need to listen to one another rather than to always seek our own way. Indeed! This kind of humility, as well as the love that honors that humanity of others, and the grace that restores the dignity of other, is at the heart of Jesus message.

Jesus came to us rich in spirit but poor in the ways of the world. Out of his poverty, and within two days, he was going to give everything that he had – one life for many. But, all of this comes over the next few days. The clouds are gathering and the glass has grown very dark.

“Be not far from me for trouble is near and there is no one to help.” – Psalm 22:11

Blessings,

Rick