Day 35

Monday, March 29
Mark 11:12-19

Today we meet “hangry” Jesus. It’s right there in the passage -- Jesus was hungry and got super-frustrated with a fruitless fig tree that wasn’t even in season. (poor fig tree!) Jesus’ case of the hangrys is so bad that his next move is to flip over tables in the temple. We’ve all been there, right? Tired, frustrated, and hungry to such an extent that we just lose it.

I love hangry Jesus. I love him because he is so real. So human. I relate to his frustration. I empathize with the mounting stress, the feeling that things are not going his way and his time is running out. And, I imagine his fear as the inevitably of his death becomes clear and imminent.  

When I focus on the humanity of Jesus I find myself loving him more and more. I invite you today to sit a moment with Jesus the man. Jesus, who made friends, who loved a party, who felt compassion, who was misunderstood, who experienced loneliness, who got angry, who was afraid, who suffered, who loved.

REFLECTION: What aspect of Jesus’ humanity do you most identify with today?

Holy God, I pray for the following graces: to know Jesus more intimately, to love him more deeply, and to follow him more closely. Amen.

Reflection by Sabra Engelbrecht