We are beginning the third week of our through the New Testament study together. It is not too late to join in - invite a friend to journey with us! This weeks readings are: Monday - Mark 15, Tuesday - Mark 16, Wednesday - Romans 1, Thursday - Romans 2, Friday - Romans 3.
Mark takes us quickly through the trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus all in chapter 15. Mark moves so quickly here, and I am so familiar with the other gospel accounts, that I find myself trying to fill in details as I read. In Mark's account, the trial and crucifixion follow each other quickly. The passion here is condensed, perhaps because Mark has received it second hand, perhaps because it is simply Mark's style.
In verse 21 Simon of Cyrene is compelled to carry the cross for Jesus. Cyrene is a city in Libya in northern Africa. There was a large Jewish diaspora community there and Simon and his sons were likely in Jerusalem on a pilgrimage to celebrate passover. The text says Jesus was crucified and 9AM and at noon darkness covered the whole land until 3PM. At this point Jesus cries out in anguish quoting Psalm 22 and soon after dies.
Joseph of Arimathea "goes boldly" and asks permission to bury Jesus' body and having wrapped the body in linen laid it in a tomb. As Jesus dies, and as he is buried the faithful women that have followed him and provided for him in his ministry are noted as being ever present. None of the disciples are so noted.
It is easy to stand up and be counted among the followers of Jesus when the crowds are cheering, when the hungry are fed. How many of us will follow to the cross, to the tomb? These faithful women show a courage driven by love that inspires me. I pray that I will stand for Jesus in the face of disappointment and trial as well as I do when the crowds are cheering. Lord, help me to be faithful.
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
2 comments:
Pilate, like Judas, is another biblical figure whose mind I wish I could get inside, to see what he was really thinking about everything.
The mob mentality always sticks out to me in the passion story. What would it take for me to be part of a wild, frenzied, angry crowd? I guess I don't often fear that I would have been one yelling for Jesus' crucifixion, just that I wouldn't have been yelling for justice either...
I have some of the same thoughts, and I wonder if I would have had the courage to stand, or if I would have run off, or slipped quietly away. I try to measure my resolve now by these accounts. If I will not stand up today under mild persecution, perceived or real, I probably would not have done anything different in the situation the disciples found themselves in.
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