Monday of Holy Week

Jim:
I didn’t find a lot to connect the readings today, which is somewhat ironic since they have been picked for Holy Week, but there are several points that I found to be interesting.

Jeremiah 11:18-20; 12:1-17
I found 12:1 to be very interesting, especially the way it starts out: “You will be in the right, O Lord, when I lay my charges against you; but let me put my case to you. Why does the way of the guilty prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” Those are good questions, of course. and ones that honest people have struggled with throughout human history. But what I really admire is the fact that the prophet, who is most often engaged in hearing and sharing God’s word with the people, is also free to question God with the words of the people. And God responds to Jeremiah’s complaint with the words of verse 5, but it is an open and honest conversation, and a good model for us to use in our approach to God. The Psalms often lift complaints or concerns to God, as do other prophets, so there is a precedent to our honest conversation with God.

Philippians 3:1-14
As an eighth-generation Presbyterian, and one of 11 Presbyterian ministers among my family and my in-laws (and with a cousin in seminary), I can relate to Paul’s words in verse 4b and following, “If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more…” Being a “genetic” Presbyterian is not exactly “close to godliness,” and yet sometimes I can lose focus on what is really important and begin to trust my lineage more than I should. Faithful obedience is what God wants, and all the ministers in the world as family members won’t change that. Paul himself was willing to give his accomplishments and heritage away as “rubbish, in order that I may be gain Christ and be found in him….” May we all continue to focus on what is really important in our relationship with God.

John 12:9-19
Here I found some interest in verse 19, “The Pharisees then said to one another, ‘You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!’” These were prophetic words, but not really accurate. Jesus was (and is) the Savior of the world, but the world did not (and has not) “gone after him” the way the Pharisees seemed to think it had. Of course, when the religious authorities took steps to eliminate Jesus and to turn the world away from him, he was raised by God and assumed his true glory. Here, as in the Philippians passage, human accomplishment or authority or power is “rubbish” in the face of God’s will.