e-vo for week of April 13

Dearest e-votees-

This coming Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week with Palm Sunday. As Lent culminates with this most holiest of weeks I pray that we would be challenged, engaged and comforted by the deep and abiding truths that are to be found throughout the week. May our worship be blessed. If you know of people who don’t know of these deep and abiding truths I pray you would consider inviting them to experience this powerful week with us this year.

Peace,
Karl

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1 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, "The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately. " 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

Matthew 21:1-11, NRSV

What is the proper comparison in our times to Jesus arriving into Jerusalem? Do we lay it aside a presidential visit with all the pomp and circumstance and the associated activity of the secret service? Do we consider the red carpet going into the Oscars with all of the fawning and strutting and critiques? Do we compare it to the pope coming out to address the adoring masses? Do we go towards the grand entrance of the newest gadget with folks camping out and getting into shoving matches over the limited supplies and the special rollout prices? What in this world and in this time offers any sort of comparison to God-incarnate entering into the holy city to face down the final week, the passion with all its deep and visceral moments, the agony of the cross and the triumph of the empty tomb? Probably nothing which is what can make it so hard to draw near to this event.

The world makes much of these moments with motorcades of limousines, photo opportunities, prepared speeches and sound-bites. Jesus came in on a donkey. Jesus says nothing to the crowds in Matthew, Mark or John—Luke has the exchange where he says “I tell you if [his disciples] were silent, the stones would shout out.” Jesus doesn’t offer any interviews on the way into town. He is noticeably silent (perhaps a foreshadowing of his self-defense at the upcoming trial before the powers of this world). Jesus seems to be tending to fulfilling prophecies and perhaps challenging the fanfare and the elusive adoration of a fickle world. Where are all these adoring folks later this week?

When Jesus comes into the world the world responds in turmoil. There are all sorts of examples in scripture—Herod trying to kill off Jesus through the slaughter of the innocents, the townspeople who encourage Jesus to keep moving along after he has healed the demoniac, the cleansing of the temple, Palm Sunday, the fevered crowd calling for Barabbas—of the world being unsettled by Jesus. I wonder how much Jesus living and working through us brings about turmoil. Or have we domesticated our faith and our Lord too much? Do people look at us as followers of Christ and say “Who is this?” (hopefully more about the one we follow than about us) And if they do, do we seize the opportunity to speak the name of Jesus and to tell of his life, death and resurrection?

God, bring us into this holiest of weeks. Help us reach out to others and bring them too. You are so different than the world that often we don’t know quite what to do in response. Guide us to be good and faithful and true to you because first and foremost you were good and faithful and true to us in the life and passion of our Lord Jesus. Amen.