Walk with Jesus: Holy Week 2020-Thursday

This week, I'll be posting a study: Walk with Jesus: Holy Week 2020. You can download the entire study, or just visit this page every day. (If you download the pdf, you should be able to print it 2 pages to a sheet (8.5 x 11) if you set it to landscape.)
We'll journey through Israel, pausing to read and reflect at various events of His life and ministry. These events took place at specific locations, so you’ll learn a bit about Israel in 30AD, too. There are questions to inspire you to meditate on your response to Jesus’ ministry and how that may be different this year due to self-isolation and social distancing. After completing the daily study, take time to reflect and journal on the questions. If you are doing this study with friends, share you insights with each other. Each session has an activity to do as well to help you move faith into action.
Close each session with the prayer in the lesson.

Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus, walk with me and open my heart to what you would have me learn from these lessons. Amen.

Rule of Christ (Thursday): Jerusalem (Passover/Last Supper)

Passover was the one time of the year when faithful Jews sought to travel to Jerusalem.  Even those living far from Judea planned to make the trip to Jerusalem at least once in their life. Every spring a hundred thousand pilgrims thronged the city. All work ceased at noon on the day of the Passover. Men bought a ritual lamb from the Temple merchants to have it killed by the priests at the proper time. Three hours after noon, the shofar announced the beginning of the sacrifices.

Roman authority looked down on this display of religious fervor with a watchful eye. The governor and centurions were very aware that minor incidents could quickly escalate into major riots in the climate of anticipation and remembrance. Every year talk of Messiah circulated. Jesus’ arrival was greeted with songs of praise. The crowds were caught up in the religious and national fervor as they welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem.

How would have reacted to news that the famous rabbi was coming?

Is your heart at peace or do you find yourself trying to have a ‘normal’ Easter, at an unprecedented time?

Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for over a thousand years, since King David established his government within the walls. The city has seen many rulers come and go. Conquerors marched through the streets and tore down the walls. Each time, the Jews rebuilt the city with a faith that amazed their Gentile neighbors. Twelve gates surrounded the city. They were all shut at sunset when the Sabbath began so that no one could break the Law by conducting business within the walls on the holy day. Mud brick houses crammed the narrow streets. The main road from the Temple to the city gate was paved with stones but most of the streets were packed dirt. Thousands of sandal shod feet raised a cloud of dust over the city, which only settled after dark as people went to their camps and homes.

With a nod to the patronage of Mark Anthony, Herod the Great built the Fortress of Antonia on the north side of the Temple. This housed the Roman cohort and governor, to the despair of devout Jews. Gentiles could gaze into the holy precincts even during religious celebrations. This led to riots such as the violence when the Roman standard was placed on the very entrance to the Temple. The governor wisely ordered the eagle removed to placate the populace.

Read  Matthew 23:37-39

Jesus mourns over the Holy City, while chiding the leaders for “killing the prophets”. In what ways are we blind to the prophets among us?

Is it comforting to know that God desires to gather all God’s children together?

Shining in the sunlight and visible above the city walls sat the Temple. It dominated the capital from the high ground on the eastern side of Jerusalem. Herod the Great doubled the size of the old temple built by Solomon. The walls were made of golden limestone. This grand edifice, home of the worship of ADONAI, is the center of all Jewish religious and national pride. The priests and Temple scribes worked hard to maintain a favorable association with the Roman occupiers.

Read  Matthew 24:1-2

Jesus was not impressed by the magnificence of the Temple. Can we become blinded by appearances and not see the truth?

How do you feel at this time when traditions you hold dear are changed or missing?

The Market in Jerusalem was busy with the influx of the crowds for Passover. The many herbs and ingredients for the special meal were available for purchase, but sales must be completed at sundown when the shofar announces the beginning of Passover. Jesus and his disciples kept this tradition, and Jesus gave it a new and deeper meaning by linking it to his coming death.

Read  Matthew 26:20-29

Have you ever betrayed Our Lord, or do you feel betrayed because of uncertainty of life right now?

Jesus institutes the Last Supper (Holy Communion/Eucharist). When you receive the bread and wine, do you stop to think that it is a gift showing God’s love?

Take Action:

Make haroseth, or unleavened bread.

Pray through the Passover service, imagining being present with Jesus at the Last Supper. 

(Here's the recipe and service, if you didn't download the entire study.)

Today’s Prayer:

Living Christ, open my eyes to see your truth and my ears to hear your prophets amid the clamor and glamor of the world so that I may turn to you in the midst of worry and fear. Jesus, Prophet & Rabbi, here is my heart, cleanse it for service and praise of you each day so that I may welcome your love with joy. Amen.

 Prayer for Maundy Thursday:

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Epiphany: Orpah

So far in our Epiphany study of the Book of Ruth, we have met Elimelech and his sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Today we meet the bride of Chilion-Orpah. The image shows a young Middle Eastern woman spinning, a common task for women.

Here is Orpah’s story:

My name is Orpah. It means ‘fawn’ and I guess that is appropriate because I always had long legs and a longer than normal neck. I was a clumsy child, but by the time I was old enough to be wed, I had learned to not trip over everything. I was never as graceful as many other women in my village in Moab, but I knew how to carry myself proudly and walk tall.

My father was eager to see me married. The men in town remembered my clumsiness as a child and joked that any child of mine would also be gangly and clumsy. A few said other, coarser things about my long legs that brought tears to my eyes. I wasn’t supposed to hear them, but I have sharp ears.

When the Hebrew farmer Elimelech settled in our area, with his two sons, it was the perfect opportunity to find me a husband. My father made a contract with Elimelech so that I would marry his younger son, Chilion, when he was old enough.

Chilion’s mother, Naomi, was a kind woman. I learned she had lived a difficult life. She was one of the multitudes who had wandered from Egypt through Moab to settle in Canaan. They family returned to Moab because of a famine in Beyt-Lehem where they had made a home.

I was wed to Chilion not long after his father died. My friend Ruth married Mahlon, Chilion’s older brother, at the same time. Naomi was deep in grief and we tried to befriend her. We took over some of the household chores until Naomi was able to put aside her mourning.

Chilion was a kind husband. He was nothing like the men of Moab who seemed to spend a lot of time at various festivals and feasts. We had many gods.
Chilion and his family worshipped the One God who had no real name. There were new customs and ceremonies to learn about this God. Naomi patiently taught Ruth and me how to make the special foods for their feasts. They were different than what I was used to. One was the unleavened bread for the important Passover celebration that memorialized the departure from Egypt.

Even though he participated, I don’t think Chilion was ever as religious as his mother. She had experiences of the actions of the One God that he did not. Sometimes, she would tell us about her childhood during what she called ‘the Exodus’. It was a time of travel and of relying on this strange nameless God for food and direction.

I was fascinated by the stories; but couldn’t really understand how a God who rescued people from slavery would then kill some of them for worshipping a golden calf or complaining about conditions. Naomi insisted that this One God was really good, all powerful, and had created everything. It made me wonder about the stories I had learned about our own pantheon of gods with Baal as the head.

Ultimately, I decided that Baal was like this One God, and our other gods were helpers. It seemed to work, but when tragedy struck, I didn’t know where to look for consolation.

Chilion and Mahlon were both killed by raiders. It was a blow I wasn’t sure Naomi would recover from. She tore her clothing and threw dirt on her head and wailed loudly. Ruth and I huddled with her, offering what comfort we could. The three of us were in a bad position. As widows we had no one to care for us. Anyone could take our property and even abuse us.

I knew my father would take me back, although I also knew he would rather not because he would have to find another husband for me. And I still had a couple sisters at home to marry off.

Gradually Naomi sold her dowry coins so that we could have food. She refused to let me, or Ruth, use our dowries. Several times she urged us to return to our homes. Ruth stubbornly shook her head, as did I.

Then one day, Naomi announced she was returning to Beyt-Lehem, which she always called by the ancient name of Ephrath.

“I’ve arranged with a trader traveling that way. I will travel with him. The people of Ephrath will care for me as a widow because the Law of Moses mandates it. Orpah and Naomi, you have been daughters to me. Now it is time to say good-bye. Return to your families. I have no sons in my body that you might wait for.”

We tearfully argued with her. Finally, I turned away and left her with Ruth. Maybe I just wasn’t brave enough to set off into the unknown. I returned to my father’s house. He will find me another husband, I’m sure. At least I will be cared for by my family. Ruth went with Naomi and I sometimes wonder what happened to them.



Orpah found it hard to reconcile the gods she knew with the One God. How might you explain God to her, or someone who doesn’t know about God?
Orpah was not able to leave the familiar places she knew to journey with Naomi. What might you have done in her place?

© Cynthia Davis 2020

Epiphany: Mahlon & Chilion

Last week we met Elimelech of Bethlehem. Today we meet his sons, Mahlon and Chilion, from the Book of Ruth. They are rather minor players in the drama, yet it is only because of their marriages do we meet the heroine of the story. The image is one artist’s rendering of the marriage of the young men to Orpah and Ruth. Mahlon tells their story: 

We are brothers. I am Mahlon and he is Chilion. We were born in Bethlehem Ephrath in the land that used to be Canaan. The Children of Israel preferred to call the town Ephrath rather than Beyt-lehem because of some local god named Lehem. Most people in the area called it Beyt-lehem though, and so did I.

Our father told us of the long years of travel before the Children of Israel arrived and settled the land of the Canaanites. He explained how each tribe was given land in the new country and how the residents were displaced. It seemed very exciting compared to the dull life we led as boys.

We were not very old when the Great Famine happened. Father decided that we would all be better off if we crossed back over the Jordan River to Moab. I was glad to leave and see new places. But it was a long walk. Even though we had a donkey, Father insisted that it would carry our household goods, and that we couldn’t ride.

“You are young and strong.” I remember he told us. “You can walk just as well as your mother. See how she isn’t complaining.”

Mother never did complain. She went along with whatever Father said. I think she was sad to leave her friends. She never made very many new friends in Moab.

I missed my friends, too. Most of all, I missed Boaz. He was older than Chilion and me. Still, he let us tag along when he went with his father to check the fields. His father, Salmon, was famous. He was one of the spies that helped the Children of Israel conquer Jericho. His mother was famous, too, for some reason. I was never sure why.

Anyway, we arrived in Moab after a trek of days and days and days. I didn’t think we would ever stop. Even after we rode the barge across the Jordan, we walked and walked until Father found a place he liked. Finally, Father found land and we settled into a house. It was similar to the one we left, but everything else was strange.

We had to learn to speak the different dialect and learn new customs. The people in Moab worshipped a different god, called Baal. Really, they had a bunch of gods, but Baal was the chief. It was very confusing.

Mother always stressed that the Israelites had just the One True God. She insisted that we continue to do keep Hebrew traditions that we had always done. The Passover was especially important. Every year, we had to kill a lamb and recite the story of the Passover and Exodus. Chilion, as youngest, always got to ask the important question, ‘Why is this night different than all other nights?’ The story was thrilling. Even though it happened before Mother or Father was even born, they always recited it as if it was occurring again and again.

It was a terrible day when Father died. Luckily, we had learned how to work the fields before he was struck down. One day he was perfectly healthy, the next he was bedridden and in less than a week he was dead. We buried him in a grave on our land. Mother was inconsolable. “We are strangers in this land. Who will have pity on a widow and her sons?”

I tried to reassure her that my brother and I would care for her, but I don’t think she believed it at first. She seemed to think of us as still little boys, not the grown men we were. Luckily Father had already arranged for us to marry local girls. Their families agreed to continue with the contracts. I was wed to a girl named Ruth. Chilion married Orpah.

We were happy enough with our wives. They were pretty and helped Mother with the tasks and cooking. I was relieved to see that having our wives nearby eased Mother’s grief. She seemed to enjoy teaching the young women some of the recipes of Judah.

Marriage to local girls gave us some credibility with the town leaders. Chilion and I were even allowed to visit one of their temples and were invited to participate in a local holy day celebration. I think Mother worried about that. She didn’t say anything, but she taught Ruth and Orpah how to make the many special dishes for the Passover feast, and we celebrated it just like always.

Ruth asked me to explain it to her. I’m not sure I did a very good job. I just mumbled something about it being God’s command and the way the Children of Israel didn’t die in Egypt. Honestly, I was never sure myself why it was so important. The festivals of the people in Moab seemed much more exciting. There was much dancing and…other things I would never tell Mother or Ruth about.

I know Ruth spoke to Mother about Passover and the other special days. She quit going to the local festivals, as did Orpah. It was almost as if she had taken my faith, and I had started to accept hers.

“It’s how I can honor your heritage and your mother’s faith,” she explained. “When we have children, you will want to teach them the faith of your people.”

We do not have any children, yet. Perhaps someday soon. Then I will need to do as Ruth says, and remember the ways of my father and the Children of Israel. For now, it is easier to go along with the local customs and to remember the Hebrew feasts with Mother.

©Cynthia Davis 2020


It was difficult for Mahlon to relate to the events of the Exodus because they seemed so long ago. Does that happen with you or anyone you know when reading the Bible?

How do you stay firm in your faith, even with peer pressure? 

God's Covenant Meal

During the class this week, we discussed the words ‘covenant’ and ‘testament.’ They are similar, yet different. According to a dictionary of Biblical usage, the word ‘testament’ is more often used in relation to dealing between humans, while ‘covenant’ is used for agreements between God and humanity. Both are from the Hebrew "berith." 

A covenant is more than a contract. A covenant established by God is not negated by our failure or defaulting on our part of the agreement. God's blessing will still happen-aren't we glad that is true! This is true because God's covenants are based in Grace. Our response should be similar to Psalm 51, which is often prayed (read or sung) during Lent to remind us of our need to repent.

With the Psalmist, we pray, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love...Against thee, thee only, have I sinned...Hide thy face from my sins...and blot out all my iniquities...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me...The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Ancient peoples often sealed a treaty or covenant with a meal. One example is the meal Jacob and Laban share (Genesis 21:51-54) God also covenanted with God’s people again and again. Examples are the Rainbow covenant in Genesis 9:8-17 and the meal Abraham shared with the 3 visitors (angels) in Genesis 18. Joseph shared a meal with his brothers after he was reconciled with them.

Passover is the most important of the Old Testament covenant meals. Exodus 12 tells the institution of the Feast of Passover. Despite 9 different plagues, Pharaoh refuses to let the Children of Israel leave Egypt. Finally, God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to mark their doorframes with the blood of a lamb and to prepare a feast to be eaten with “your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand.” The Angel of the Lord comes to Egypt and the “Lord smote the all first born in the land of Egypt…there was not a house where one was not dead.” However, the families of the Hebrews are spared because as the Lord promised, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you.”

From that time forward, the Jewish people have repeated the Passover meal every year. It is now a week long remembrance, culminating with the Seder meal. It usually falls near Easter. This year, Passover starts on April 19. In the class on Thursday, we did a slightly simplified Seder. There are two parts to a Seder-the symbolic, one could say liturgical, part and the meal itself. It was during this symbolic remembrance that Jesus instituted the Eucharist. (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark14:17-25, Luke 22:19-20) During class we repeated the ancient symbolic remembrance of the Passover event. There are four distinct parts to the Seder:

The First Cup, of Thanksgiving, followed by the hand washing and breaking of the first matzo and hiding the Afikomen.

The Second Cup of Haggadah or Telling (of the events of Passover and the symbolism of the foods) and the Blessing of the Foods

The Third Cup, of Redemption, where the hope for Messiah (for the Jewish people) is expressed with the chair for Elijah. This is when the hidden matzo (Afikomen) is found and shared.

The Fourth Cup of Melchizedek and Blessing ends the remembrance part of the Seder. In the context of a family gathering, a real meal would be shared then. On Saturday, I was privileged to be at Epiphany Episcopal in Socorro where we also recreated the Seder and then had lunch.

All of us at the class on Thursday and in Socorro found it very moving to participate in recreating the meal. Everyone agreed that the Eucharist or Communion itself will be more meaningful this Sunday after experiencing the Seder. If you get the chance, participating in a Seder will help you understand more clearly what our Lord meant when he said “this is my Body” and “this is my Blood.”

I close today with the ancient blessing that ends the Seder: "The Lord bless thee and keep thee: The Lord make His face to shine upon thee and have mercy on thee! May the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and give thee peace!” To which all respond “Amen, Amen, Amen.”

Next week we will look at the Triumph of Christ in Jerusalem as we enter Holy Week.