Notebook Book Notes - And the Angels Were Silent

This is the first in a series of posts coming in the next while to highlight some of the resources that have supported me in my faith journey.  I hope you check some of them out for yourself.  I would also love to hear your recommendations!  What books have you found insightful?

Title:  And the Angels Were Silent:  The Final Week of Jesus

Author:  Max Lucado

Link:https://maxlucado.christianbook.com/angels-were-silent-final-week-jesus/max-lucado/9780849947513/pd/947513?event=ESRCG 

Max Lucado is one of my favourite Christian authors.  He has a knack for making analogies and using humour that really appeals to my love for relatable content.  I came across this particular text over a decade ago and I try to make a point of rereading it every year just before Easter, as it follows Jesus in His last week.

There are many take-aways from this text, but one that stands out in my mind is the concept of the Sabbath.  In the Jewish tradition, Sabbath falls on Saturday.  Max points out that, although Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all record the events of Jesus’ final week in detail, there is nothing recorded for that Saturday…which leads him (and me!) to believe Jesus marked the Sabbath that day.  How seriously He took the commandment to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.  How hard it once was for me to do the same.  

Working in education, a book bag would come home with me daily, including on weekends.  Sometimes I wouldn’t get around to diving into the bag until Sunday evening; other times, like during report card season, I would be buried in it for hours on end.  Either way, it was always right there, stressing me out.  But then…I read  And the Angels Were Silent:  The Final Week of Jesus.  Surely, if Jesus, who had far more important and pressing work to do than editing reports and planning lessons, could be committed to taking time out to recharge and stay in close connection to God, then so could I.  This was a game-changer for my weekends.  I decided to carve out a 24 hour period of time each weekend where work was off limits - not even an option.   The start and end times of this 24 hour breather sometimes varied to accommodate other commitments, but I endeavoured to stick to it.  It didn’t change the overall number of hours I was spending working on a weekend, but giving myself permission to not even consider it for 24 hours straight was remarkably liberating!  I have also learned that it is not simply the practice of taking time away from work, but the dedication of time for faith practices, that elevates that rest to a truly meaningful level.  

This is but one small point of many insightful and thought-provoking ideas in  And the Angels Were Silent:  The Final Week of Jesus.  Whether you have already read it, or decide to check it out (perhaps this year, before Easter?!), I’d be very interested to know what resonates with you!