Palm Sunday in Social Distance

It’s been a while since I’ve written about Christianity stuff. Honestly, I still struggle.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday.

For the past few years, I have avoided the falderal. Mainly because I think our American Christianity misses the point.

We are celebrating in the same way the Jews did in Jesus’ day.

Palm leaves and singing.

Children dancing in the aisles.

Choirs singing Hosanna.

We walk out of the service excited about the week to come. It’s a holiday week. Kids home from school, vacation. Time off from work. A Big Easter dinner and egg hunt. Family Gathering. All the trappings and glitter.

Keep in mind, I’m not saying these things are bad. I think they are wonderful.

Just…

Every year, as I listen to sermons about Jesus riding on the donkey colt in the Triumphal entry through the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem. I just never see what everyone else does.

I don’t see we Christians knowing everything now That Jesus WAS entering Jerusalem as a Triumphant King, of an Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. Jesus was Our Christian King. Those poor, simple Jews were blind, looking only for an Earthly king. 

I see something different. To me, Jesus was following protocol.

Go to the East side of Jerusalem.- Check

Get this donkey- “Hey you two Disciples, go to that village up there. Find a donkey with a colt next to her at this house. Untie them and bring them here to us. If anyone says anything, just say… ‘The Lord needs them and whoever they belong to will let you take them.’”

Disciples get the donkeys. No problems. -Check

Ride the donkey- “Hey Disciples, I need to ride this donkey colt.”

Disciples: “Ok, well, let’s put our coats on him.”

Coats on donkey - Check

People start showing up - Check

No clear announcement, other than in the folklore and religious texts. They said someday a man would come and perform miracles. That man would one day show up at a Passover time and ride on a colt with coats on it into Jerusalem through a gate on the East side of the city. The stories suggested that this man would free the Israelites from foreign rule, at this moment Rome. Israel would be a free and independent country again. Easy Peasy!

 They would finally be a Political Superpower, if you will.

This man would come to save their city from evil invaders. Cleanse their home from sinners. No more sickness, or poor, or hungry or suffering. All would be right with God.

These people lining the road, celebrating, waving Palm Branches. Heralding a new age of political, social, emotional, spiritual, physical, economic, and religious freedom.  These people, including the Disciples, thought Jesus was the man who would solve their every problem.

Their man of the hour.

But what does Jesus say when HE gets to the top of the hill? When he overlooks the city of Jerusalem? What does Jesus think of this Triumphal Entry?

Jesus wept.

He wept for all those people. 

The celebrating masses, including the disciples.

Why?

Because they misunderstood who he was. They projected onto him what they wanted him to be. They didn’t take the time to know who he was. They wanted peace in their lives at no cost to themselves. The people just wanted a fancy magic trick and for all the bad things to disappear.

They wanted the easy way out of a difficult situation.

I really don’t understand why we celebrate Palm Sunday.

It was a day that made Jesus cry.

I always feel somber and reflective. Are Christians today so different from the crowds or the disciples of that day? Am I? I wonder what it is that I am missing about Jesus’ message to me? How am I misrepresenting Him in my life? 

I take this week to think about these things. To prepare for Maundy Thursday.

Misperceptions

Originally Posted October 24, 2010

Thoughts never stop percolating in my consciousness.

The other day and I stumbled over this verse, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled..." Colossians 1:21

Thought tires squealed; the Enemy within MY mind?  I always heard God was my enemy because of sin. He cast humanity out of the garden over a piece of fruit!  I began to dig and to my surprise I found this cause and effect verse:

”But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them."  Isaiah 63:10 

Considering my own relationships where a misunderstanding occurred, often the offended will treat me as an enemy. Anger sparks gossip. Words cut and damage other friendships around me like ripples in water. My response is to protect myself by stepping away. Not participating in a battle I cannot win. I cannot change the mind of the offended, so I leave them with their beliefs of me.

I considered the origin of this “God’s enemy” perception.

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."  Genesis 2:16-17:  

Why would God do that?

Why would he give a tree that much power?  

This thought occurred: what if it wasn't the tree?

What if it was the choice?  

When it mattered, would they turn to God for their knowledge of what was good and evil?

We know the answer from Genesis 3:4-6; the Serpent hinted that God was lying to them. Adam and Eve decided to rely on themselves instead of the one who made them. An enemy keeps secrets in order to imprison the weak. Maybe they weren't free. Possibly Eden was an elaborate prison. Adam and Eve needed to act and think for themselves.

This was the choice they faced. The result, instead of trusting the one whom they walked in the cool of the garden with regularly and knew intimately; they chose the Tree. This tree became the source of Knowledge of Good and Evil, instead of the One who created it.  

This perception severed them from the life giving Creator. The struggle of humanity began in that moment with a perception: God lied.

God had to keep His promise of Free Will. God cannot lie. God cannot cause evil. From that point on humanity seeks themselves for their own Knowledge of Good and Evil instead of God. We stumble around in blind innocence, trying to make sense of it all. Doing what is right in our own eyes.

Therefore, he had to provide a way to restore the relationship. Jesus was that way. He brings us back to the garden in John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."   

Jesus creates a path for us to walk in the cool of the garden with, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him" John 14:7.

We meditate on the horror of Jesus, praying in a garden. He was an innocent man, arrested, falsely accused then crucified as an enemy of Rome and the Jews. 

What if Jesus was portraying what Adam and Eve did in the Garden?  

They acted as if God was their enemy. In their understanding, he was hiding information from them. Maybe they needed to protect themselves, so they acted. The result was separation. That led to death of the relationship. This death was then laid upon Jesus. 

I stumbled upon a conclusion: through Jesus, I have the ability to seek God's knowledge of good and evil instead of my own knowledge.

Which brings me back to the original question:

How have I made God an enemy in my mind?  

Every time I blame Him for something that goes wrong or react to a situation instead of stopping to seek wisdom. Whenever I complain or tear myself apart over a mistake. God is not out to make my life miserable with unrealistic demands. Divine Love has not set me up to fail. It has set me free to make a choice. I need to set aside my inaccurate perception and believe in His intrinsic goodness. To ask for his direction, for his vantage point is clearer than mine. I can trust Him.

Sovereignty and Parades

Originally posted on February 20, 2011

How powerful is God?  How far does his authority stretch?  What is really under his control? How is sovereignty defined?

 To some, God is an origin.  Once everything began rolling; he withdrew his hands and sat back to watch. This God stands in a pet store surrounded by tanks full of fish. He can see things working out, the colorful dance and school to a musical rhythm. Yet, big fish attack little fish, gold ones bloated with disease struggle for air and he simply stands there looking through the glass, helpless and limited.  

Others consider God a great puppet master. Giant hands pull and weave on strings attached to everything. Free will has no place in this scenario.Marionettes dance and interact without choice; bantered around by whims. A set story is in play and their wooden arms and legs helplessly clink to the plot and tune. God is small and restricted.

A third view is God, flying a helicopter over a parade. The coordination is immense.  The path is mapped out. All participants know the destination. Those sitting on the curb watch the artistry flow past them. When the unexpected happens, blades of a helicopter tickle the hearing of those on the street. The pilot and coordinator can see the beginning and the end of the parade. They watch the choices of the bands, float drivers, parade walkers and spectators. Through radio, they advise direction changes. Listeners on the ground trust those in the air and follow the correction. The snarl is fixed.  In spite of what went wrong the parade continues.   

When I stumbled upon this definition my mind was blown. God sees all and knows all yet, he works in spite of it, limitless. He allowed Adam and Eve a choice; let His knowledge be enough or trust a piece of

fruit. They chose the fruit. Our Creator is above, watching the flow of that original choice play out. I am faced with a choice every day. I can to listen to His counsel or solve it myself. Pride says I can solve it myself. Humility tells me to listen to the One who has a greater point of view and follow those instructions. Any solution I concocted would fall short of complete. A deep gratitude wells within my soul. I feel awe that he is interested in me and satisfied that he cares for me.