Lenten Writing Prompt #33
Jesus’
disciples all played roles that they weren't expecting to in the story of Holy Week – betrayal,
denial, grief, designated caretaker, etc.
What role and/or disciple do you identify with in crisis? What do you think you would have done if you
were there at that time?
Open Doors- Doug Millar
ReplyDeleteIn the Easter process I identify with Mary Magdalene. She opened the door on Easter. While the other disciples cowered in a room expecting the Romans to come in and get them, it was Mary who opened the door and found Jesus. I am continually puzzled as to why the she isn’t more revered in the Church. Peter may have gotten the keys, but Mary opened the place up for business.
Church doors are a really interesting study. Some are hidden and hard to find. Some are psychologically or physically locked. Some tell of history, others of money. Some tell stories. Some are simple and easy to open, others take two or more people. Some seem far easier to close than open. It says something about a church in how they choose their doors.
Don’t get me started on church windows…………..maybe next time.
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ReplyDeleteWalking with Mary, Mother of Jesus
ReplyDeleteAs a mother, my heart foes along with Mary through this this week.
I hope she got another visit from an angel, or heard God’s voice within
assuring her that no matter what happened, Jesus would be okay.
Did Jesus himself tell her that it was going to be a rough Passover week?
There was another time when his brothers warned him not to go
to Jerusalem because there might be a “trap” being set for him,
so I’m sure she worried a lot about the stir he was causing.
Certainly, he was old enough to take care of himself and
had his contingent of disciples always around him,
but that hadn’t helped his cousin John the Baptist
and he too was a “Chosen One”.
And there was the history of many prophets.
Some did get chariot escorts to the heavens,
But others were not rewarded kindly for bring messages from Jehovah.
No matter what the ages of our children, we worry about them
And feel the physical or mental and emotional pain they go through.
Seeing her son beaten and pushed along, falling, suffering
And hanging on a cross, was the worst time of her life,
It wouldn’t have mattered if he or God did say he would rise.
Every mother whose child dies before them, from war, accident, disease
and other causes knows the pain of their child.
I would be shouting, “Okay, where are you God? Why are you letting this happen?”
The gospels list other women named Mary who were at the tomb, not his mother,
but I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t be there that morning.
Matthew says Jesus met them as they were running to tell the men
and He told them to go tell the others. Either she was there,
or he was coming from showing himself to her, I believe.
And although she was relieved to see him, she probably
wanted to wring his neck for not clearly giving her the exact details earlier.