Holy Week Devotional: A Poem Based on Matthew 21–26 (Easter Reflection)

Holy Week is here.

Palm branches wave
hosanna come to save,
misunderstood Messiah
turned tables move by ya,
cursing the fruitless fig
authority questioned big. (Okay…the rhyming is now going to stop.)

Be the son who obeys
not the tenants who destroy
divide and kill
the Master’s servants
and Son.

Holy week is here.

Nothing is more important 
than the Wedding Feast,
come and celebrate
dressed appropriately.

Give to Caesar Caesar’s,
give to God God’s.
The resurrection is coming,
all relationships changed
for good,
with the God of the living
not of the dead.

Holy week is here.

Jesus questioned by Pharisees and Sadducees,
this is sad—you see
they question the greatest commandment—
Love God—Love your neighbor.

Whose son is the Christ
if David calls him Lord?
If then David calls him Lord
how is he his son?
No more questions.

Now only conspiring and conniving,
Jesus condemning,
bringing woe to the Scribes and Pharisees,
for His disciples and crowds,
hypocrisy and heartless leaders
shutting the Kingdom.

Blind guides
full of greed and self-indulgence,
whitewashed tombs
full of dead men’s bones—
hypocrites.

Holy week is here.

The temple will be torn down.
Not one stone on top of another.
Many will come lying
I am the Christ.
Don’t listen.
Wars and rumors of wars,
earthquakes and famines,
birth pains begin.

Tribulation and trial will come.
Many will fall away.
The love of many grows cold.
Those who endure to the end
will be saved.
The Gospel of the Kingdom will
be proclaimed throughout the whole world—
a testimony to all nations.

Again the abomination of desolation
will come—life will be hard.
These hard days will be cut short
until the Son of Man comes on the clouds.
Angels sent out 
to gather the elect
from every nation.

Watch the fig tree.
Summer is near.
He is almost here.
Earth will pass—
His Words will not.

No one knows 
the Day or hour
the Son of Man 
will come
and find the faithful and wise 
servant awake—
working—not sleeping.

Holy week is here.

Have oil in your lamps.
Don’t bury your talent.
Invest it.
The Master is coming
expecting a return.

When He returns
the Shepherd will separate 
sheep from goats.
Sheep inherit the Kingdom.
Had clothed and fed
the Master.
Goats did not.
They go away punished—
the sheep to eternal life.

Holy week is here.

And the religious leaders
perceive Jesus speaks against them.
Correct perception.
Their plots increase to arrest
Jesus by stealth to kill.

In Bethany a woman approaches
to waste an expensive
alabaster flask of ointment.
What a waste!
Give to the poor.
No.
What she has done is beautiful.
She’ll be remembered by all.
She’s prepared me for burial.

Judas is frustrated.
What will you give 
if I hand him over?
Thirty pieces of silver
will do.
He looks for his chance.

My time is here.
Go prepare the Passover.
One of you will betray me.
Not I.
Is it I?
You have said so.

Take, eat.
Take, drink.
My blood of the covenant
for the forgiveness of sins.
All will fall away.
When the Shepherd 
is striked
the sheep will scatter.

Holy Week is here.

Sit and watch.
Stay awake.
Father take the cup.
Not my will
but yours
What?
You can’t stay awake?
Rise—we gotta go.
My betrayer is here.

The crowd and priests
come with swords and clubs.
Betrayed with a kiss.
Do what you came to do.
A sword swings.
An ear falls.
Put your sword away.
Twelve legions of angels
could come with a call.
Yet, you come after all this time,
with swords and clubs? 
This is not your work.
This is taking place to fill-full
the Scriptures of the prophets.

Jesus bound.
The disciples flee.
False testimonies fly.
Jesus—speechless.
Until He speaks
and says they will see 
Him coming on the clouds
of heaven.
Robes torn.
He deserves death.

Peter denies—
three times.
The rooster crows.
His hour is here.

Holy week is here.

In summary,
so much condensed 
into this week
for you,
for me,
for the world.

Pride and power confronted.
Humility for the sorrowful,
displayed in word and deed,
through body and blood,
laid down on the tree
for you and me.

Holy week is here.