During the season of Lent, I have emphasized that in order to truly understand the wonder of God's redemptive work revealed in Jesus and the resurrection, we first have to understand and face ourselves, our nature, and our sin, both individual and collective.
Holy Week begins with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and ends with the empty tomb and the resurrection. From the beginning of Holy Week until the end, the nature of human culture is painfully evident. The crowds that welcome Jesus at the beginning of the week are manipulated by the powers that be and turn against Jesus by the end of the week. The encounter with the money changers reveals how the worship of God had become an instrument for greed and monetary gain. Peter's denial of Jesus reveals our cowardice. Judas' betrayal. The crucifixion. The list of acts and omissions during Holy Week that reveal our darkness and sin goes on and on.
We must understand who we truly are in order to understand who God truly is. God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness has no limits. We know this because despite what human nature is, revealed before Holy Week, evident during Holy Week, and revealed in every generation, God is preoccupied with nothing but our redemption and salvation.
Supporting the work and mission of Caney Spring United Methodist Church and Berlin United Methodist Church, two churches partnered in the ministry of making disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world, located in Marshall County, Tennessee.
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