The Tipping Point

Next Sunday is the 6^th Sunday of Lent, aka Palm Sunday. It commemorates the day when Jesus, seated on a donkey, entered Jerusalem in procession with his disciples. His fans greeted him with great enthusiasm, to the consternation of his religious and political opponents. But organized religion and partisan politics are formidable enemies. By Friday, working together, they had managed to turn the tide. Popularity is really no match for a solid coalition.

There are two opposing lessons in the events of Palm Sunday, rather like a coin; tails (fans are fickle), heads (love never fails). The questions we are left with in the end are; Am I a fan or am I a lover?, Dare I flip the coin? and, better yet, Do I have the courage to simply set it down heads up?

LOVE NEVER FAILS. 1 Corinthians 13:8

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day the people greeted him with palm branches and cries of “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus mania? Yes, to some extent. But it was more than that. The palm branch was a symbol of the Maccabean revolt (about 165 BC), which was the last time the nation of Israel had been free. And the words they were chanting are from Psalm 118, one of the six great psalms of Passover, the great celebration of the founding of the nation.

The people are clearly calling upon Jesus to lead them in revolt against Rome. But Jesus enters the city and ransacks the Temple rather than the Palace. (Matt 21:12) The cheers soon become jeers, and the cries of “Blessed is he...” become “Crucify him! Crucify him!”.

I once heard an athlete asked the question “How do you cope with the fear of failure?” He replied, “I simply remind myself that, no matter what happens, the people who loved me before this event will still love me after.”

When the multitudes didn’t get what they wanted from Jesus they didn’t stop loving him, they just stopped cheering; they’d never loved him. And this is the test of our love too. We praise him when he’s doing what we want, but what happens when the way gets frightening and painful? And what do we do when he kicks over the tables in our little temple instead of dealing with our boss, or our parents, or our kids?

At supper he told them, “One of you will betray me”. Ever wonder if you might be the one?