Getting under folks' skin

A reading for the Tuesday of Holy Week:

Oh my!

What a day!

What on earth is Jesus playing at?

We thought he’d done his worst in the temple,

upsetting all the merchants and money changers

But today he went his duster with the scribes

and the Pharisees

and the Sadducees

and pretty much anyone else who crossed his path.

Maybe he thought he was being subtle.

Maybe he thought they wouldn’t see through his parables

But, hey, it was staring us all in the eye.

His message was clear and hard hitting.

We’ve messed up

And all our good deeds and intentions

will not save us.

Maybe we tried too hard.

It seemed like Jesus was saying

that there is nothing we can do,

that nothing will ever be enough

UNLESS we love first.

He was in his element today, surrounded by folk

all listening to him

asking questions

trying to trip him up.

But every time,

he managed to bat things back

and challenge their long held assumptions.

It was quite amusing to watch the religious hierarchy

being knocked off their perches.

But then it got a bit uncomfortable, a bit near the bone

and it seemed like we’d ALL got it wrong.

That wiped the smirks off our faces.

It wasn’t so funny then.

And, to top it off he started to spout some

real doom and gloom.

About the temple being destroyed and about the last Judgement.

We came away reeling.

Mind you, I think we were lucky to get away at all.

They’re really baying for his blood now.

His days are certainly numbered.

And either he doesn’t know that

or he doesn’t care.

Either way, it’s not looking good.

A death wish

or a last gasp attempt

to get his message across?

Who knows?

I tell you, though

we must be near the end of the road.

Liz Crumlish Lent 2010