Holy Week Wednesday

As you sit in a comfortable position, take a few deep breaths. A guide is to breath through your nose for the count of two then breath out through your mouth for count of four.
Open yourself to the Gospel, experience the words, enter into the story,
read through the verses two or three times slowly.
Imagine you were there just a few feet away from Jesus.
Imagine you are a witness to this event and the other events as the week unfolds.

Jesus’ Authority Is Questioned

Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.’ They argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say, “Why then did you not believe him? ”But shall we say, “Of human origin”?’—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’ (Mark 11:27-33)

The scene in the temple is once again a busy one, the courts of the temple would be filled with pilgrims and with the religious leaders whose main aim was to discredit Jesus. Jesus was up to the task and turns the table of the religious leaders. Excuse the pun, yesterday Jesus physically turned the tables over in the temple, today it will be the tables of religious authority that will be turned over.

o Imagine you are there within ear shot of Jesus and the religious leaders. You hear their question and there is a pause and Jesus answers with a question.
o What was the look on the religious leaders faces as they heard Jesus question? Sense the atmosphere
o You hear their reply and then Jesus’. How do you think the religious leaders felt on hearing this reply?
o How do you feel about Jesus’ authority?

Sit quietly for a while and then pray the Lords Prayer followed by

Lord Jesus Christ, you humbled yourself in taking the form of a servant,
and in obedience died on the cross for our salvation: give us the mind to follow you and to proclaim you as Lord and King, to the glory of God the Father.
and
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship if the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen

Rev Derek Akker

Photo by Akira Hojo on Unsplash