Mark Dohle
Well-Known Member
The unexpected
(Palm Sunday)
(Palm Sunday)
Just before Jesus entered Jerusalem that led to his death, he did one of his most powerful miracles that pointed to him as the author of life. What he did, if I was there, would not have filled my heart with joy or wonder, but instead with stark, abject, fear. To witness someone exiting a womb who was dead for four days, and tightly wrapped in a shroud, would not be something expected, or thought possible, hence the terror. I also wonder how Martha, and Mary, related to Lazarus after that…..surely there was some distance between them that was not there before. There was a price to be paid for what happened, a heavy price. Yet, because it was performed by Jesus, it was necessary. A forerunner of his own death, burial, and resurrection, though different than Lazarus since he had to die again, while Jesus overcame death once and for all.
Some would question, why would Jesus even let Lazarus die. In fact, I am sure that Martha and Mary and many of the people who were mourning with her thought the same thing. He could heal the blind and lepers, people he did not know personally. Some he healed without even being asked, the widow from Nain for instance, whom he brought her son back to life. What about Lazarus, his good friend? Jesus did not even try to live up to others expectations, he had his own agenda. One was apparently, to let Lazarus suffer and die, and to have his sister’s go through four days of gut-wrenching mourning even before Jesus arrived. People expected Jesus to come at once to save his friend, surely not to bring him back from the dead after four days in the tomb.
Everyone had ideas and expectations about Jesus. Some thought he was the Messiah come to make Israel great again. Wherein all of their enemies would be overthrown and like in the time of David, they would be the unique, free children of God. It was a this world kingdom, and there are plenty of Old Testament readings that could be and were interpreted that way.
The religious elite, many of them, though not all, thought of Jesus as a dangerous man, and no matter how many his signs and wonders, they were not moved to either wonder or belief, but only anger and rage and perhaps fear of the Romans who might look upon Jesus as a danger and cause mayhem for the nation. Their expectation was also false about their plans to destroy his influence forever.
Jesus was also a man who challenged those who needed to be shook up and was kind and compassionate to the downtrodden and outcaste. There were many opinions about him, many expectations, from all parties including the Apostles…they were all wrong.
James and John wanted to sit at his left and right hand. They would have probably argued who would be at his right. When they arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover, perhaps the expectation was that Jesus would come into his full glory….he did, it was just not as expected, not even close.
So in our own lives, as we follow Jesus, or we are seekers, what we expect may not be what we experience, or even need. We need to trust to go deeper into our journey through this life if it is rooted in seeking God’s love and will for us.
Distress
Before his entrance into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday,
he told how deep his distress was to his followers,
for he knew that goodness often feeds the rage of those wounded,
his loving heart made him defenseless against such tumult.
So he entered, we cheered him, waving palms,
he smiled perhaps sadly and with compassion,
for he knows what is in the hearts of men;
the pain, anger, the desires that can drive us crazy
and the rage against God and existence itself,
so filled with pain and injustice.
How easy it is to turn, to embrace the freedom of rage;
to destroy what is good, most human, and to exalt in violence and injustice,
to be caught up in the mob that flows like a river with ease,
until it flows over that which is sought and hated, at least in the moment,
for often after the horror is over and done with,
we wake up as if in a dream, appalled at what was done.
The loving heart is a human heart; perhaps that is why it is feared,
for to understand the hell that is often our inner lives reality,
bears a heavy price to be borne. This reality was seen and understood
by the heart of Christ, wounded in love, for he has no defense.
Before his entrance into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday,
he told how deep his distress was to his followers,
for he knew that goodness often feeds the rage of those wounded,
his loving heart made him defenseless against such tumult.
So he entered, we cheered him, waving palms,
he smiled perhaps sadly and with compassion,
for he knows what is in the hearts of men;
the pain, anger, the desires that can drive us crazy
and the rage against God and existence itself,
so filled with pain and injustice.
How easy it is to turn, to embrace the freedom of rage;
to destroy what is good, most human, and to exalt in violence and injustice,
to be caught up in the mob that flows like a river with ease,
until it flows over that which is sought and hated, at least in the moment,
for often after the horror is over and done with,
we wake up as if in a dream, appalled at what was done.
The loving heart is a human heart; perhaps that is why it is feared,
for to understand the hell that is often our inner lives reality,
bears a heavy price to be borne. This reality was seen and understood
by the heart of Christ, wounded in love, for he has no defense.
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