Holy Monday
By Dean Collins
The day after a significant celebration or event in one’s life often catches us by surprise. Usually, the big event came with certain expectations and involved lots of people and excitement. Graduations, weddings, and retirements are good examples of wonderful and joyous occasions. But on the day after these events there is usually a significant let down.
Big events take planning and preparation. There wasn’t a committee that planned Palm Sunday for Jesus. In fact, the little we know of the plan is found in the first part of Matthew 21. Jesus sent two of his disciples into the village and told them they would find a colt tied there that no one had ever ridden. They were instructed to untie the animal and bring it to Jesus, and if anyone asked what they were doing, they were to say, “The Lord needs it and will return it when he is finished.” The sequence of events turned out to be just as Jesus said they would work out.
On Palm Sunday, some in the crowd probably thought that Jesus was finally going to meet their expectations. Many wanted Jesus to be the Messiah they wanted, who would rise up and free them from Roman oppression. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the excitement intensified as people took off their cloaks and laid them on the ground. They shouted praise: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
The excitement of victory was in the air. The evening discussions around every supper table that night must have been electric as they wondered what the next steps of Jesus would be. And then Monday came.
I don’t know many people who have Monday as their favorite day of the week. Weekends are often busy with family events, sporting events, yard work, church activities, and catching up with friends. When Monday comes, it can feel like a letdown. And to my earlier point, the day after a big event can seem like a letdown as well. I suspect that was the mood of the disciples on the Monday of the week we now call Holy Week.
We sometimes forget that Jesus lived and walked the earth in a human body and felt many of these same emotions. Maybe he felt some of the joy and excitement of Palm Sunday, but the reality hit on Monday when he walked into the temple and confronted how little spiritual intensity was there. Instead of prayer, worship, reflection, and generosity, he saw a commercial enterprise where there was both convenience and profit as primary. Worship and adoration of God was secondary at best. Righteous indignation stirred inside of Jesus as he turned tables and chased people away whose motives were not proper.
Holy Monday might just feel like any other Monday, but I want to challenge you to consider it as an opportunity to do some evaluation of your spiritual activities. Are they becoming more routine, or do you find them drawing you closer to God? Do you find that attending worship services, reading scripture, and daily prayers are opening your eyes to sharing the love of Christ with others? Are you growing in kindness and patience with others?
Let Holy Monday begin your intensity to see and feel the significance of what Jesus did on the cross and ultimately realize what Easter is all about.
Father, give us the courage to walk through Holy Week with fresh eyes and open hearts. Help us not only understand what you did for us this week in history but to be transformed by the time we spend with you this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Mark 11:1-25, 27-33 ESV
Photo by Pexels
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