Passion Week Devotional: Tuesday
By Julie Jewell
Conflict, questions, and love represent Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus was making some people mad, specifically the Sadducees and the Pharisees. He was creating conflict everywhere he went, but he did not shy away from it or back down. The Pharisees peppered him with questions hoping to entrap him so they could justify arresting him.
First, they asked him about paying taxes to Cesar. Jesus responded with a question, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?” and then continued to give a very logical explanation about giving to Cesar what is Cesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. Scripture says the Pharisees “marveled” and then left him and went away.
Later that day the Sadducees came to him with round number two asking Jesus a question about multiple brothers who had died and married the same woman. “In the resurrection, therefore of the seven (brothers) whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” At this point I can see Jesus rolling his eyes (this is not in the Bible, just my thoughts!) He responds with “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God…He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
Finally, the Sadducees and the Pharisees decided to team up and try to trick Jesus with one more question. One of them asked “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus responded “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The Sadducees and Pharisees were very familiar with the first commandment Jesus gave from Deuteronomy 6:4 but the second was new. Love your neighbor as yourself? Who is your neighbor and how do you love them as you love yourself?
This Easter, and always we can meditate on loving our God with all our heart, soul, and mind for who He is. He loves us so much he sent his son Jesus to Earth to be antagonized, tortured, and crucified on the cross. Thankfully, it did not end there and three days later he was resurrected from the grave so that we can have eternal hope and a relationship with the God of the Universe. How can we love our neighbor as ourselves? We can love our neighbors who are our literal neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and family by telling them about Jesus. Sometimes that looks like actually telling them boldly about Jesus and how he has changed your life and other times it could be just simply loving them by helping in some practical way, being a listening ear or sending them some encouragement. This Easter, remember how much you are loved by God, love Him back with your heart, soul, and mind, and then go out and share the love!
Questions:
First, they asked him about paying taxes to Cesar. Jesus responded with a question, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?” and then continued to give a very logical explanation about giving to Cesar what is Cesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. Scripture says the Pharisees “marveled” and then left him and went away.
Later that day the Sadducees came to him with round number two asking Jesus a question about multiple brothers who had died and married the same woman. “In the resurrection, therefore of the seven (brothers) whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” At this point I can see Jesus rolling his eyes (this is not in the Bible, just my thoughts!) He responds with “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God…He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
Finally, the Sadducees and the Pharisees decided to team up and try to trick Jesus with one more question. One of them asked “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus responded “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The Sadducees and Pharisees were very familiar with the first commandment Jesus gave from Deuteronomy 6:4 but the second was new. Love your neighbor as yourself? Who is your neighbor and how do you love them as you love yourself?
This Easter, and always we can meditate on loving our God with all our heart, soul, and mind for who He is. He loves us so much he sent his son Jesus to Earth to be antagonized, tortured, and crucified on the cross. Thankfully, it did not end there and three days later he was resurrected from the grave so that we can have eternal hope and a relationship with the God of the Universe. How can we love our neighbor as ourselves? We can love our neighbors who are our literal neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and family by telling them about Jesus. Sometimes that looks like actually telling them boldly about Jesus and how he has changed your life and other times it could be just simply loving them by helping in some practical way, being a listening ear or sending them some encouragement. This Easter, remember how much you are loved by God, love Him back with your heart, soul, and mind, and then go out and share the love!
Questions:
- What do you think it looks like to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind by breaking those three areas down in your daily life?
- Think of 2 or 3 “neighbors” you can love as you love yourself. Start praying for them and an opportunity to share Jesus with them as well as thinking of a way you can practically love them right now.
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