Donkey was a Good Guy

 In explaining Holy Week to my granddaughter, I began with Palm Sunday. Jesus is in a parade riding on a donkey.  People are waving palms, like we wave little flags.  Hard to imagine what is going to happen in a week.  Anyway, back to the story.  Jesus' donkey.

I couldn't find a donkey to illustrate that Jesus chose humble transportation, rather than a majestic horse, elephant, camel, or a carriage.  A donkey.  All I could find was a chia pet donkey.  Hey, I work with what I have.  I made it work.  Kindof.  

It's not so bad.  It's the donkey from Shrek, and this donkey is a good donkey.  Everyone loves him.  My granddaughter thought that Donkey would be proud to carry Jesus.  She got it.

The Spear

At the start of Lent, some friends and I undertook a series of dinner and videos at a nearby parish.  One of the participants gave me a book to read, The Spear by Louis de

Wohl.

I started it a week ago having no idea what it was n about.  It turned out to be a blessing.  It is about Jesus last week.  It's about Holy Week. 

The first part sets the characters.  You meet Cassius Longinus, a Roman centurion.  He goes through hell.  He falls in love.  That love of his life later is married to Pontius Pilate. 

Cassius sells himself to pay off his father's debts.  He is a slave and ends up fighting a gladiator.  Well, he wins and goes back to his Roman legion.  Which just happens to be going to Palestine.

The next section of the book is in Palestine.  We meet Sadducees and Palestinians and Jesus and Judas and Mary and Martha and Lazarus.  This is where I realized that I was reading what I was observing in the church--Holy Week. 

That blew my mind.

I couldn't have picked a better book.  It was an easy read with a good story.  The character of Naomi was added as a love interest for Cassius.  (I told you it was a good story.)

I read about the Last Supper as Jesus had Seder.

I read about Judas' treachery. 

I read about Jesus capture, trial, carrying the cross and death as Good Friday happened.

I finished the book on Holy Saturday.  Jesus rose and appeared to the apostles.

Today is Easter and I thank God for giving me that book at the right time.  God's timing is perfect. 

Spy Wednesday

Sometimes this particular day of Holy Week is called "Spy Wednesday."  Wednesday is the day tradition has picked to highlight the bad guys plotting to kill Jesus.  Jesus' enemies were looking for a way to trap Jesus and kill him.  Jesus was attracting followers (think of the parade with people celebrating with palms, His arrival in Jerusalem).  So when the apostle, Judas Iscariot came to them with a plan to turn Jesus over to them, they knew they could be rid of Jesus.

Since Judas and Jesus' enemies were watching Him and plotting against Him, the day is called Spy Wednesday.

What is Holy Week