We call it Palm Sunday. The Triumphal Entry.
Jesus comes to Jerusalem and the people want him to be King. The street is lined with palms as the people see Jesus riding in a colt, a young donkey. They want him to be king. They want him to be the "fixer". The person who makes all their problems go away. The person who rescues them in their hour of distress. But, what does Jesus want? What is it that God wants the people to see and understand?
We have been covering the subject and doctrine of salvation through this Lenten season. We are almost at the end of that stretch as we come into Palm Sunday focusing on the tears that the Savior shed over a city who missed the point. Last week we were in Bethany seeing Jesus weep with a sister who had lost her brother. Now we see him crying as he looks over this great city of Jerusalem. When you spend all of your time walking through an area or country and become attached to the people it is natural to feel some remorse and discomfort when you know your time in that place is drawing to an end. Jesus knows. He knows that the end is coming and so is the cross. We will see later in the week the great drops of sweat and blood and tears he gives as he cries over the moment that will transpire. Jesus will give his life for our salvation. It is the only sacrifice that will suffice. It is the only proper means of covering our sins and putting things right with the Almighty.
Jesus is the the bridge. If we thought of God and man being separated by a wide valley or gulf with no way to cross the expanse to the other side, Jesus would be the means to get there. If we are in touch with the moment here in Luke 19, I can't help but be impressed with the notion that Jesus must be feeling the weight of being that bridge. I see his tears as not having the bear the weight of the bridge, but knowing how few have actually take the trek across the expanse. "If you, even you, had known on this day what would bring you peace..." Jesus is bearing the weight of using all his energy and time to speak to a people that refuse to listen. Even the ones in his care as disciples don't fully understand what is about to transpire. It won't be until some time after the event of the next weekend that their eyes will be opened to what has happened. Only then will they see and hear and remember what Jesus has done for them. The washing of feet. The shedding of blood. All the lessons and teaching and scripture shared will come back tot hem in a flood. But, only after.
Too often we find ourselves in a place of bearing the afterthought. "Hide-sight is 20/20" is the old adage. For many of us, we either can't see what is in our blind spot to acknowledge it and do something about it -or- we simply refuse to do anything about it. Then the moment comes upon us in a sweeping rush of regret and angst. We want to apologize, but it's too late. We want to make changes, but things have already changed and maybe not in a way that is good for anyone. Jesus knows that all of this could be avoided as he stands on the hill looking over Jerusalem. The religious hierarchy will explode with arrogance and pride. The Romans will eventually come and knock down the Temple. Many of the Israelites will be killed or drug away in slavery and servitude. The country will never be the same. The thought of being an independent state standing on its own two feet, governing itself, will be a pipe dream. "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it"
There are so many shoes to put ourselves into as we reach through this stretch of scripture. For starters, we want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We want to be like him. We want to share in the saving of our world. We want to share the load of giving peace and forgiveness to a world that need to hear the message and understand what it means to know God. Too often, we find ourselves sharing the burden of the prophet Isaiah.
All too often we find ourselves slipping into the shoes of the people. The ones who didn't listen in the first place. The ones who should have known better. The ones who find their land "utterly forsaken". The ones who should have apologized before all of the bad stuff transpired. The ones who should done what was right from the start instead waiting to give some lame apology after the moment has passed. God can see what is going on in our hearts. He knows all. He sees all. There is no escaping that. And, we wait too long, there might not be any way to correct the wrongs we have committed.
To have eyes like Jesus.
To have a heart like Jesus.
To see what he sees. To know what he knows.
To be like him. That is our Goal.
To bring salvation to a lost and hurting world.
Whether they will listen or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment