My plea to God in prayer last night was that he would align my heart in a mighty way to the magnitude of what this Easter week means. We celebrate with such joy the bright colors and dyed eggs and family round the table, and rightly so, but this week we remember one of the most historic events of all time. (Tied equally only with His providential birth.)“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations…. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and there life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, exploit—immortal horrors or ever-lasting splendors.”
Over the next few days, we relive the story of the proclaimed Son of God who is brought into the city with adoration and praise and walked out of the city carrying the method of his own death on his back. The same crowd who cheered him as King cries a new cry.... Crucify Him.
Last year, I felt the weight of this weeks events so heavily. By Easter Sunday, I was speechless over the way I was right flipped upside down over my Jesus. My Savior. This week, I hope to prepare my heart. To open my hands wide, surrender all that I am, and let the Holy Spirit walk me vividly, fearfully, brokenly, and joyfully through these last day of my King's life on earth. I'll try to walk the week with you, if you don't mind. Sharing what I'm learning. Preparing our hearts together. Moving into Sunday where we can all proclaim with hot tears of gratitude in our eyes, 'HE IS RISEN!'
Today, as the bible tells it, Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem by way of a donkey. Led into the city by a crowd of His followers crying 'Hosanna' (translated 'save us') and laying cloaks and palm leaves on the ground before his foal. Today he visits the temple, sees the way they disgrace the house of God, and he turns over the selling tables, casting out those who would profane His house. Then, as always, Jesus turned the hand of hospitality to the outcasts. To the lame, the blind, the children. He healed them. He opened up the floodgates of His love for those that we would turn a blind eye to.
My goal for today is to look through the lens of Jesus' vision. Who needs care, love, affection, salvation? The people we meet today, as CS Lewis says, are immortals. 'Immortal horrors or ever-lasting splendors.' May we go out today and reach out with Jesus' hands. Let's collect a nation of people today to live for all eternity in ever-lasting splendor. Let's not turn a blind eye to anyone, lest they not find the way and live in eternal horror. I have a brain, body, and soul full of the message of Christ's goodness. Let me turn the hand of hospitality to everyone and offer them LIFE.
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