Calls for our Allegiance

These words were written by my friend John van de Laar many years ago, but they are still relevant for this moment in our history. Palm Sunday is not just an event that happened for Jesus, but rather it is a reminder that we are bombarded with calls for our allegiance everyday Voices shout for us to bow the knee to this leader, this ideology, this rhetoric, this political affiliation. However, in the end, the thing that matters is how we will respond to the true Christ - the servant King?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

“Jesus Christ, whose greatest moments of triumph happen
on the back of a donkey’s foal
and nailed to a bloody cross,
We gather to prepare the way for you
in our lives and in our world.

There are so many people and things that call for our allegiance,
so many kings seeking to rule over us.
But, you ride into our experience as another kind of monarch
a serving, humble and challenging leader
who calls us not to slavery, but friendship.

There are so many things that seek our energy and resources for their own sakes
so many empires seeking our souls for their own glory.
But, you ride into our experience heralding another kind of reign
a realm where the least are the greatest,
where the meek inherit the earth
and where children are the best example of citizenship.
a domain which seeks to bring life, not drain it.

There are so many things that draw our attention.
So many realities that seek our faith and assent.
But, you ride into our experience revealing another kind of reality
a reality where death does not have the last word.
a reality where pride, selfishness and evil are defeated
by love and self-giving.
a reality which does not parade itself for all to see,
but fills every moment, every situation and everything with life,
while waiting for us to discover it.

And so, we cry, from our hearts
Hosanna, save us.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of God.
Amen.”

John can de Laar (www.sacredise.com)

 

Agitated and shaken - Who is this?

 "The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked." - Matthew 21:10

When Jesus entered Jerusalem in the final week of his life, the city was shaken to its core. Matthew says the city was in uproar (seio), with many people not sure of what was going on. Jesus' appearance in our world does shake things up a lot. He comes to confront our comfort, our priorities and our sense of control. 

And when Jesus brushes past us, we need to answer the same question posed by the crowds on that dramatic day: "Who is this?"

Who is Jesus to you? Who is he to me? 

Some people called him the 'prophet', while others referred to him as a 'Rabbi!' What about your response? Who do you say he is?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

What token?

When he was reflecting on the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11), Matthew Henry wrote these words:

·        “Those that worship Christ as King must lay their all under his feet; the clothes, in token of the heart.” – Matthew Henry.  

       This was in reference to the fact that some people would have laid their best robes at the feet of a King (in these days) or at the very least some Palm branches. We are challenged to reflect on what we will 'lay before' our Lord and King this Holy Week? Will it be our best or just the rags of our lives?

  

     Living in Grace

     D3LM3

Shattered

I had the misfortune of dropping my phone the other day and to my dismay I noticed that my screen had shattered (almost like the one in the attached photo). I know that I am not the only one to have had this bad luck, but it does leave you with a sick feeling, don't you agree?

The word "shattered" comes up in the bible in a few places, but the one that strikes me the most is from Matthew 21: 42-44 - "Jesus said, “Right—and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles: The stone the masons threw out is now the cornerstone. This is God’s work; we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it! “This is the way it is with you. God’s kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed.” (The Message)

I don't believe that it is God's desire to 'smash' us, but in this passage Jesus is referring to the fact that God's Kingdom is much stronger than the works of man. If it was a straight battle between God and humanity, we all know who would end up broken. Thankfully, God's grace invites us to belong to Christ's Kingdom, no matter how fragile we feel.

Question: Are we building our own kingdoms or are we striving to live in God's Kingdom?

Living in Grace
D3LM3 

The Ask

 

There will come a time when Jesus makes "an Ask" of us. What I mean is this: God will Ask us to do something for him. It may be something simple or something that moves us out of our comfort zone, but God will ask it of us. The question is: How will we respond?

In the following passage we see Jesus giving his disciples some instructions:

² “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.” - Matthew 21:2-3

This was clearly arranged before the time and the owner of the donkey and the colt was more than likely a Christ-follower. However, he didn't know the exact time of when Jesus was going to ask for the animals, so he had to be prepared for the 'Ask' and then be willing to surrender to Jesus' request.

This challenges me - even though I am a Christ-follower, will I be ready to respond to the "Ask" that Jesus makes of me, or will I fumble around and delay?

May we be ready for when Jesus comes asking!

Living in Grace
D3LM3