Wednesday: Psalm 113-117, Numbers 16, Mark 14

from Heather Madden

I have always loved this passage. A woman shows extravagant love by breaking a flask of very costly ointment and pouring it over Jesus' head.

At that time women were often not respected and certainly rarely honored in public. It was a bold move for this woman to perform this act, and yet she extravagantly displays her love for all to see. It didn’t matter to her what others thought, or what was considered appropriate. She instead lavished love on Jesus by giving all she had. Jesus then boldly honored the woman by speaking on her behalf before others who were looking down their noses at her actions.

Are we willing to extravagantly worship Jesus as this woman did, even at the risk of embarrassing ourselves? What would it look like to worship Jesus with unabashed, extravagant worship? How would we worship Jesus if we knew no one else was watching?

Dear Lord, teach us how to worship you without thinking about others, but instead help us to see ourselves standing before your throne, worshiping you. Help us to give more of ourselves to you in our worship today than we did yesterday. Teach us Lord to worship you with our whole selves, and Lord show what that means to each one of us.

Heather Madden enjoys life by the ocean with her husband., Kelly. By day she is a joy-bringer to the elderly. In her free time she enjoys walks in beautiful places and great meals with family and friends.

Monday: Psalm 107, 108, Numbers 11-12, Matthew 26

from Brittany Yeager

“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Jesus’ words to Peter in Gethsemane articulate so well the juxtaposition of the Christian life. I needn’t think long to recall examples from my own life in which my spirit of willingness is overpowered by my weakened flesh. I love to be loving and present, but the brokenness and pain of others can give me excuse to be critical and distant. I long to be patient and understanding, yet anger resides just beneath the surface and squelches my intentions.

Jesus’ words ring true in the lives on the disciples here in Matthew’s gospel account. Moments before their slumber, Jesus has told them that they will all fall away because of him this very night. Led by Peter, they all respond, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And yet, they sleep while their Lord suffers sorrow and anguish in his soul. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.

In stark contrast, here in the garden, we glimpse Jesus’ willingness to engage this tension to by communing with and confessing his weakness to the Father in order that his weakened flesh might be conformed to the will of his Father, even unto death. His flesh is weak (“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me...”), but his spirit is indeed willing (“...nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”).

Where might Jesus be speaking these words in our own lives? Where has our weakness of flesh overpowered our willing spirit to the point of slumber? Wake up! Go to dark Gethsemane and see our Savior inviting us to stay up with him, to watch, and to pray. May we respond in alert faith to his invitation, entering his prayer of submission, “Not my will, but yours be done.” For our spirit is indeed willing, but our flesh is weak.

I live in Arlington with Jon and our newly minted six-year old, Ellie. We are all enjoying the chance to get outside on these warmer days; so long, winter!

Friday: Psalm 104, 105, Leviticus 26, Mark 8:11-38

from Jeff Banks

“Do you still not see or understand?” Jesus asks the disciples after telling them about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod (Mark 8:17). He repeats this question again a few verses later and then heals a blind man. Lots of language about sight and perception—why?

Voltaire once quipped that “in the beginning God created man in his own image, and man has been trying to repay the favor ever since.” It’s easy to make Jesus in our own image, rather than seeing him as he is. Wise sage, miracle worker, prophet, do-gooder, revolutionary: there are so many ways to see Jesus (and perhaps they all say something true about him). But how does Jesus himself want us to see him?

In this chapter of Mark’s gospel, Jesus wants his disciples to see him as the Son of Man who must suffer, be rejected by the religious authorities, die, and rise again (Mark 8:31). He “speaks plainly” about these things so that they might get it. They don’t.

Perhaps we can empathize. It’s more than counter-intuitive to see Jesus as this suffering servant; it’s offensive.

 But as heirs of a church that has used him to justify crusades and pogroms—a church that has painted him with blonde hair and blue eyes and justified slavery—we need to see him as the suffering servant who went the way of the cross.

In a couple of days, we are going to celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We’ll wave our palm fronds and exclaim, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” All this is right and good. Jesus is the rightful king who is coming to take his place above the authorities of this world. 

Yet let us keep Good Friday in the back of our minds even as we celebrate his coming into Jerusalem and remember that he is the king who comes to suffer, be rejected, die, and rise again. Yes, it will mean that our joy is pierced by an awareness of the world’s brokenness, but it will also lead us to behold the Messiah as he wants to be seen.

 I’m married to Anna and proud dog-parent to Ginger, who has more friends than I do. We live in east Cambridge and love being part of the Cambridge/Somerville neighborhood group.