Chapter 14: Holy Week

As soon as they are up and moving the following morning, it has now been one glorious week since Molly has come into his life, they start to discuss Holy Week more. He is better for Molly in his life and she grows in leaps and bounds each and every day.

“Now as we have already discussed, yesterday was Palm Sunday and Palm Sunday was when Jesus was going into Jerusalem for the last time. Him being who he is, uh was, is knew what was going to happen. Partly because He is God and partly because the Holy Spirit had given foreknowledge to the greatest of the prophets of which they spoke or prophesied much of what would happen and what would have to happen.

“When Jesus rode into Jerusalem His followers laid palm tree fronds in front of the colt to honor him. Do you remember what they were saying by way of praise?”

“Umm ... oh, uh yeah Hosanna.”

“That’s right.”

“What does that mean again?”

“It means, or at some point meant ‘please save’ or something like that. So it would have been said as, ‘Please save us, Son of David’.”

“Oh yeah that’s right.”

“So, over the next week, that we call Holy Week, many important things happened. Such as ... wait! Enough. Little girl, sit back cuddle up next to me and hear the most important week in our salvation.

“God so loved us that he sent His only son down to us, but it is so much more than that. God Himself came and walked amongst us: ‘Emmanuelle’. It is believed He lived to be in His early thirties, but it is the last week of His life that resounds so importantly still today.

“We don’t know what all the days these things fell on, but I am going to use our time and calendar right now. Though we do know what they call the Sabbath was on a Saturday. Even though our calendars are not the same as theirs were.

“So, anyway, yesterday was Sunday, Palm Sunday, so that was the Triumphal Entry. He went to the Temple and drove out all those who were selling and buying there...”

“Why again?”

“Because a house of worship, the Father’s house, is meant for contemplation, meditation, prayer, growth, honoring and love, not making money off of peoples hopes to be saved.”

“Oh.”

“At some point He left and went to Bethany and came back on Monday; the next day. So technically this was his last entry into Jerusalem ... maybe. Along the way he cursed a fig tree and as usual He used that moment as a teaching moment.”

“Why did he curse a tree?” Molly finds it funny.

“Young lady, shh.” Molly nods. “There was no fruit on the tree.” Molly starts to ask something, but falls silent. “Jesus said to the tree, ‘May you never bear fruit again’, and instantly the tree withered and died. However, in one version the owner asked for one more year before giving up on the tree. Anyway, I believe in part Jesus knew the unbelievers would spread across the earth and fill the ranks of the fallen; whether they know it or not. As Jesus said, ‘You are either with me or against me’ and...”

“Doesn’t that mean if you are out there not voting as God demands and carrying on his ministries, even if you think you are a good person and you think you are not directly hurting people, you are part of the problem, not the solution?” Gabriel is going to have to watch himself because she is almost quoting him. He wants this journey to be hers.

Still at times like this it is very hard for Gabriel to remember that Molly is only eleven: very hard. “Yes ma’am.”

“So what was the lesson?”

“Actually the lesson came when the apostles asked Jesus how he did that. It was a lesson on the strength of faith and that if they truly believed not only would they be able to wither a tree, but they could move mountains.”

“Oh okay.”

Gabriel smiles because Molly loves and trusts him without question. “Keep in mind, too, that some scholars say the fig tree was done on the way back from a different day of journey to Bethany, even up to Tuesday I think. But as we know, the specifics aren’t as important as the lesson from it and in its glorious happening.

“Needless to say this week was an eternity and if I were to sit here and tell and explain all of its importance, if I were to write it down, all the books that it would fill would overfill the world; we know this because the same thing is said about ‘all’ the miracles He did while he was walking amongst us in human form: Emmanuelle.

“Anyway, we always want to pay attention to particular moments when the Bible tells of things in Jesus’ own words, such as Jesus’ last sermon; which we’ll say happened on Tuesday. But one of my favorite things of this day and what I’d like to talk about is the anointing of Jesus by a woman named Mary.”

“His mom?”

“No, another sweetheart named Mary.”

“That must have been a popular name.”

“Still is. My mom’s name was Mary. In Spanish it is written and pronounced Maria.”

“Oh because of differences in translations like you were telling me.”

“Similar, but sure. Anyway, Jesus was again in Bethany at a man’s house named Simon who had a virulent skin disease. While they were within the house a woman came to Jesus with an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment and poured it on His head as he was at table. When the others saw this, they were indignant and...”

“What is indignant?”

“Uh, angry or annoyed or shocked, something like that. We’ll look it up in a regular dictionary later. Anyway, some of the others, most likely disciples, some translation specifically say Judas son of Iscariot, the one who was about to betray him, said, ‘Why the waste? That jar of anointment could have been sold for a high price and the money given to help the poor’. But Jesus heard this and said, ‘Leave her alone. Why are you upsetting her? What she has done for me is indeed a good work. You have the poor with you always, but you will not always have me in this form. When she, Mary, poured this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. In truth I tell you, wherever in all the world this gospel is proclaimed, what she has done will be told as well, in remembrance of her.’

“Pretty cool, huh! Nearly two thousand years later and I just told one babygirl about the honoring and love that another babygirl showed our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as he was moving closer to His earthly death.” Gabriel gazes fondly at Molly and realizes just how much the enduring term babygirl really applies to her: being that a babygirl is a pretty girl who is also a sweetheart.

“Wow! Do you think anything I do will be talked about two thousand years from now?”

“I couldn’t say, but it wouldn’t surprise me. However, keep in mind we do not do what we do for recognition or reward, we do it because it is who we are, it is the right thing to do and it is one of many ways we show our gratitude, faith and love to God for all that He has done for us.” Molly takes a purposeful breath and is overwhelmed with joy.

“Now as far as Wednesday we don’t know of anything, I don’t think. We’ll make sure we read all four of the Gospels before we decide on that.”

“Yes sir!”

Gabriel smiles. “Let’s see, Thursday day they were preparing for Passover.”

“What is Passover again?”

Passover is a Jewish holiday that goes all the way back to when the Jews were slaves in Egypt and God was bringing plagues upon the people and land to convince the Pharaoh to let His people go. So I think it was the last plague, the tenth if I’m not mistaking, and it was that all the firstborn were going to be killed...”

“Oh my god!”

“Yes, our God is a God of love and compassion, but He will punish when it is in support of the Great Plan. So Moses was concerned for his people, the Jews. He didn’t want their first born to die, so he was instructed to put blood above the doors of all the true believers and the curse or the plague would pass them over; Passover.”
“Oh.”

“So now we’re up to Thursday night and at this time Jesus knew time was running short. So they sit down to eat the Passover meal; which we call the Last Supper.”

“What did they eat?”

“French toast and chili dogs.”

Molly quickly looks up at him and says in disbelief, “Uh huh. No way!”

“Alright alright. Specifically I don’t remember, but it is in scripture somewhere. What do you say when we are done here, we go find it.

“Okay.”

“It would be specific and conform to Jewish dietary rules and tradition; probably unleavened bread and...”

“What is unleavened bread?” Now that this little girl is starting to live a ‘real’ life her hunger for knowledge, love and experiences surpasses even Gabriel’s when he first came home to God.