Heilige Week

Hij hield zijn gedachten aan zich aangezien hij in Jeruzalem op die zonnige dag aan het begin van de viering Passover bereed. Het zou zijn vorige week zijn. Hij wist dat er een confrontatie van één of andere soort zou zijn, maar de resultaten werden verborgen in donkere plaatsen waarvan zijn mening terugdeinste. Hij wenste dat met hem meer dan de één vrouw waren die begreep wat goed kan gebeuren.

Peter, James en John hadden het al verkeerd. Zij hadden vanaf het begin het al verkeerd. Zij begrepen niet dat het Koninkrijk van God volledig aan de Imperiums van Mensen werd verzet. Zij wisten niet dat het Koninkrijk van God niets had met zich het verzamelen van de Verering of van de Synagoge van de Tempel te doen. Zij plakten ver met hem dit omdat zij dachten hij onderaan de toorn van de God op de Roman bewoners en de Joodse elite ging roepen die met hen in de onderdrukking van zijn mensen samenwerkten. Zij waren klaar om hun zetels in een troonruimte en Lord te nemen het over die vertrappeld door de legers van Messiah.

Zij waren als kinderen op zo vele manieren. Zij leefden in een fantasiewereld van Joodse legers onder een strijder Messiah. Zij droomden van glorious slagen en golven van slagvlaggen die onder een zon golven die niet zou plaatsen tot zij de Romeinen vanaf het Heilige Land van hun God hadden geslagen. Zij werden het niet enkel.

Toen hij van het Koninkrijk als onkruid in een goed bevolen tuin sprak, waren zij benieuwd waarom hij niet van het Koninkrijk als ceder van Libanon sprak. When he spoke of the Kingdom as yeast mixed in flour to make bread, they were dreaming of armies rising up for God. When he spoke of God as a woman looking for a lost coin, they were dreaming of wealth and power that comes through war and victory. When he spoke of God as a mother hen gathering her chicks to herself to protect them from the storm, they thought of storming the gates of Roman cities and conquering them for God. When he spoke of the Kingdom as a group of little children at play, they were plotting who would get the first and second seats of power in God’s Kingdom.

He knew that they would not stay with him. He knew that when they saw what happens to those who oppose both religious and political authorities, they would scatter like pigeons when the fox leaps into their midst. They sought a new order that would be a replica of the old order, an order based on power, domination, exploitation and when necessary war, victory and peace. He understood that they simply were not ready, nor were they willing, to understand that the Kingdom of God happens when people live as he had them live. That is why he kept telling them that the Kingdom of God is here. It has arrived! Look at me! See how we live together! See how we share! See how we heal and bring peace and wholeness to those with whom we eat. This is the Kingdom of God.

He had lived with them and in the heart of the living was the message. But they were looking for something else. They were not looking for a Kingdom based on God’s radical justice which brings utter Shalom, complete peace.

Irony of ironies! He found that aside from the woman who anointed him at Simon the Leper’s house, it was Pilot who really understood the radical nature of his mission and his life. Here at last someone understood what it was all about. Here is someone who understands and also knows that anyone who has an agenda that is so radically opposed to that of Rome must die. Here is someone who understands and who will have him executed for what he always has been: a radically subversive enemy of the Roman Empire and those Jewish religious and political leaders who owe their positions and wealth to Rome.

The God of whom he preaches and of whose Kingdom he lives in and out of is far too dangerous. He must be killed. With any luck his movement will die with him. Surely no group of people, no matter how dedicated, will be willing to continue this Kingdom living after he is gone. He fears that it will all have been in vain because they might think that he’ll come back and “fix it all” for them. He hopes that someday they will understand that whatever he has done they can do…and more.

Then darkness fell.

Author Bio:: Bishop Leland Somers is a semi-retired Old Catholic Bishop whose ministry is as a now and then homilist for Holy Spirit Ecumenical Catholic Church and a teacher and learner of the meaning of discipleship. He believes that only JESUS IS LORD and no other loyalties may come first and this is the only meaningful creed.

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