My husband and I are exhausted, bewildered and we just want to sleep in our own beds. We had travelled up to Jerusalem for Passover as we loved to do. We expected this year to be different, maybe even see the fulfilment of all our nations hopes of freedom! But the things we had seen…even 3 days later I have hardly slept for the horrors replaying in my mind!
Jesus of Nazareth had been an amazing rabbi. We had been travelling in the north, near the Sea of Galilee, when we first heard His challenging teachings on a crowded mountainside. He had such unconventional wisdom and he spoke with such an authority, even illnesses and demons obeyed him. In fact once he even shared my nephews packed lunch with a crowd of thousands.
And so we had been overjoyed to be among the crowd welcoming Him into Jerusalem last week. We shouted Hosanna, we sang songs, even my Cleopas waved a palm branch and threw his good cloak down on the ground for him to ride over. But the mood had quickly changed.
Our hopeful dreams of Messiah and overthrowing the Roman oppressors had been replaced by a horrific nightmare of his brutal beating and death. Three days we had hidden together awaiting the inevitable rounding up of his followers by the Romans for questioning. But then early this morning Mary had gone to minister to his body and it wasn’t there. I just can’t take this emotional rollercoaster anymore. home! I need to get back to routine and pick up what remained of my old life. Suddenly the rest of my life stretched long in front of me unappealing in its hum drum routine without Him, the One who was filled with love and wisdom and such faith in his father. Was it not real? It had seemed so real. I had been so sure….
AngeLisa Crafts 