Palm Sunday Lectionary Passages:
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 link: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+118%3A1-2%2CPsalm+118%3A19-29&version=NIV
Luke 19:28-40 link: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2019:28-40&version=NIV
(I will be linking scripture rather than posting the verses in their entirety, so if you don't have a Bible you may copy and paste the links to your browser to see the analyzed scripture)
Analysis- We are guilty sometimes, perhaps often, of reading about the story of "The Triumphal Entry" (as it is titled in scripture) and wondering how the same people who were exalting Jesus and celebrating him as the fulfillment of the Torah (literally exclaiming the prophecy of Psalm 118 to Jesus as praise) would be some of the same people calling for his head not a week later. Why do I reference guilt? Because while we have the benefit of "the rest of the story," it is easy to become self righteous and assume that we wouldn't make the same mistakes as the people who witnessed Jesus first hand. In doing so, I think we make the same mistake many people made in that time.
You see, the Jews had a very different idea for what type of savior Jesus would be. They thought he would literally save them from their Roman oppressors and re-establish Israel as a nation. Jesus actually weeps approaching Jerusalem after receiving the people's praises, knowing the truth of what is to come. While the people recognized Jesus as a fulfillment of prophecy, they had the wrong idea of what that prophecy was as well as what their place was within the prophecy. As a result, when Jesus wasn't who they wanted him to be, they gladly joined those who condemned him to the cross as a criminal.
I'd like to think that I wouldn't be among those who did that, but the truth of the matter is I'm sure I would find myself in the same crowds. We do the same thing to Jesus today when we take his gospel and misrepresent it to support our own idea of who he is without realizing that Jesus' reality transcends our own understandings. I'm sure God forgives us for our limited understandings, because belief and faith are most often grown from limited understandings. I believe our spiritual growth is stunted when we allow our limitations extend to our understanding of Christ.
I wish I could be more specific, but there are so many ways that we do this, and we're probably unaware at the time we're doing them. One specific way would be when we claim Jesus for our own benefit and gain. Does the appearance of being a "devout Christian" afford us popularity in the communities in which we live? Does it help the businesses we run? Does it help us get votes? Does it give us influence over people who otherwise would ignore us?
I realize that some of these questions imply some darker things about us, but their are people doing their best to be Christians and their faith becomes something that only comforts and never moves us to compromise or sacrifice. When we use our relationship this way, even our sacrifices or things that we compromise for others become an even greater benefit to ourselves. The work we did publicly for that charity? The money we donated publicly for the good of others. I could probably make an endless list, but I'll spare you the guilt because that's not my intent.
As we prepare for Palm Sunday and the last week of Jesus' life culminating in his death, let's do our best to combat the part of ourselves that would use Jesus and our calling as Christians for our own good. Let's focus our attention on how we can give of ourselves in a selfless way; a way that might even cause us to truly lose so others might gain. Jesus truly gave everything up for the benefit of all. We can honor his sacrifice by doing our best to reflect and imitate that for others. We may want a savior who comes to save us and our immediate family; what we need is a savior who compels us to offer up ourselves for the sake of anyone, especially our enemies.
I'll post my analysis on the passion soon (tomorrow or Saturday).
God bless and let me know what you think,
Jason
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