Holy Week
can involve tremendous excitement, a deepened spiritual journey, and a
weariness that takes more than a single Monday of recovery time especially for
a church staff. Planning has taken weeks and for some leaders months. The
special services may begin with Palm Sunday and extend through Easter evening.
For others there is a selection of special events scattered throughout the
week.
On
Resurrection Sunday, the day may begin with a pre-dawn service commemorating the
resurrection and the discovery of the empty tomb. Following that might be a
family of faith breakfast, a joint Bible study class, and finally a worship
service that involves a musical presentation or an evangelistic sermon
highlighting the importance of Holy Week.
By Sunday
evening pastor and staff, paid and volunteer, are just plain tired. One member
looks at the calendar and sees that Advent season is only eight months away. In
between are a spring revival, Vacation Bible School, a mission trip out-of-state,
a youth fundraiser, the start of a new church year, and the fall events of
October and November. If not already exhausted, looking at the calendar will
make you so.
With all
that Holy Week represents, let me recommend not going fishing now that it is
over. In the 21st chapter of the gospel of John, we read that Jesus
had already appeared to the disciples to show that the empty tomb was not some
kind of hoax. All the enthusiasm of death conquered was present. The Risen Lord
had revealed himself and given additional instructions to the Twelve. Within a
few days of this once-in-eternity event, the majority of the disciples under
the leadership of Peter decided to go fishing.
Now in and
of itself there is nothing wrong with fishing. Along with Peter at least half
of the disciples were probably fishermen. Jesus in fact used the occasion to
continue to teach the disciples what he expected of them. Yet with all that had
just happened, Peter could only see the priority for his life as being the need
to go fishing.
It was not
as if the apostles had no idea as to what they should do between Jesus’
appearances. On that first night when the disciples saw him in the upper room,
Jesus had told them, “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” (20:21)
Jesus had come with a clear message, “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at
hand.” (Matthew 4:17, 10:7) That message had already gone out earlier through
the disciples. The message remained the same. The responsibility remained the
same. Instead the disciples went fishing for fish instead of for men.
Yes, Jesus
met the disciples where they had decided to go. He fixed them breakfast. He
asked Peter if he was ready to get back to the work of the Kingdom of God. He
looked his bold and confused chief disciple in the eye and told him that the
destiny of others was none of his business. Obedience to the demands of the
Kingdom was to be his only concern.
Holy Week is
over. Pastors and church staff are tired. Members are glad that there is only
one sunrise service each year. Yet the Master calls us to see that the fields
are white with the harvest of lost souls. The stormy seas are filled with the
souls of men who will be lost if we do not catch them.
The first
Holy Week began a series of events that through the centuries transformed
empires, motivated social reform, changed moral systems, and turned men’s eyes
from survival to celebration. The God who raised Jesus his Son from the dead
has commanded that such transformation continue in society and in the lives of
individuals. It is easy to get sidetracked on matters limited to this world,
but we cannot afford to spend the week after Easter on a fishing trip that
targets only fish.
