DAY 69

BE PASSIONATE!

Deuteronomy 10, 11 & 12 and Mark 12:1-27

I went back a read a little of Deuteronomy chapter 9. In it I found that Moses lay on the ground prostrate before the Lord God for 40 days and nights. He then came down the mountain and was so upset that he threw the stone tablets that God had made – talk about breaking the good china! I got thinking about him, he was a passionate guy for the Lord. Then I began seeing in chapters 10, 11 and 12 passion. In chapter 10 the Levite’s are to be so passionate for the Lord, so committed to him that they don’t even own any land. Further God tells them to “circumcise their hearts” and cut away all that makes them stubborn. In chapter 11 we see more passion: in dramatic language God says that He is setting before them a blessing or a curse – no middle lukewarm ground here. Then in chapter 12 we read about how people are to tear down altars. It all seems so intense and so passionate.

In Mark there is no lack of passion in the parable of the tenants. The tenants are so focused on greed that they kill servants and son. The owner responds in kind. Jesus of course is again in the Temple, and it is Holy Week. In Matthew’s account he adds that the Chief Priests and Pharisees knew Jesus was referring to them, and so they left in order to plot how to arrest him (cf. Mt 21:45-46).

The testing of Jesus in the Temple continues. I love Jesus’ sense of humor. The bit about taxes is brilliant. None of them were supposed to have Roman coins in the Temple – it is forbidden. When he says show me a coin, and one of them actually does, “oops, that is a little embarrassing”. The tone of course is much more serious. The questions are all part of the fervor that is growing against Jesus that will lead to his arrest, scourging and crucifixion – His Passion.

As I type this we are in Lent, a few weeks from Holy Week. In Lent we do look forward to what awaits. I am struck by how in the Old Testament God is encouraging us to be passionate, and how in the New Testament we see Jesus walking head on into His.