Lessons in the Last Week

This is Holy Week, the last week that Jesus walked upon this earth in the flesh of a human being. Yesterday churches around the world remembered Him riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey colt, using the coats of those in the crowd as a saddle, hearing the cries of Hosanna! Hosanna! meaning Save! Save! The people were oppressed and lost needing a Savior. They thought the savior they needed was a king to overthrow the oppressive government they lived in. But that is not what Jesus came to do.

The next morning He and His disciple are coming again into the city and the gospel writer, Mark, says that He is hungry (11:12). He sees a fig tree in the distance and goes to it to find fruit and eat to quiet His hunger. But when He arrives at the tree it is barren, no fruit. Mark indicates it was not even the season for figs yet. The next thing that happens is interesting. Jesus says, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” Now this could have been some of Jesus’ “humanness” coming out in frustration that He was hungry and needed something to eat. It was almost as if there were a moment of anger. He went from there (11:15-19) to the temple and began turning over tables and chairs, saying
“You have made my Father’s House a den of thieves instead of the house of prayer it was meant to be,” and He would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. What’s up with Jesus? Does He have an anger management problem?

No, but His spirit, His emotions were no doubt raw and irritable because He knew what was ahead of Him. And even the Son of God had to cringe at the thought of the pain yet to be experienced. But there were lessons to be learned to. A little while later they were passing by that same fig tree and Peter remembered and said, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” (11:20) Peter used the word cursed, but I didn’t see where Jesus used any inappropriate language. We think of cursing as using “bad words,” but they understood cursing as using words that spoke in anger or in a negative way. Jesus did not refute his words by saying that He did not curse. What we can learn is that our words are a blessing or a curse. What you have heard me quote so often from Proverbs is that we have the power of life and death in our tongue, our words. Use them carefully. When you call other people names, when you speak in a discouraging, demeaning way to others you impact their lives in ways you cannot imagine. Be careful with your words. On the other hand Jesus said we can speak to mountains and move them. Be powerful with your words!

And the Temple outburst, what was that about? There are those that use this as an excuse to not talk about money or giving or any such topic in the church. That’s not what Jesus was angry about. He was angry at the profiteering of the leaders of the temple. They were not interested in the people as they should have been, but rather used the people and their need to get gain for themselves. Of course, it takes money to run a ministry, a church. I do have strong feelings about churches being “in business.” We must run with the integrity expected of successful businesses, but we also must never lose the ministry focus of serving others. That is why we exist. I do have a problem with the mentality of churches today that the senior pastor is the CEO. I am a pastor, a shepherd. While it is required of a pastor in this day to know something of business practices, I am first a spiritual leader not a business leader. The church must be focused on people and serving the people, not serving ourselves. It is easy for us to be about buildings and corporate structure, but we must fight to keep it a house of prayer and ministry for the Lord.

There are other lessons in this last week of Jesus on this earth. Stay tuned.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for being willing to pay the ultimate price for my salvation. Thank You for not backing down during this last week, but setting Your heart on the goal, on the cross for me and for the world. I love You and have no words adequate to say what I feel. I am sure glad You can know my heart. AMEN.

Blessings!
Pastor Roger