Were You There (Good Friday)

 (Place yourself in this fictional glimpse based on the Gospels.)

 

 The streets were filled with people. Veronica maneuvered swiftly through the different crowds of people as you tried to keep up. It was hard to even comprehend what was happening. Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. Why? Jesus was not a criminal. He had done nothing wrong. You had never heard anyone preach as he had. Surely, his words came from heaven. 

  Veronica managed to work her way to the edge of the street. She grabbed your arm and pulled you next to her. You both kept looking anxiously down the road hoping not to see Jesus. You stood there praying as people pushed and yelled all around you. Then Veronica shrieked, and you felt her hand grasp your arm tightly. The Roman soldiers and the prisoner were approaching. You could see a man struggling to walk with the beam of the cross on his back. That couldn't be Jesus, but people were screaming out his name. This man had been beaten and was unrecognizable.

  The Roman soldiers began pushing the crowd back so they could get through. You stared at the man as he got closer. What was on his head causing all that blood? The procession then stopped a few feet away from where you were standing. The guards began yelling at some people in the crowd. The beaten man raised his head slightly and looked in your direction. Your whole body froze, and you realized that was Jesus! Veronica removed her veil and stepped toward Jesus.   You opened your mouth to stop her, but no sound came out. You stood there as if paralyzed. Veronica lovingly offered her veil to Jesus to wipe the blood streaming down his face. One of the guards turned his head and noticed Veronica as the veil was returned to her hands. He screamed at Veronica to move as she quickly stepped aside. Without thinking, you grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the street before being trampled or struck. 

  As the guards yelled at Jesus to continue moving forward, you pushed your way back through the crowd holding tightly to Veronica's arm. "What were you thinking, Veronica? Do you know how much danger you put yourself in?"

 Veronica turned her head towards you. Tears were running down her face as she answered. "Did you not see him? There was so much blood running down his face that he probably couldn't even see. I could not just stand there and do nothing. I know he is from God. I looked into his eyes as I offered my veil. I saw so much pain, yet I felt so much love. I know that doesn't make sense, but I didn't feel any anger, just love. I will never forget that moment.

 You stood looking at Veronica. She had risked everything to offer Jesus a single act of compassion. How could she have been so brave? Her faith was simple, trusting, and actually quite beautiful. You wondered why you allow your fears to interfere with your faith? You put your arms around your friend, admiring her faith and wishing you had her courage. Veronica looked down at her veil and gasped! On her veil was the face of Jesus! As you look at the miraculous image, you begin to comprehend the deeps of Jesus' love.

-Susan

Were You There (Lent Week 6)

 (Place yourself in this fictional glimpse based on the Gospels.)

  You stood outside the high priest's courtyard gate, partially hidden in the shadows.  A reliable source told you they had actually arrested Jesus! You were scared. Was this really happening? Why was it occurring this late at night? This just felt all wrong. You noticed Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, speaking with the gatekeeper. A moment later,  the gate was opened to Peter. You breathed a sigh of relief.  Peter will help Jesus.

 You stood there in the cold, trying to hear what was said. Peter was gathered around a fire along with some of the slaves and guards of the high priest. You watched as the maid who had let Peter in approached him. Apparently, she just recognized who Peter was and loudly accused Peter of being Jesus' disciple. A shock wave pelted through you. Peter shook his head and said, "No!" Why would Peter do that? You stare at Peter in disbelief. Peter looked very nervous. He did not look like the confident, boisterous man always at Jesus' side. His hands were shaking even though he warmed them by the fire.

 Not much was being discussed in the courtyard that you could hear. You wondered what was going on inside with Jesus. Then you heard a deep voice yell across the fire, "Aren't you one of his disciples?" 

 Peter responded quickly, "No, I am not."

 Another wave of disbelief smacks you. You wonder if Jesus had really done something wrong? Why would Peter deny being a follower? You worried if anyone would begin asking you questions as well. Should you also claim not to know Jesus? What difference would it make if you also pretended not to follow him? It was becoming more apparent to you how dangerous this situation was becoming. You tried to remember everything you had heard Jesus preach. His words had truly changed you. Your faith had come alive listening to him speak. Jesus has to be from God. Yesterday you were confident Jesus was the promised Messiah. What happened?  Then your thoughts were interrupted by the commotion around the fire.

 "This man was with him!"

 Peter replied, "I don't know what you are talking about!"

 Just as Peter responded, Jesus was led out of the high priest's house. Jesus was tied up and surrounded by guards. A stupid bird crowed loudly, and Jesus turned his head towards Peter. The guards pushed Jesus forward, obviously taking him somewhere else. You expected Peter to follow Jesus, but he didn't; he just stood there. His whole body appeared to be shaking. His hand seemed to wipe his eyes, and he ran in the opposite direction! For a few minutes, you stood frozen. The guards were too preoccupied with their prisoner to notice you standing in the shadows. As they led Jesus away, you asked yourself, "Should I still follow Him?"

-Susan

Were You There (Lent Week5)

 (Place yourself in this fictional glimpse based on the Gospel of John.)

  Your mother suddenly appeared at your door breathless. "He's coming! Jesus is back! Come, let us go and welcome him!"

  The two of you run through the streets as quickly as you can! Your excitement builds as you get closer to the city gates. The raising of Lazarus is all anyone has been talking about for days. Imagine coming back to life after being in the tomb for four days! Jesus must be the Messiah! Who else could perform such miracles!!

  A crowd of people has also gathered. Everyone is waving palm branches and crying out in joy! You join in shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel!" Up and down the streets, everyone was praising Jesus and praising God! You have never felt more alive in your life! You wondered if you would witness even greater miracles this week? The thought was exhilarating! You wonder why you had never run down the streets praising God like this before? Surely the Lord deserves to have his people filled with love and excitement!

  Just before Jesus is led down another street, Jesus looks directly at you. It is difficult to explain, but even over all the noise in the crowd, you can hear Jesus' voice as if he was standing before you. You are not sure if your ears or heart heard his voice, but you are moved by his words. "I am the Resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

-Susan 

Were You There? (Lent Week 4)

 (Place yourself in this fictional glimpse based on Mark12:13-17).

  During your visit, your friend invited you to hear Jesus speak. You had heard Jesus speak once before and were eager to listen to him again. You definitely were not disappointed! His words challenged you to worship God not out of fear or obligation but with a heart filled with joy and love.

 When Jesus finished one of his teachings, a group of Pharisees and Herodians approached him. Your friend shook his head and said, "Here it comes."

 "What do you mean?"

 "The Pharisees don't really like Jesus."

 "Why not? Why wouldn't they like someone who speaks God's truth?" you ask.

 "I'm not really sure. The Pharisees are always testing Jesus. It's like they want people to know they are wiser than Jesus. Jesus is a lot more popular than them. I think they are jealous. There have even been whispers of the Pharisees wanting to arrest Jesus."

 Now it's your turn to shake your head. "Why would anyone want to arrest Jesus? Does anyone know God better than him?"

 "One of the Pharisees begins speaking,' Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone's opinion. You do not regard a person's status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"

Your friend mutters, "Not one of us thinks we should be paying taxes to Caesar. They want Jesus to speak against the Roman law."

 "Jesus answered, 'Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.' They brought one to him and he said to them, 'Whose image and inscription is this?'

 They replied to him, 'Caesar's.'

 So Jesus said to them, 'Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

 Jesus handed the coin back to the Pharisees. Realizing that Jesus' answer had satisfied Jewish customs and Roman law, the Pharisees pretended to thank Jesus for his wisdom and walked away. Jesus continued his teachings as if he had never been interrupted.

 Later that evening, you reflected on Jesus' teachings. You wondered how your faith could be more of a reflection of your love for God rather than just following rules. You were very saddened and confused by the Pharisees' actions today and other circumstances your friend had shared with you. You wondered if you had ever unknowingly acted like Pharisees. You asked God to open your heart to some difficult questions that kept nagging your conscience as you prayed.

 You began to pray, "Lord, do I appreciate the faith of those around me even when we disagree? Do I hold my knowledge of the faith as something better than others? Do I react with mercy and compassion as Jesus taught, or do I respond with righteousness and jealousy?" You sat in silence for a long time allowing your eyes to be opened. 

 "Lord, help me to love more. I am worried about Jesus' safety. Please help those who have hardened their hearts to Jesus. Amen.”

-Susan

Were You There? (Lent Week 3)

 (Place yourself in this fictional glimpse based on the Gospels.)

 You had walked for hours, hoping to hear the new teacher Jesus speak. You wished your good friend had joined you. His Mom said he was too young to be following rabbis outside of town. Off in the distance, you could see a boat nearing the shore. One of the men in your group yells, "It is him! I see him! We better hurry!"

  As you come closer, Jesus has already begun teaching. Quickly, your group finds an open spot off to the side. Your heart is literally on fire as Jesus teaches. You have never felt this way when the rabbis speak in the synagogue. Jesus didn't just give a list of rules to follow. Instead, Jesus gave so many examples of how God loves us. Jesus really opens your eyes to God's love. God doesn't feel distant. He feels very close. You don't even realize that hours have passed since you sat down.

 You find yourself momentarily distracted as his disciples begin talking amongst themselves. You hear the word "food "and "hungry." You look up at the sky and realize the sun is heading towards the horizon. You feel your own stomach growl as you know you never ate the lunch your mother had given you. In fact, you can't recall anyone eating while Jesus was speaking. Suddenly, a thought occurs to you: Jesus has not eaten. You wonder if he has any food or if that's what his disciples are discussing. You look at what your mother has packed. It's not much, but Jesus just said we should share our gifts and talents with the Kingdom. Your stomach again growls as you wonder what to do. Should you really give away this little bit that you have? Should you offer Jesus everything? Shouldn't you keep some for yourself? You wrestle for a few minutes with the idea of giving Jesus everything. Finally, your heart wins the match and forces you to stand. Quietly you make your way through the crowd towards the disciples.

 "Excuse me, I would like to offer my lunch to Jesus. It's not much, but it's all I have."

 The disciple smiles at the boy. "What are you offering?"

 "Five barley loaves and two fish." You feel foolish now that you have said it. The disciple does not look very impressed. 

 "I will let Jesus know," the disciple responded. 

 The disciple returns a few minutes later and says, "Jesus is very pleased with your generosity. He happily accepts your gift." You watch as the disciple takes your lunch to Jesus. What happens next is unexplainable. First, Jesus blesses the bread and fish in front of everyone. Then he begins to hand out the food to the people directly in front of him. Next, others are given food and more people after that! He has handed out much more than 5 loaves of bread! Jesus then instructs his disciples to pass bread and fish to everyone!  

 Jesus walks over to you and hands you food as well. "Thank you for sharing with me. I, in turn, have shared your gift with everyone."

 "How is that even possible? I only gave you 5 loaves and 2 fish?"

 Jesus smiled and said, "I asked God to bless the gift you had shared. With God, all things are possible. He is never outdone in generosity. Will you follow me and help me feed others?"

 You realize that Jesus had done something miraculous with your gift as you pass out the food. Today you played an important role. The Kingdom of God needed you. As you continue to distribute the food, you wonder, "What else should I share with the Kingdom?" You think about Jesus' question," Will you follow me and help me feed others?" Did that mean something more?

-Susan

Were You There (Lent Week 2)

( Place yourself in this fictional glimpse based on the Gospels.)

  Quickly you carry your large empty tray back to the food preparation area. You stop for a minute to wipe the sweat running down the side of your face. Cana can be so hot in the afternoon. You notice a couple of the other servers looking into the wine containers. One of the servers flags you to come over. "Do you know if there are any more vessels of wine? These are all empty."

  "How can they be empty?" You ask. "This will be the shortest wedding ever." You realize you had spoken louder than you should as a woman quickly walks past you. "Do you think she heard me?" You ask the others. 

  "Don't worry about it. When the guests' glasses are not refilled, they will figure it out anyway," your friend says reassuringly.  

  A few minutes later, the same woman returns with her son. She looks directly into your eyes and says, "Do whatever he tells you." 

  The man smiles at you, putting you ultimately at ease. "Hello, I understand the wine is running out. Please fill these jars with water and then bring them to me so that I may bless them."

 You wonder if this man understands what he asks of you. "You want all of these filled?" That's going to take some time. I'm going to need a lot of help. Each one of these filled to the top with water weighs over 200 pounds."

  The man seems to seriously consider your words. "You're right. What I'm asking you to do will not be easy, but I will pray that my Father will grant you the strength and the help you need to carry out this task."

  You want to say no. Of course, you should say no, but the man's response was so genuine it almost made you feel special. Before your mind can respond, your heart commands your lips to say, "Yes, I will be sure these jars are filled with water."

  The man smiles and says, "Thank you."

  As you begin to instruct some of the other servers to help you, everyone starts complaining. "Can't this wait until the morning? We are too tired to begin a job this big," declared one of the servers.

  "The people are going to want wine, not water. So why are we wasting our time," grumbled another? 

  After a considerable amount of time has passed, you begin searching for the man to let him know that the task has been completed. The man and several of the guests are actively involved in a conversation. Respectfully, you stand just outside this circle of men, waiting to be noticed. The man sees you almost immediately and excuses himself from the conversation.  

  "Don't be too long, Jesus, I need to hear your opinion on Peter's comment," yells one of the men as the others begin to laugh. 

  Jesus looks directly at you and says, "Follow me." Jesus stops in front of the vases of water. He raises his hands and, with eyes closed, begins to pray while looking towards heaven. After he was done praying, he looked at you and said, "Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter." Confused, you filled a minor pitcher with what you knew to be water, but it no longer looked like water. Instead, it was a rich color of red, and its fragrance was a bouquet of sweet wine.  

  Your hand begins to tremble as you carry the pitcher to the head waiter. Your head is spinning as you try to comprehend what just happened. If this is a trick, the head waiter will be very angry. 

"And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now." (John 2:9-10) 

The head waiter was delighted, and you were instructed to immediately begin serving the wine.   As you went pack to start preparing, you couldn't help but pour yourself a glass. This is water, and water doesn't just become wine. Wine comes from grapes. It takes at least 6 months to make wine. It would have taken a few hundred pounds of grapes to make this much wine. You feel your hand shaking even more as you raise your glass to your lips. Cautiously you take a small sip. Your eyes widen with excitement. This was not good wine; it was the most incredible wine you had ever tasted. How was this possible? How could Jesus turn water into wine by praying? Who is this man called Jesus?

  The rest of the night was a blur of excitement and questions. Over and over, you replayed in your mind Jesus praying over the vessels. This was a miracle! You witnessed a miracle! But what if his mother had not heard your concerns? Would this still have occurred? Does his mother know what he is capable of doing? In your mind, you hear her voice over and over, "Do whatever he tells you." What if I had said no to Jesus? What if I had said, "what you ask of me is too difficult?" This encounter with Jesus has changed your life. You distinctly remember the moment he said, "Follow me." You now wonder if there was something much more to this request. Perhaps he was not just referring to tonight. It's possible you still need to fill his request.

-Susan