Lessons to be learned
from events of Holy Week

Speaking of Religion
The Rev. Dr. Tim Griffin

"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it." — Jesus
"Die before you die." — Muhammad

The holiest week of the Christian year begins with Palm Sunday on April 1 and concludes with Easter Sunday on April 8. During Holy Week Christians remember and relive the events of Jesus’ last days — his final week — that began with his triumphant entry into Jerusalem and concluded with his death and resurrection on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, respectively.
It is a week rich in emotion and symbolism.
Consider, for example, the range of emotions called forth during this week — celebration and exuberance as Jesus and his followers enter the city; anger and confrontation as Jesus challenges and is challenged by the religious authorities; pain at the betrayal and abandonment of trusted friends; agony at the realization of the end; suffering at the brutality of an imperial power; the mourning of death and the joy of new life.
A life’s worth of emotions lived out in the space of a week. On the level of the symbolism the week contains, for Christians, it reinterprets much of the symbolic meaning of Passover — the tyranny of the powerful; sacrifice; freedom; and new life.
In a week so rich in symbolism, it is not surprising that many theories have been offered to explain the various events. And naturally enough, no event of this week has invited more speculation than the crucifixion. This is because it is so difficult to make sense of the death of one many of us believe is the Messiah and God’s child.
How is it possible that he could die — and in such an ignoble way? (Unfortunately, this difficulty and the efforts to explain it have often created additional problems: Anti-Semitism and a distorted picture of God come immediately to mind.)
The account most of us grew up hearing is that Jesus’ death was a vicarious sacrifice to God for our sins. In other words, Jesus’ death was necessary in order to clean the slate and save us from God’s judgment and an eternity in hell.
I confess that this account never made much sense to me. More importantly, it does not fit Jesus’ own teachings about God, who he called "Father" and who he taught us to call "Father" as well.
So what was the point of Jesus’ death if not to save us from our sins?
I believe the above citations from Jesus and Muhammad are more to the point. Jesus died while confronting the structural injustices of a system that separated people from one another and from God.
Jesus died as many before and since have died when they confront religious and political authorities on behalf of those who have been marginalized by oppressive systems. And more importantly for our purposes, Jesus died to show us the way in which we must live if we are to be free.
And how is that?
We must be willing to follow Jesus. We must be willing to deny ourselves — to take up our cross daily and walk in the footsteps of Jesus. That is the way of freedom; that is the liberation of the cross.
And that is the point that Muhammad is making as well when he counsels that we must die before we die. If we are not willing to die for ourselves — if we are not willing to lay down our lives instead of chasing after security and a way of life that is risk-free — then we are as good as dead now.
True freedom demands that we be willing to give up everything, for Jesus’ sake and the sake of the gospel. That is the way of the cross, and the way of life Jesus calls us to. And most importantly, that is the path Jesus took before us. Following Jesus means being willing to do what Jesus did.
Participation in Jesus’ life, and hence in the life of God, means being willing to go where Jesus has gone before us. That is, we participate in Jesus’ life, and accordingly God’s life, when we act as Jesus acted. What else can it mean when Paul tells us to "put on Christ"?
Holy Week is upon us. Can we follow Jesus this week and throughout our lives? ••
Father Tim Griffin is priest-in-charge at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, at 1946 Welsh Road in Bustleton.