I recalled the news footage clips of the Beatles coming to America and it caused me to think alot about discipleship and following Christ. Now the Beatles were something that the states had never experienced before, so this is not a rant on the silliness or over emotional reaction of the crowds of people that were present on that noted day, but there is something in the intensity of that moment that impresses me.
Palm Sunday might have been something like the atmosphere of the day the Beatles came to America.
Shouting, people waving whatever they could get their hands on to get Jesus attention, laying their clothes down to make a "red carpet" for his travels. All these characteristics of that moment could be compared to the arrival of many important celebrities or political figures of the past, but unlike the Beatles or Kennedy - Jesus wasn't there to entertain the masses or overthrow the government. Moments before his arrival, Jesus had looked over the city of Jerusalem and wept for it.
Jesus was never doing what people expected. He didn't check with his agent or speechwriters to see how his public approval rating was doing. He was about the work of his father and that meant something much deeper that banners, newsreels and red carpets.
Jesus was full of compassion for the city of Jerusalem. He desired more than the promises, enthusiasm, and cheers from the crowd. In fact, I think he was trying to give them a glimpse of what they had settled for: fame, power, status, and self. Instead of looking to Jesus to really see who they were, claim who they could be and move closer to God. They took steps away from God by focusing only on what they could see as power and hear as promises of liberation from an unwelcome government.
What Jesus wanted them to see was his love for them and recognise their own need for God. They needed God to become their teacher, their disciple.
It was through the sacrifice of Christ that mere mortal men and women are placed on the "red carpet". Jesus tears, compassion and crucifiction are the sights and sounds that need to call for our attention as disciples of Christ. The path of discipleship is challenging but Jesus already walked this way. We are not alone.
Own who you are. Walk in that path. Allow the red carpet of Christ to lead and guide you along the way and a step or two closer to God.
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