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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion March 20, 2005 Cheers and Jeers |
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Frontline Devotion for Sunday, March 20, 2005 By Anne B.
Crawford
Matthew
21:1-11
TV Guide magazine occasionally runs a feature called “Cheers and Jeers” in
which they praise some television shows and events for a variety of reasons and
pan others for another variety of reasons. Sometimes the cheers and jeers
are for different aspects of the same program, leaving one to wonder if you
should watch the program for its good parts or avoid it altogether because of
the bad.
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday contains more than a little bit of
this same tension of good and bad. His entry is triumphal with shouts of
“hosanna” and anxious crowds straining to get a glimpse of this “son of
David” who may or may not be the messiah they’re hoping for. But the
scene quickly turns dark, with Jesus overturning the tables of the moneychangers
in the temple and the religious leaders expressing outrage at Jesus for allowing
the cheering crowds to call him king. This is the beginning of their
plotting to get him arrested.
It doesn’t seem right that in so short a span of time Jesus should be both
praised and plotted against. But this is the transition and tension point
as we enter Holy Week. Go ahead – wave your palm branches and enjoy the
parade, but take time to reflect on what comes next – plotting, betrayal,
arrest, and crucifixion. You can’t go from the cheers of Palm Sunday to
the alleluias of Easter Sunday without acknowledging the jeers of the crowd
yelling “crucify him!” Which crowd are we a part of? Probably
part of both. We hail him as Lord, but often deny his lordship and go our
own way. We raise our voices in praise and then use God’s name in vain.
We are conflicted but God is convicted in his love for us. Cheers and
jeers – God sent his son to save us despite our failure to love him back.
Jesus’ crucifixion overcomes our contradictions and reconciles us to God.
“Hosanna in the Highest!”
Dear God: Help us to praise you not just with our lips but in our hearts
and with our lives. Your coming as king is not just a passing parade, but
a call to follow you to the cross. Thank you for loving us through death
to new life in you. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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