Day Nine
Jesus wasn’t the only one heading to Jerusalem.
During Lent we remember how Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51), starting down the path that would lead to his betrayal, arrest, and death. At the same time he and his disciples headed down that road, there were no doubt others alongside them. It was time for the Passover, and there would have been large crowds of Jews also heading to Jerusalem for the commemoration of their liberation from bondage in Egypt. Those same crowds would be there to welcome Jesus when he came into the city on what we call Palm Sunday, shouting with excitement and hope that a new deliverer like Moses had perhaps come into their midst.
Imagine what it must have been like to be on that road to Jerusalem with Jesus and those journeying for the festival. Was there a sense of anticipation already in the air? Did pilgrims along the way glace over at this itinerant rabbi from Nazareth and whisper among themselves, “That’s him! That’s Jesus, the one many say will set us free!” What kind of conversations took place as they stopped for the night around a fire and a meal? What did they hope for? What did they pray for?
Tradition has it that Jewish worshipers making their way to Jerusalem for the three major festivals each year would sing songs from the Hebrew psalter as they approached the city, hymns of pilgrimage that would echo in spiritual terms the physical journey that they took. In our English bibles these psalms are labeled the “Songs of Ascent,” since Jerusalem was situated on a high hill. They are found in psalms 120-134, and for many Christians around the world these songs are an important part of their Lenten journey.
This theme of ascent is evident in the opening verses of Psalm 121:
“I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”—Psalm 121 (NRSV)
“Where does my help come from?” Who knows what those who might have been singing on the way to Jerusalem that fateful year might have had in mind as those words crossed their lips? Would their hearts and minds be focused on personal needs, or would they perhaps have been thinking of the fate of Israel, which had been under the thumb of so many oppressors even before Rome? Whether their thoughts were of themselves, their family, or their nation, no doubt the reminder that the same God who made heaven and earth is still watching over his people provided much-needed comfort.
The songs of ascent are words of encouragement for a weary pilgrim. Weary not only from the journey but from life. They remind the singer that God is our help, the one who protects us and guides us. In these songs the call for help goes out, the reminder of who God is sinks in, and the eyes of the troubled ones look up.
For followers of Jesus today, troubled eyes look to more than just the various hills of Jerusalem for a reminder of their help. They look to a specific hill outside Jerusalem, a hill where the one whose right hand never leaves us allowed the hands of his only son to be pierced on our behalf. And it is because of what happened on that hill outside of Jerusalem that we today can declare with certainty alongside the pilgrims of old the same unassailable truth: that in our going out, in our coming in, today and forevermore, the God of the universe is watching over us. We lift our eyes up to the mountain of Calvary, and we know beyond the shadow of a doubt where our help comes from.
He watches over you
Like a shade from the sun by day and the moon by night
He watches over you
No evil can ever invade the covering of Yahweh
Read the rest of the lyrics here.
Questions for Reflection
1) In your experience, what does it mean to “lift your eyes to the hills?” What are ways that you have found God to be your help, and what aids you in keeping your eyes on that important truth?
(In the Eastern Orthodox tradition they include a song of ascent in their daily devotions during Lent—something worth considering if you need an “eye-lifting” assist)
2) It is a mind-blowing thought that the God who created the heavens and earth, the one who flings galaxies into space, knows us intimately, watches over us, and cares for our every need. Have you ever spent time simply meditating on this amazing truth? If not, spend some moments with God and dwell in the knowledge that there is one who is so far beyond us, yet desires to draw so near to us.
3) “No evil can invade the covering of Yahweh” is an interesting translation of Psalm 121:7, which is often rendered, “The Lord will keep you from harm.” How does that verse sit with you? Does it comfort you and ring true for you? Or have the difficulties of this world made verses like this hard to grasp? Spend some time in honest reflection and prayer, offering to God your needs and your questions, asking him to reveal his trustworthiness to you in a new way.
4) The setting of Scripture to music is a wonderful gift to the church. Are there worship songs or hymns you can think of that include words of Scripture in a powerful way? If engaging with Scripture in this way is meaningful for you, how might you build it into your devotional walk with God?
5) Read and reflect on these verses. Let them lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.”—Psalm 125:1-2 (NIV)