Listen

People who were blind and lame came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and legal experts saw the amazing things he was doing and the children shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were angry. They said to Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes,” he answered. “Haven’t you ever read, From the mouths of babies and infants you’ve arranged praise for yourself?” Then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

Matthew 21:14-17

Think

They were angry when they saw his miracles and heard the children celebrating… It’s easy to read this and just label these leaders the “bad guys.” It’s harder and maybe more important to try to understand why they felt so angry and defensive about something that looks so good.

Their reaction might actually feel fairly similar to us in 2020. Our culture is deeply focused on WHO does things or says things right now. In the political world, we don’t feel comfortable celebrating anything that’s done by the “other” party. In the religious world, we tend to run screaming away from any way of worshiping outside our own stream of faith. In our friend group, we may face criticism when we cross the circle to get to know someone else. We are people of our own choices.

And so were the religious leaders who were angry when they “saw the amazing things he was doing.”

Today we may ask ourselves – where are we standing in this story of “triumphal entry”? Are we one of the children, shouting praise? Are we one of the angry temple officials? And what’s our motivation?

Gina Yeager-Buckley

Pray

Dear God, sometimes this road with you winds and turns in ways I don’t expect. Especially as our whole world has been interrupted by this pandemic, I don’t always see or understand how your kingdom is coming about. God, help me to remember that the road always ends somewhere and there are spectacular and important things to encounter along the way. Give me eyes to see beyond myself. Amen.

Go

Go into the next moment of your life with a sense of celebration, of gratitude, of curiosity, and with the knowledge that you are a part of God’s story. Each and every line of it.