Approaching the end of the Lenten season
should always be a challenge (rather than a relief) for those disciples who
have engaged and embraced the Lenten Journey for what it is intended to
accomplish - discovery. We might
discover for ourselves what Jesus really endured in His last days on this earth
- if we actually shared His journey - and learn exactly why He was
betrayed, arrested, and executed. We
might actually discover (if we look closely) that His Crucifixion may not have
been as clean as being strictly "God's will" as we watch the
"world" which would welcome Him this day into Jerusalem with high
hopes and great expectations; and only days later not only turn their
collective back on Him but demand His death.
Would we find it different today? I doubt it.
And I doubt it not because I think the world is inherently evil;
I doubt it because the "world" is inherently stubborn and entitled (a
stiff-necked people!); by its actions clearly indicating a preference for darkness
even as the "world" tries to fool itself into believing there is
"light", as those who consider themselves so "intellectually enlightened". I doubt it would be different because even
some "Christians" disavow the journey of discipleship, the Church,
its fellowship, and its disciple (by this I mean structured order, worship, Bible
study, and other means of grace - NOT punishment!). I doubt it would be different because we have
convinced ourselves that "darkness" is the real comfort in our lives;
for it is in "darkness" where we can really let our hair down, so to
speak, and not be discovered for what we really are rather than what we claim
to be.
I have watched the life of the newly
appointed pope Francis unfold; and I have read the many articles written by
abortionists, gay marriage proponents, and homosexual advocates hoping for a
"new era" in the life of the Roman Church. There is indeed a "new era"
unfolding; but it is not going to be what so many seem to be hoping for. For instance, rather than observe a clean
ritual service in St. Peter's Basilica with all the pomp and glitter, the world
is about to watch a pope celebrate Holy Thursday in a prison outside of Rome
where he will wash and kiss the feet of convicted criminals. Oh, the outcry! Oh, the outrage! Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth! Already there are those demanding to know if
the pope intends to do likewise for the victims of these criminals. Before the event has even taken place, the
"world" has already missed the point.
Darkness. It is what keeps us safe from exposure. It is what conceals our truest identity. It is what protects us from being discovered
for what and who we truly are even as we feign a sense of "false
righteousness" in denying what we see in the light. How dare this priest show humility to
criminals?!? How dare this "prince
of the Church" show any level of grace to these "enemies of society"? How dare this pope not get on the social
bandwagon and pay attention to the things which really matter - like birth
control, "reproductive justice" (whatever that means), homosexual
marriage, and female priests? Why worry
about the "last, least, and lost" when there are so many much greater
problems that require our attention?
Darkness. It is the frame of mind in which we would
invite someone like Jesus into our homes with the understanding that He will give
to us all our little hearts' desire, and then curse Him for a fool for failing
to give us what we demanded in the first place!
Darkness is that frame of mind and spirit that offers a false sense of
entitlement by which any sense of "justice" is turned completely
upside down and redefined as "JUST ME".
Can you just imagine, judging by what we
observe today, what we would have sounded like on that grand day in
Jerusalem? Here comes Jesus and His
reputation ("all the deeds of power they had seen") riding into
town on a colt - not quite like a "conquering hero" on a noble steed,
but then this guy Jesus had not been known for doing things in customary
ways.
"Blessed is the KING who comes in
the name of the Lord!", shouts the crowd and which also begs the
question: who - or what - were they really greeting and welcoming - with
extreme enthusiasm, I might add? A
King? A Savior? In what sense did they understand
"king"? In what sense might
they have received a "savior"?
What expectations did they really have?
What expectations might you or I
have? To be saved from SIN? What sin?
Sin is not the problem because sin is relative, right? The problem is the Romans! The problem is the Congress! The problem is the Muslims! The problem is the atheists! The problem is the liberals! The problem is the conservatives! The problem is the bishops! The problem is the president.
The problem is never "us" -
it's always "them". And if
Jesus does not make "them" go away, what possible use could we have
for Him??
The greatest thing missing in this grand
entrance among those greeting Jesus with such enthusiasm is ... FAITH. They have "seen all the deeds of power" with their eyes. There are references scattered throughout the
Gospel accounts of people who were "amazed" at the authority with
which Jesus spoke, but it is what they have SEEN that has them so worked
up. When they could no longer "see"
what they wanted to see, the enthusiasm diminished. When they began to discover that their own,
private "wish lists" would not be fulfilled, they discovered no real
need for this prophet. And now feeling
quite foolish for their earlier enthusiasm, there is little left but to make
the "problem" go away. In a
matter of days, Jesus Himself became the "problem".
Jesus does give much credit to the
crowds when He is confronted by the Pharisees, but I doubt Jesus does not know
how soon they will go away; how soon they will turn; how soon the
"Rock" of St. Peter will deny having ever even known Him. But this moment is not about human behavior
or human nature. This moment in Jesus'
life is much bigger than the parade.
This single moment in human history is about our Holy Father.
When we get caught up in the reality of
human behavior and can see with our 20/20 hindsight what is going on, we
overlook a crucial element of this story.
It is actually the primary component of the story, but we fail to see it
... or we just don't want to. In John 14:9, Jesus tells Philip: "Whoever
has seen Me has seen the Father. How can
you say, 'Show us the Father'?"
In Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, we are
seeing our Holy Father in all His glory - AND - in all His humility. He is making Himself available to us, but He
is NOT going to force Himself upon us or our "enemies". THAT is how much He truly and deeply loves,
and it is how we get what we truly need even when we cannot see it. The Holy Week will unfold and we will observe
the gradual degradation of our enthusiasm when we grow tired of fasting and reading
and praying especially when we see no tangible, personally pleasing results of
our efforts. We may even deny His
Presence simply because our lives are not going the way we want or demand.
Whether we deny our own part in this
unfolding drama or not will not diminish the reality of the Divine Presence and
His desire to make Himself known and available to us. We may receive Him based on His Promise, but
it seems more likely we will reject Him based on our reality.
We cannot deny human nature - but we
must never deny the nature of our Holy Father who sent Messiah to us to
announce the reign of the Kingdom of Heaven!
Let history teach us lessons so that we do not make the same mistake
twice. Let Him in!
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