Lessons from the Heart
Emotions exposed
By Pastor Dan Gottschalk

It is the Church's favorite time of the year. It is Holy week. The week that starts with Jesus' parade into Jerusalem, is followed by his crucifixion and death on a cross, but ends in victory with his resurrection from the dead on Easter morning. This week is full of emotion. We celebrated with Jesus during Palm Sunday and feel the sting of betrayal on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We identify with the unfairness of his trial and his suffering. We sense the loneliness and separation of Saturday and finally, finally we celebrate the victory of Easter Sunday morning.

A lifetime of emotions is experienced in one week. Yes, Holy Week is a picture of our lives. We are welcomed into the world by a parade of relatives with much joy, smiling faces, and loud conversation full of excitement. Sometime in our lives there will be betrayal, rejection, and pain as others turn against us. We will all feel alone and all by ourselves. But for those who believe in Christ Jesus life ends in victory, the resurrection that brought Jesus to life awaits us. That's why the scripture says: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Holy week gives us a view of the important themes in the life of Jesus. These themes were not only important to him but are themes that we should incorporate into our lives. Let me share with you just a few.

Jesus' last week of life demonstrated the importance of mercy, dedication and obedience, love, and forgiveness.

While in the garden praying Jesus expressed his love by asking God the Father to protect and keep his disciples. Jesus' focus was always on others. Also in the garden Jesus demonstrated his obedient spirit and dedication to his Father's will by praying, "Father not my will but yours be done." While hanging by the nails on the cross Jesus asked God the Father to forgive them for they knew not what they were doing and gave mercy to a convicted criminal.

Holy week lasts seven days but the message of Easter is eternal. While we were yet sinners Jesus died for us that whosoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life.

I pray that whosoever includes you. I also pray that the themes of Holy week are woven into the lives of those who are believers. The themes of mercy, dedication, obedience, love and forgiveness should be evident in the lives of all believers, not just for a week but every week of the year.

Dan Gottschalk is pastor at the Camden United Methodist Church.