Walking A Holy Week Study with Jesus prepared for the Family and Friends of the West Virginia Conference by Bishop Sandra L. Steiner Ball Bishop Sandra leading worship at the "Teaching Steps" the East Gate of Jersualem's Old City On our trip to the Holy Lands this past October, we had the You gave yourself to be the sign and teacher of hope and experience of walking the Via Dolorosa, the route believed invite us to walk with you to be builders of peace in the to have been taken by Jesus through Jerusalem to midst of all those you have created – people who are Calvary. This was the path that Jesus walked in agony to differently abled, created, and gifted. the place of crucifixion. In this Holy Week, we place ourselves again before you, As we were walking the path, in narrow and crowded dear Lord. We present our sufferings, our anxiety, our streets, I felt grief, I felt thankfulness. I also had a doubt, our disbelief before you and turn our gaze and our profound sense of hope. I also felt frustrated as we had heart to the fuller meaning and gift you gave to us in your little time to tarry and, in many places, due to the walk with the cross and to your crucifixion for our movement in the street, it was hard to process and sakes. You gave your life for us and call us to walk with reflect. It was only after I returned from the trip that I truly you and give our lives for others so that they too might come to know you and unwrap your gift of eternal life. got to fully reflect on the walk Jesus took so that we sinners might have access to eternal life. As we walk with you, the way of the cross in this Holy Week, O Lord, be our Redeemer and realize in us the “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) This mystery of your redemption as we walk with you through biblical question burns somewhere within the innermost your passion, death, and resurrection. Amen. core of our being. What must we do? Walk with Jesus. Walk the way of the cross and contemplate, In this Holy week study – to be used individually or in meditate on our Lord, who was the first to walk the path small groups – I will be referring to the 14 stations as we that built the bridge from death to life.Your call to us is to walked them in Jerusalem on the Via Dolorosa. Some follow you – to hold the tension of working together in this meditations for “the stations of the cross” use events in world when people try to divide. the life of Jesus that are different than those along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. I am pulling on my experiences and Sin used to be the dividing line between those who were in thoughts from my walk with Jesus along the stations of the and those who were beyond God’s love and Grace. You Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, addressing two stations daily. conquered that division. You hold the tension with your Grace and Peace, transforming power. In holding the tension, you gave hope to sinners that they might be transformed and given new Sandra Steiner Ball life – sin was not the end and deciding point of our lives. Area Bishop West Virginia Conference The United Methodist Church Visit wvumc.org/walking-with-jesus for additional Holy Week as well as Easter season reflections. Passion/Palm Sunday First Station: Pilate condemns Jesus to die Come, let us consider again our walk with Jesus. It was his career or Jesus. It was his power and position or Jesus. Pilate chose to please the crowd instead of “We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because standing up for truth. by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.” (The traditional words used as pilgrims approach each He sent Jesus to the torture and the way of the cross, station along the way.) knowing full well that Jesus was innocent. And, after doing so – because he was greatly troubled – he washed While often congregations focus on the procession and his hands to refuse responsibility, as if he really could, for the shouts of Hosanna on Palm/Passion Sunday, this sending this man to great suffering and, ultimately, his Sunday is not only about the celebratory experience of death. Jesus entering Jerusalem. This is the first day of the In fact, down through the centuries, Pilate’s responsibility beginning of the Passion, the beginning of the journey to resounds: “He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered Golgotha, the beginning of what would end in a death, and was buried.” Today, there are many like Pilate crucifixion. The first station along the Via Dolorosa is who have positions of power and have to decide how to located at the traditional site of the praetorium of Pilate use it. There are many who, in the face of power, decide and the place where Jesus was scourged and condemned, to be quiet or allow fear to make decisions, thereby and where Jesus received his crown of thorns. forfeiting the authority and service that just might THE SCRIPTURE: Mark 15: 12 – 15 (NRSV) interrupt and give life. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me Pilate had to decide one way or another about Jesus. We, to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They too, must decide. You and I, we must decide – for or shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, against Jesus? Today, Jesus stands before us. Calls us what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, to walk with him. He waits on our decisions. What is your “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, answer? released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. Prayer: Lord Jesus, influence us so that we may walk with you, instead of being found with those who act REFLECTION: Pilate knew that Jesus was an innocent unjustly. Keep us from evil, keep us from taking pleasure man. (Luke 23:14 records Pilate as saying, I have found in evil. Do not allow injustice to condemn the innocent to no fault in this Man.) suffering and death. Grant us strength and wisdom to follow your will and walk in your way in all things. Amen Pilate tries to avoid making a decision about Jesus. He tries to compromise, and then when that doesn’t work, he suggests a substitution. Since the custom of the feast day was to release one prisoner, he could release Jesus… Additional Questions but the crowd calls for the release of Barabbas. Pilate for Reflection: knows that Jesus has done no evil, yet he has a There are times in almost every politically explosive situation on his hands. He had a person’s life where one has been decision to make about Jesus, a decision between doing wrongly accused or of behaving what was right (free an innocent man) or what was unjustly. What happens when the politically expedient. unjustly accused are sent to prison or sentenced to death? Ultimately, Pilate violates his own conscience and sentences Jesus to death. Pilate was the one with the This is what happened to power. Jesus should have obtained justice, but instead, Jesus. What are the ways we are Pilate chose to protect himself and yield to political and called to keep this from social pressures. happening to people today? Lord Jesus, Help us Walk in Your Steps. Second Station: Jesus accepts his Cross The second station is along the road between the Omariya Jesus stands before soldiers who believe they have total Moslem College and the Franciscan museum and library. and complete power and control over Jesus. The soldiers “We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by demonstrate a total lack of care and concern for Jesus. The your holy cross you have redeemed the world.” abuse is evident as Jesus is mocked and repeatedly struck. THE SCRIPTURE: Mark 15: 20 (NRSV) In every age, people have tried to be God – to have or take “After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak complete power over another or to determine for themselves and put his own clothes on him. and others what is good or evil, who is strong or right and Then they led him out to crucify him.” who is weak or wrong. In doing this, the vulnerable, the weak, and the poor are also, like Jesus, abused due to a REFLECTION: Tender, Wise, and Strong – total lack of care and concern for them as children of God. by Bernard of Clairvaux “It is the cup that Thou didst drink, Lord Jesus, Where in our lives do we think we have complete power and more than ought else that renders Thee love-worthy; control? Where have we turned a deaf ear to how Jesus is it is the work of our redemption calling us to walk and with whom? With whom is Jesus that supremely claims our love. calling us to share the tender, wise, and strong love of He put up with people who tried to catch Him in His talk, Christ? carped at His actions, Prayer: Lord Jesus, who accepted humiliation and stood mocked His suffering and even upbraided Him in death. alongside the weak. Help us to be your presence and hope This love of His is tender, wise and strong.