Biblical Moment: The Events of Holy Tuesday during Holy Week Leading Up to Easter!

Biblical Moment: The Events of Holy Tuesday during Holy Week Leading Up to Easter!

My childhood memory recalls Palm Sunday and then a skip to The Last Supper on Holy Thursday; with Holy Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as being some kind of filler to make Holy Week a full week.

Nothing can be further from the truth as with Jesus the unexpected are expected and the common place seem to become miraculous!

Maybe we should look as Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday as a one-two-three-are we ready for the Passion of Our Lord and Savior; His Suffering which likely will be our suffering to some degree, hopefully minimal, as we age, decline and ultimately die with nobody other than Our Lord and Savior.

The Lenten Season is not over! We still have time to prepare; especially within our hearts, souls, and bodies.

The biblical references for the events of Holy Tuesday center around this preparedness. Are we ready to experience the Death, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus?

What sort of Virgin are we in the Parable of the Ten Virgins below? Is our bodily temple ready to finish the race strong? Do we do our spiritual exercises so as to always be in the right spiritual frame of mind? Are we gassed up like our cars all ready to go the distance of needed in an emergency?

What have we done with the gifts God has bestowed on each and every one of us? Have we given up trying to seek and find them? Are we still developing them and using them according to the Will of God or our own pride and ego-driven ways?

Are our talents buried in the ground like the one who received one talent in the Parable of the Talents? What are we missing out on in life as designed by God? True Love and deep and meaningful relationships with others? First with ourselves? We can only give away what we have.

The Christian Holy Week continues tomorrow with Holy Wednesday—wrapping up the last week of the Lenten Season—Palm Sunday (Jesus Enters Jerusalem apparently as a King)—Holy Monday (Cleansing of the Temple)—Holy Tuesday (Parables of the Talents and Ten Virgins)—Holy Wednesday (Betrayal by Judas)—Holy Thursday (Washing of the Feet and the Last Supper)—Good Friday (Passion, Crucifixion, and Death of Jesus on the Cross at Calvary)—Holy Saturday (Jesus Lays in the Tomb on the Sabbath)—and Easter Sunday (Resurrection of Jesus; The Empty Tomb and The Good News).

God Bless and see you on the other side!

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But He said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

—Matthew 25:1-13 (The Parable of the Ten Virgins)

“It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability.

Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?

Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”—Matthew 25:14-30 (The Parable of the Talents)

Other readings to ponder this Holy Tuesday:

“God said to me, You are My Servant, in you, Israel, I show My Glory… I will make you a light to the nations, that My Salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”—Isaiah 49:3,6

“In you, Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In Your Justice rescue and deliver me; listen to me and save me! Be my rock of refuge, my stronghold to give me safety; for You are my rock and fortress. My God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked, from the clutches of the evil and violent. You are my hope, Lord; my trust, God, from my youth. On You I have depended since birth; from my mother’s womb You are my strength; my hope in You never wavers.”

—Psalm 71

“My mouth shall proclaim your just deeds, day after day your acts of deliverance, though I cannot number them all.”—Psalm 71:15

“God, you have taught me from my youth; to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds.”—Psalm 71:17

“Then Job arose and tore his cloak and cut off his hair. He fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!” In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with wrong.”—Job 1:20-22

“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the Power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the learning of the learned I will set aside.”

Where is the wise one? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made the wisdom of the world foolish? For since in the Wisdom of God the world did not come to know God through wisdom, it was the Will of God through the foolishness of the proclamation to save those who have faith. For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the Power of God and he Wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”—1 Corinthians 1:18-25

“Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”—1 Corinthians 1:26-31

“Almighty, everlasting God, grant us so perfectly to follow the passion of our Lord, that we may obtain the help and pardon of His all-sufficient grace; through Him who lives and reigns with You, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.”—Methodist Collect for Holy Tuesday