“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”—Matthew 26:30
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”—Colossians 3:16
During Holy Week, it is far too easy to be caught up carrying the tune of our distractions and demands rather than carrying our cross.
That some may look upon this week with indifference or disdain is nothing new – so too did many look upon the Cross of Calvary with eyes full of apathy and contempt.
How many (whether or not they know what they do) will sing songs of mockery as this Holy Week comes and goes? How many will feel forsaken yet not seek His face? How many will remain caught up like soldiers in their duties for the day? How many will whistle bets, issuing taunts and threats only to cast lots to settle the scores of sport or war? How many will hum their disinterest and disregard as though this week is just another to be ignored?
Yet, our discord could be resolved in harmony – if only we would soften our hearts to hear the hymns of Holy Week.
The psalms sung for the Passover feast, the same sung by Jesus and his disciples before they went out to Gethsemane, the hymns of the new covenant the Apostle Paul would teach – what if all these rang out anew in our hearts this week?
Imagine a soldier at war, spending his Holy Week in the Persian air and seas, with Psalm 118 pulsing between his every heartbeat:
“Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
What can man do to me?”
Or imagine a needy mother, a woman weary from working a year in a week to make ends meet, her heart in her breast pumping praise for God in the hope of Psalm 113:
"He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap”
Or, imagine a lost nation, swift to fall on their knees to all idols they can fashion and see – their hearts softened and eyes opened to the sovereign music of the unseen God in Psalm 115:
“Why should the nations say,
'Where is their God?'
Our God is in the heavens;
he does whatever he pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them.”
Or imagine a Christian who has always believed, a dutiful son who has always done his best to confess and attend his church weekly. Yet, through repetition his heart’s contrition begins to sound sour and stale, as year after year he hears his pastor tell the very same tale. So he begins to feel resentment where once his heart felt free and young, as the green of envy colors his eye at the return of each prodigal son.
Imagine such a man could fall in love with the suffering servant all over again – that his heart could pang as it did the very first time he heard of the innocent Son’s humility in suffering the wages of sin.
Imagine that such a man could fall in love with the mystery of Christ’s Cross and Resurrection all over again, that he could hear his heart chanting anew Paul’s kenotic hymn to the Philippians:
“who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
Imagine all these and many more, then pray they might come to be – that no heart is too hardened to bear their cross and hear the hymns of Holy Week.
Joey Clark is a native Alabamian and is currently the host of the radio program News and Views on News Talk 93.1 FM WACV out of Montgomery, AL, M-F 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. His column appears every Tuesday in 1819 News. To contact Joey for media or speaking appearances, as well as any feedback, please email [email protected]. Follow him on X @TheJoeyClark or watch the radio show livestream.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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