We have the privilege of reliving these events after it has transpired so that we can continue to learn from these narratives. Does our seemingly good intention have a hidden ill effect? Do we just join outreach programs for show or do we really want to help the less fortunate? Do we treat as collateral damage other personalities that have hindered our selfish ambition for more power so that we may solidify our privileged position in civil society?

The greater good seems to have been placed on the back burner in order for evil desires to take over. There’s no rejoicing and wonder for a man who was brought back to life. There’s no love for a woman’s actions in honor of Our Lord. There are only envious looks and maleficent plans being percolated. What good can come out of this?

God always knows the bigger picture. This seeming defeat at the hands of evildoers is just the pretext to a defining triumph. We are reassured that even if we plunged into darkness and despair, the Lord will save us because he has gained victory over the abyss of death. We will always be in his love as long as we don’t give in to our sinful nature. We need to keep praying and stay on course because through his grace, everything will fall into place in his appointed time.

by Max Lucado

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again."
Matthew 20:18–19

The road from Jericho to Jerusalem was just fourteen miles. A half-day's journey. Jesus is at the front of his band of disciples. A young soldier marching into battle.

As Jesus states his mission, forget any suggestion that he was trapped and made a miscalculation. Ignore any speculation that the cross was a last-ditch attempt to salvage a dying mission.

These words tell us that Jesus died . . . on purpose. No surprise. No hesitation. No faltering.

The way Jesus marched to his death leaves no doubt: he had come to earth for this moment. The journey to the cross had begun long before leaving Jericho. As the echo of the crunching of the fruit was still sounding in the Garden of Eden, Jesus was leaving for Calvary.

Jesus stepped toward Jerusalem with the promise of God in his heart. The divinity of Christ assured the humanity of Christ, and Jesus spoke loud enough for the pits of hell to vibrate: "And the third day He will rise again."

Is there a Jerusalem in your horizon? Are you on a brief journey from painful encounters? Are you only steps away from the walls of your own heartache?

Learn a lesson from your master. The next time you find yourself on a Jericho road marching toward Jerusalem, put the promises of God on your lips. When the blackness of oppression settles around you, draw courage from the Word of God. 'Tis wise to march into Jerusalem with the promise of God in your heart.

by Max Lucado

"Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil."
- John 12:3

She was the only one who believed him. Whenever he spoke of his death, the others shrugged or doubted, but Mary believed. Mary believed because he spoke with a firmness she'd heard before.

"Lazarus, come out!" he'd demanded, and her brother came out. After four days in a stone-sealed grave, he walked out.

And as Mary kissed the now-warm hands of her just-dead brother, she turned and looked. Tear streaks were dry and the teeth shone from beneath the beard. Jesus was smiling.

And in her heart she knew she would never doubt his words.

So when he spoke of his death, she believed.

"Now is the right time," she told herself.

It wasn't an act of impulse. She'd carried the large vial of perfume from her house to Simon's. It wasn't a spontaneous gesture. But it was an extravagant one. The perfume was worth a year's wages. Maybe the only thing of value she had. It wasn't a logical thing to do, but since when has love been led by logic?

Common sense hadn't wept at Lazarus's tomb. Love did, though. Extravagant, risky, chance-taking love.

And now someone needed to show the same to the giver of such love.

So Mary did. She stepped up behind him and stood with the jar in her hand. She began to pour. Over his head. Over his shoulders. Down his back. She would have poured herself out for him, if she could.

The fragrance of the sweet ointment rushed through the room.

"Wherever you go," the gesture spoke, "breathe the aroma and remember one who cares."

The other disciples mocked her extravagance, but don't miss Jesus' prompt defense of Mary. "Why are you troubling this woman? She did an excellent thing for me."

Jesus' message is just as powerful as it was then. "There is a time for risky love. There is a time to pour out your affections on one you love. And when the time comes—seize it, don't miss it."

by Max Lucado

"And He said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer," but you have made it a "den of thieves."'"
- Matthew 21:13

It was Passover week. The Passover was the highlight of the Jewish calendar. People came from all regions and many countries to be present for the celebration. Upon arriving, they were obligated to meet two requirements.

First, an animal sacrifice, usually a dove. The dove had to be perfect, without blemish. If you brought a sacrifice from your own source, it would be considered insufficient by the authorities in the temple. So, under the guise of keeping the sacrifice pure, the sellers sold doves—at their price.

Second, the people had to pay a yearly temple tax. During Passover, the tax had to be rendered in local currency. Knowing many foreigners would be in Jerusalem to pay the tax, money changers conveniently set up tables and offered to exchange the foreign money for local—for a modest fee, of course.

It's not difficult to see what angered Jesus. Pilgrims journeyed days to see God, to witness the holy, to worship his Majesty. But before they were taken into the presence of God, they were taken to the cleaners.

Want to anger God? Get in the way of people who want to see him. Exploit people in the name of God.

In Christ stormed. Doves flapped and tables flew. People scampered and traders scattered.

This was not an impulsive show or temper tantrum. It was a deliberate act with an intentional message. God will never hold guiltless those who exploit the privilege of worship.

Christ's passion on Monday is indignance. There are hucksters in God's house. Remember why Jesus purged the temple. Those closest to it may be the farthest from it.

You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.
(John 12:8)

Why would Jesus say this? Did he really want his followers to ignore the poor? Of course not! He knew that Judas wasn't really concerned about the needy - he was hoarding the money for himself. No, Jesus wanted to make sure that they didn't miss out on the short time they had left with him.

As we begin Holy Week, Jesus is saying something similar to us. In a special way, we "have" Jesus all week long. He knows that we will face lots of competing needs, distractions, and tasks. In a sense, these are the "poor" that we may be tempted to use as an excuse for why we shouldn't pour ourselves out on the Lord this week, just as Mary anointed Jesus' feet.

So resolve to spend time with him every day this week. Start your day in prayer. Try to get to Mass. Spend half an hour each day reading one of the passion narratives in the Bible. Seek out opportunities to help the real poor in your community—one of the best ways to meet Jesus face to face. Your duties will still be there when you return to them.

Don't be afraid to rearrange your priorities for just these few days. You may need to put off an activity until later or give less time to your daily chores. Who knows? You may even discover a more efficient way to get it all done!

That gathering at Bethany may well have been the last time that Mary and Martha and Lazarus saw Jesus before his passion and death. Thanks to Mary's act of worship and love, the meal took on a new and beautiful meaning. Her devotion to Jesus transformed the event into something that is still recalled two millennia later. God promises that if you pour yourself out on the Lord this week, you too can change the atmosphere in your home. So don't worry about the distractions right now. They'll be waiting for you next week. Just spend time with the Lord.

"Jesus, help me to place you first this week. May I not get so busy with other things that I miss out on all that you have for me this Holy Week!"