Emptied.

…but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. – Philippians 2:7

Palm Sunday. Maundy (or Holy) Thursday. Good Friday. Easter (The Resurrection of Our Lord). We renew this week our most important story. We walk the steps that Jesus walked for us. We rejoice with palm branches at the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, gather with the apostles for Passover, desert him at the cross, only looking on from a distance, and peer into the empty tomb, uncertain as to what, if anything we will find there. Holy Week is a snapshot of our life’s journey. It runs the full range of our human experiences of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, certainty and doubt.

In our lives, how many of us have not felt the freedom of being with the crowd, of belonging? We, too, might wave and shout praises. Or who has not gathered to share a seemingly, ordinary meal only to be shocked by the conversation, or even a bit uncomfortable when the discussion becomes serious? How many times in our life have we promised undivided loyalty to a friend only to abandon them when they needed us the most? Or waited…who has not waited for an answer, a response to a job interview, the call from the doctor’s office, or notice of the death of a loved one? All the time praying that God’s promises are real and that when our prayers are too deep for words, our sighs will suffice. And how often in our life have we been able to rejoice when the relationship or journey that we thought was over, finished, and dead, has been breathed new life into it by the Spirit and made alive in Christ?

This week is a story told for our sake. God became like us. Humbling himself, Jesus bore the full weight of human experience. He ate and drank with friends. He walked through a weary world and was moved to compassion for the sick and suffering. He accepted death. All for us, so that we would know the depth of God’s love for us and that in knowing, we might trust and walk in love, trusting in God’s promise, and be transformed by divine love.

Holy Week offers a bold reminder that there is no place that God has not been before us. From the highest places to the lowest of lows, God has entered into our story, has taken all of our life experiences to the cross and has returned to us the peace, love, mercy, forgiveness, hope, and new life that he promised. All of our life is wrapped up in the beautiful story of this holiest of weeks.