"The Holy Week"

DECEPTION or IGNORANCE?

 “HOLY WEEK”  

Holy Week as most Christians, and church goers referred to is the week of Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on a horse back- that was the only account in the Bible where Jesus rode a horse- with the locals giving Him a king’s, and a hero’s welcome laying palm branches, and their clothes as they lined up on the road side as if He had conquered a whole army, or came from a battle. They shout with the loudest voice as he decent from mount Olives “Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.” (Luk 19:38). The Passion Week, as others calls it continued with teachings, and miracle performed by Jesus; and His betrayal and denial, His death, and His resurrection after the third day.

Did he conquer anything? Did He win a battle? Was He a king? The answer to those questions is YES. He conquered fear and accepted to pay for our sins; not with cash, gold, or diamond, but with His life, and He won a battle of temptations from the devil, and defeated death by his resurrection with the assurance of eternal life after death. He was a King, but not an earthly one, but the King of all kings.

As we read and follow the story according to Luke, the 23^rd chapter, reading from the 19^th verse, we would understand that the same crowd of locals that gathered to welcome Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the same crowd that shouted, “Crucify him, crucify him.” This signify how deceptive, and ungrateful humans can be, but yet He accepted the burden of us.

Christianity is not just a religion, but a way of life based on the life, teaching, and miracles of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who knew no sin. Most people who are believed to be Christians referred to the ‘Passion Week’ as ‘Holy Week’, and claim to avoid sin for seven days, and after that returns to status code. If Christianity is based on the life of Jesus, which means that Christians should exemplify the life of Jesus, while practicing His teachings, why do we live our lives of sin all through the year, and then pretended to be holy and sinless during the “Holy Week”? Are we then living the life Christ, the savior, or practicing His teaching? Did Jesus taught and welcome only those who welcome him, or did He welcome even those that the world referred to as sinners? Was Jesus not holy all through His life here on earth, or was He holy just for a week? Why do we discriminate others, and why is Liberia at the top of the most corrupt Countries in Africa, while in fact most of government officials are leaders in their various churches, and claim to be Christians?

The ‘Passion Week’ is a week of reflection, and celebration; reflecting on the life of Jesus, and how he bore and paid for our sins, and also celebrating because of his resurrection on the third day which remind us that He lives, and because He lives, we can face tomorrow, assuring us of an eternal life after death. As Christian, we should always do this, not just for a week, but as a practice, and a way of life. When we live the true meaning of Christian, lawmakers will make good policy that will be in the interest of the vast majority of the citizens, citizens will have total access to the judiciary system and have a fair trial, and Liberia can be free of corruptions.