"And as He rode along they spread their cloaks on the road. As He was drawing near--already on the way down the Mount of Olives--the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!' And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, 'Teacher, rebuke your disciples.' He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.'" (Luke 19:36-40)
Palm Sunday.
Yes we're mired in the fierce jaws of a worldwide pandemic. It's a time full of uncertainty, isolation, sorrow, fear. I awoke this morning anxious, heavy-hearted, agitated. But then I immediately remembered this is Holy Week. Today is Palm Sunday. How I miss being able to worship together with our church, with our people. And we have to acknowledge and grieve all the losses and the deep fear.
But if ever there was a time when we have to take our frightened hearts and counsel them to make the choice to turn from our anxiety and sadness and look to the Savior, this is that time. I must choose, we must choose to look to His Word. Look to Jesus. Tell ourselves to exchange our self-focus for Savior-focus.
Look to the One who "set His face like flint" to head to the cross, knowing full well the unimaginable suffering ahead. Not just physical torment--though that would be horrific--not just the deep sorrow of betrayal, denial, and desertion by His closest companions, but the cosmic suffering of the unfathomable weight of sin--all our sin--and of separation from His Heavenly Father.
Yet knowing everything that lay ahead, Jesus resolutely, joyfully even, sat upon that colt and entered the place where He would be tortured and killed. We must, I must, choose to move my gaze from myself and my worries and look to Him. Be awed by Him. Love Him. Thank Him. Worship Him.
And so on this Palm Sunday, we have the choice. Will we worship or will we worry?
Will we be like those disciples praising and rejoicing, because our King has come? Or will we be like those frowning, despising, worrying Pharisees, demanding that Jesus tell the people to stop their nonsense and be quiet. Stop their praising. Stop their rejoicing. Stop their worshipping.
You know, in many ways, their world was no different from ours. Maybe they weren't dealing with a hateful virus, but they faced a hateful enemy--imperial Rome. They were downtrodden, subjugated, poor, and constantly in danger of being killed by an enemy that despised them and ruled with an iron fist. Their's was a hard, uncertain, fearful world. How dare they praise and rejoice in such a world?
And yet they did...at least for the moment (because we all know how fickle the crowds can be). The Pharisees could choose to frown and despise and rebuke and plot their murderous schemes, but the disciples would praise and worship Jesus.
So the question is, how about you? Today, will you worry or worship? Will you fixate on the latest grim news or will you focus on the greatest Good News that the world has ever known?
It's been said that "Anxiety is imagining the future without Jesus in it." Well, let me declare to my own fickle, forgetful heart and to the world, Jesus is in the future. Jesus is in the present, even amidst this virus-sick world. Jesus is coming back to reign in glory forever and ever. And Jesus is on the throne and in control of all, all, all things. He is my King and our King and the world's King. Might we worship Him, for He is worthy, worthy, worthy.
Hallelujah!
To God be the glory.
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