Prepare for Easter

Friday, April 3, 2020

About My Father’s Business:

A Lenten Devotional Guide

But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

Luke 20:17-19

Did you ever notice how some people in authority will do anything to maintain their power? The Pharisees were the leaders in the synagogues. The people whom Jesus healed and taught were the people whom they were supposed to serve. But they saw in him an authority they did not have, and their teaching was empty compared to his. Their lives were comfortable, and they didn’t like the idea that he might disrupt that comfort.

The people were so openly interested in all Jesus said and did. So many of their lives had been changed through his ministry, and the religious leaders feared that there would be an uprising if they openly tried to get rid of Jesus. Rome allowed them to move about pretty freely as long as there was peace, but Rome would not tolerate an uprising!

So the Pharisees had to make some choices. Ignore Jesus and hope he’d go away. Tolerate him and try to overcome his popularity with the people. Figure out a way to rid themselves of this pest. They chose the latter.

What about us? Tolerate? Ignore? Deny? Accept? Receive?

Father, With joy we receive you. Amen

About My Father’s Business:

A Lenten Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church
of Homosassa, Florida
Spring 2010
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator