Holy Week – Monday

MONDAY

Total Reading: Matthew 21:12-29; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48 

Readings Explained:
Matthew 21:18-19; Mark 11:12-14 = The “Cursing” of the Fig Tree

Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46 = The Cleansing of The Temple
Mark 11:18-19; Luke 19:47-48 = Crowd’s Reaction, Growing Conspiracies
Mark 11:19 = Jesus Leaves Jerusalem

Some extra explanations:
The fig tree was first mentioned in Genesis 3:7 when the leaves become a covering for Adam and Eve to hide behind.  The tree with leaves, but no fruit has been interpreted by some to represent Israel’s religious system of the day.

It’s interesting to me that In Matthew 21:19 and Mark 11:14, no translation says that Jesus “cursed” the tree.  It says He “answered the tree / spoke to the tree.  Peter’s interpretation in Mark 11:20-21 is that Jesus cursed the tree.

Some Thoughts:
This week is called “Holy Week.” It is sometimes called “Passion Week.”  This comes from the old Latin passio, which means “suffering.”  Today, we use “passion” to describe a powerful desire or intense emotion. But the word’s roots suggest a way of love that chooses to suffer for the well-being of others.

By focusing on Jesus’ suffering, the title “Passion Week” highlights God’s refusal to watch humanity’s suffering from a distance. Instead, God entered into our brokenness  and suffered.  This is divine love identifying with human sorrow, showing us how God’s commitment to us is as fierce and intense as it is tender.

This is beautiful!

Prayer:

Lord, as we remember the events of this week that You went through, we can’t help but be amazed at the great love You demonstrated.  All we can say is “Thank You for so great a love!”

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