Revisiting Easter Week
I used to love the Bible.
I grew myself up in an Episcopalian church. Ritual was the best. Easter Sunday was the best of the best. As Christianity turned into spirituality for me and symbolism became an internal, not historic journey, I became less and less interested in scripture and far more interested in being Present and observing the Divine Presence within and around me NOW. I changed.
Several times a year I pick up my Bible, and books that explain the moment, to revisit what once had deep meaning to me and to reframe what tends to be important in our culture. This blog is no exception. Utilizing the book, The Last Week by Marcus Borj and John Dominic Crossan, both scholars, I share with you and remind myself of the lead up to and the crucifixion/resurrection of Jesus.
Palm Sunday: The beginning of Passover, the most important week of the year for the Jews. Jesus, as a Jew, processes on a donkey from the peasant village of Nazareth into Jerusalem to celebrate the week on a donkey with the message of peace. The great contrast is Pontius Pilate, Roman governor entering into Jerusalem from the other side of the city with the military procession, a demonstration of military and State power. Pilate was considered as governor as the “son of God,” “Lord,” and “Savior” as titles given to the governor. The book of Mark lets us know this is a counter procession, planned in advance. The confrontation between these two different perspectives and narratives will play out throughout holy week.
Monday: For Jesus, Sunday is about entering Jerusalem, Monday is about entering the temple. Jesus has two teaching moments on Monday. The first is he curses the fig tree and the second is overturning the table in the temple. The authors say that these two actions are statements of “shutting down business as usual.” The fig tree is never to reproduce again and the temple business of selling animals for sacrifice and the like were ended for that moment.
Tuesday: Tuesday is a day of parables and teachings. Jesus is teaching his followers that there is a difference between the temporal (like the fig tree, temple, taxes) and that which is permanent (Life with God). He does so with the following:
parable of the wicked tenants (killing for profitable gains in the short term),
the teaching of rendering to Caesar what is Caesar’s and God what is God’s,
the teaching that God is amongst the living—not the dead,
the teaching of the afterlife through the Saduccies questioning Jesus about a wife who remarries brother after brother after death (7x) who she will be with in Heaven,
the great commandment of Loving God and neighbor,
teaching on the temporary nature of the temple,
“little apocalypse” of what the future holds.
Wednesday: A poor woman anoints Jesus with Holy, expensive oil. Jesus uses her as a metaphor to demonstrate her loyalty, leadership ability, and the first True believer. This is another demonstration of the two worlds. She sees the Infinitude within Jesus and honors it through anointing. We can anoint or destroy. She chooses to anoint.
Holy Thursday: “Holy Thursday is full of drama. In the evening, Jesus eats a final meal with his followers and praise for deliverance in Gethsemane; he has betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, and abandoned by the rest of his disciples. Arrested in the darkness, he is then interrogated and condemned to death by the high priest in his counsel, the local collaborators with imperial authority. All of this happens before daybreak on Friday.” (pg 110)
Good Friday: Friday Jesus is hung on the cross, the earth goes black for three hours between noon and 3 pm when Jesus dies, there is an earthquake and the curtains in the temple (the most Holy part of the temple) rip in two. Joseph wraps Jesus, puts him in the cave and barricades it with a large rock.
Saturday: Silence and stillness.
Easter Sunday: The various gospels share different stories of what happens on Easter Sunday which brings along with the language brings the authors to believe Easter is another parable which shows the reader that God is alive and transformation of humanity has begun. The gospel of Mark has no visitation stories. Matthew has two visitation stories. Luke has two appearance stories. John has four. Paul’s visitation story happened years after the resurrection. The resurrection, for certain, took the focus off of the politicians as owning the power by bestowing “Lord” upon Jesus at this juncture.
Metaphysicians see this story through the lens of symbology. It is the story of each and every Soul and the resurrection is an individualized experience where the Christ (anointed one) in Jesus is revealed in transformation through the individual as was with Saul changing into Paul.
As I enter into this Holy Week, I do so recognizing that each and ever moment is Holy, not just this week. However, since there is an estimated 2.38 billion Christians in the world, this time in our collective consciousness is one that is recognized as deeply Holy and reverent; so why not ride the wave? I will be aware each day of the significance leading toward a full transformation (resurrection) where the old is dead and a NEW life begins. I love in the above timeline the realization that EVERYTHING is Holy and that the long game is what we are encouraged to play. I also like the reminder given by the woman who does that anointing about intention being key in the journey of living Heaven.
I will also contemplate in meditation the resurrection that is shown to us every season through Mother Earth. The idea that our bodies are recycled is a scientific reality if left to disintegrate on the earth. Recycling our Soul, though, is a belief made by all major world religions, including early Christianity. It is also found in much of the near death experience literature. I am just so grateful to be in human body right now and to experience life from the Long Game, Infinite Self.
Let’s allow this Easter to truly be a time of loving God, self and others.
Happy Easter Week,
