Holy Week – Tuesday – Teachings from The Master
Tuesday is one of my favorite days of Holy Week. It is the day that Jesus taught parables, confronted the religious leaders, noticed the unnoticed and spoke about the future.
Oh how I would have loved to have been there, listening to His voice, seeing the passion in His words, watching the responses of those in the crowd and most importantly, just being near Jesus.
The day started with Jesus and His disciples walking to the temple and along the way they saw the fig tree from the day before, all withered up. Peter was surprised, but Jesus responded by saying, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
The kind of prayer Jesus was referring to is the kind that is in alignment with the will of God just like Jesus prayed in the garden, “Everything is possible for you…yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Our prayers are often motivated by our own interests and desires. We like to hear that we can have anything, but Jesus prayed with God’s interests in mind. When we pray, we can express our desires, but we should want God’s will above our own.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus walked into the temple courts. The religious leaders came and began to challenge His authority and question Him with the desire to find a way to arrest Him.
Rather than debate them, Jesus told a parable against them, reminding them that the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. In their frustration to trap Jesus they sent others to try and catch Him in his words, but Jesus knew their hypocrisy and told them to render to Caesar what was Caesar’s and render to God what is God’s.
Boldly He confronted them on their lack of understanding the scriptures and the power of God concerning the resurrection. Then one of the teachers of the law came and noticed that Jesus had given them good answers and he asked Jesus, “of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” From then on no one dared to ask Him any more questions.
Jesus warned His followers against trying to make a good impression just for personal gain. True followers of Christ are not distinguished by showy spirituality. Reading the Bible, praying in public, following church rituals, and even doing church work can be phony if the motives for doing them is to be noticed and honored. Let your actions be consistent with your beliefs. Live with Jesus as your example, even when no one is looking.
Then Jesus sat down and watched the crowd. Imagine Jesus – people watching. It makes me want to know how He saw them in comparison to how I see them.
Along came a poor widow who put two very small copper coins in the temple treasury as an offering. Many rich people had already thrown in large amounts. But Jesus noticed her and used the moment to teach His disciples. He was admiring her generous and sacrificial giving and taught His disciples that a gift given grudgingly or for recognition loses its value in the eyes of God, but when you give from the heart even small gifts are pleasing to God when they are given out of gratitude.
As Jesus was leaving the temple the disciples noticed and commented on the massive stones used to build the temple and how magnificent it was. Jesus told them that not one stone would be left upon another; every one would be thrown down. It was a sad revelation of the destruction that was coming.
The disciples pondered His response and as they sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple they asked when those things would happen. That is a question that has lasted through the ages, “When? When will Jesus come again? What will be the signs of the end times?”
Jesus warned them to watch out so they would not be deceived. Many would claim to be Him and others would claim to know when He would return. But no one knows the day nor the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”
What a day! Walking with the Lord, hearing His voice, listening to His words, seeing His compassion and trusting that all He said will come to pass. Why would we want to be anywhere else than at His feet!
We have that opportunity every day! No matter what circumstances we face, hardship, wonders or challenges, He is walking right beside us. There are miracles everywhere if we choose to see them and part of seeing them is to see people as Jesus does. And if that wasn’t enough, we also have an abundance of hope in the promise that He will return for us.
That is definitely worth watching for!
Father, I love to sit and imagine being right there where You were, listening to Your voice and hearing Your words. But because of You, I don’t have to just imagine, I can live in that reality every day. Help me to be intentional about spending time with You. Listening, learning and hoping. Thank you for taking the time to teach me and I pray that I will be obedient to follow. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Go deeper with Passion Week Readings
- Disciples see the fig tree withered – Matthew 21: 19-22
- Jesus teaches parables – Matthew 21:23
- Woe unto Pharisees – Matthew 23: 1-39 Luke 29:45-47
- Prophetic words regarding the return of Christ – Matthew 24:1-51 Mark 13:1-37 Luke 21:5-36
Make It Personal
Do you know God’s word? Are you applying it correctly? Ask God to give you a passion for His Word and to open your heart and mind to understand it. It is a prayer He is willing and able to answer.
How well are you obeying the greatest commandment? To love God and others?
When you are people watching, are you seeing them as Jesus does?
Are you watching in glorious expectation for Christ’s return?