Third Day of Holy Week

The third day of Holy Week is filled with tension. The Pharisees, intent on undermining Jesus’ popularity and credibility, became heckling, needling interrupters. Jesus wisely used the efforts of the religious establishment to teach, to make his way known to all who would listen. The most extensive account of the third day is found in Mark 11:27-13:37.

At the center of the Pharisaical challenge is the question, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you the right to question the validity of our grand establishment? We are the descendants of Abraham!” We ought to empathize with Pharisees because we also dislike anything and anyone who restricts freedoms or exposes our weaknesses.

The parable of the tenants is a very thinly veiled expose of religion gone bad. The freshly baked bread of nourishing truth had turned to moldy, distasteful crusts. The human response, beginning in the Garden of Eden, has been, “Embarrassed? Deny or destroy the evidence.”
Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away. (Mark 12:12)
Cowardice gallops through the human community. For instance, we are quite comfortable complaining or criticizing politicians, business figures, neighbors, and even friends and loved ones. The anonymity of the internet allows polite cowardice. A mass of people will cowardly scream, “Crucify him!” but, the same people shy away from honest, heart-felt, face-to-face conversations which result in reconciliation and peace.

Lessons on taxation (12:13-17), marriage (12:18-27), and offerings (12:41-44) are a communication grand slam home run. No wonder the large crowd listened to him with delight. (12:37) And, there is more, more than enough to keep us musing, pondering all day, all week long.

Jesus’ last recorded words for this third day of Holy Week are words calling us to vigilance, watchfulness.
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!’
We have lists of places to go and things to do. Today is as busy as yesterday and tomorrow. But, let us --
• determine to interrupt busyness and muse on the events and teaching of Jesus – especially those which occurred during Holy Week.
• be watchful, Jesus may return at any time.