Holy Week

Reading assignment: Holy Week: Palm Sunday; Jesus weeps; Cleansing the Temple; The anointing at Bethany; Maundy Thursday.

In Luke 19, the crowd welcomes Jesus as king. Cloaks cover the road, praise rises, and the disciples rejoice over what they have seen. Yet Jesus does not mistake a loud welcome for a heart ready to receive him. When he sees Jerusalem, he weeps. He knows the city has missed the way of peace. Malcolm Guite’s Holy Week sonnets invite readers to let this story reach the Jerusalem within: the inward places where we welcome Jesus in words while resisting his rule in practice.

Palm Sunday gives us a useful question: Do I want Jesus to be king only when his way matches my hopes? The crowd’s praise is real, but praise alone does not show that a person has understood the peace Jesus brings. Take a quiet look at a choice, habit, or relationship where you may be keeping control. What would it mean to welcome Christ there in more than words?

Jesus’ tears show that his warning is not cold judgment. He grieves over a city that does not recognize what makes for peace. The book’s meditation on Jesus weeping brings that grief close: Christ meets human sorrow with mercy. His tears do not make harm harmless, but they show that God is not distant from a hurting world. If someone you know is grieving, listening without trying to fix the pain can be a faithful response.

The Temple scene asks what Jesus might need to overturn in the heart. Scripture shows that worship can become tangled with selfish gain; Jesus’ action calls people back to a house of prayer (Luke 19:45-46). Let this be an honest examination, not a reason to accuse someone else. What competes with prayer, compassion, or truth in your own inner life?

At Bethany, the anointing is a loving act that may look wasteful by ordinary measures. Love does not always prove its worth through efficiency. Maundy Thursday turns us toward the table and the astonishing humility of Jesus, who serves his friends. Together, these scenes challenge both self-protection and showy devotion: Christ receives costly love and teaches his people to serve.

Read the passage slowly once more. Notice where the crowd praises, where Jesus weeps, and where his actions challenge the city’s habits. You do not need to force a feeling. Sit with the scene, ask Christ for the peace you have missed, and name one step that would make room for it. If grief feels heavy or ongoing, talk with a pastor, counselor, or trusted friend.