What gives us pause in our lives and world right now? What things are we facing that are difficult and hard to process? Do we have joy, sadness, fear, excitement, trepidation, and hope all swirling around in us?
This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday. This is the Sunday we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. I have to wonder what Jesus was feeling? Jesus was well aware of what awaited him in Jerusalem. Jesus knew there were throngs of people who were jubilant that he was coming. They had heard and seen what he had been doing and the message he was sharing. They were waiting expectantly for him, and they were filled with hope and jubilation. We are told they spread palm branches and even their own cloaks on the ground before him. There were also the religious authorities who were not thrilled with his arrival, and who were continually trying to find ways to get rid of him. The occupiers of the country were oblivious to who Jesus was, they only wanted to keep the peace. The Disciples were excited because it felt like Jesus was finally going to assume power and right every wrong they harbored within themselves.
Needless to say, there was a lot going on.
It seems to me, this situation mimics our current lives. We have a partial government shutdown causing some havoc and delays in travel. We hear rumors of what the government may or may not do in regards to voting rights. We see the political landscape as divided and seemingly ineffective in addressing our needs. Each political party is touting what they will do if they have the power after the mid-term elections, and how their actions will make life better. The poor seem to be getting poorer, and the rich seem to be getting richer. The social fabric is being stretched thin and to what seems like the breaking point. Our military personnel are on edge and on call for a wider expansion of the Iran conflict. The markets are up and down on a daily basis.
Needless to say, there is a lot going on.
In the midst of all that was going on when Jesus prepared to enter Jerusalem, he went any way. He had the hope and dream of bringing a word of love to bear in the lives of the people. He had been working to teach his disciples his message so they could carry it to the world. Jesus was feeling the nearness of the Kingdom of God breaking into the world, but he also was feeling the nearness of pain and death. Its hard to imagine what all was going through Jesus’ mind at that time. Hard to know the conflicting emotions that had to be raging inside him.
When we are faced with so much in our lives, how do we handle it? There is probably never a time when we are not faced with ups and downs. We have joys and excitement to be sure. We have many things we celebrate and that bring us happiness. We also encounter a good deal of stuff which makes us anxious and fearful, and even sets us on edge. All of this is part of life.
Jesus, as the old folks would say, stayed prayed up! He engaged in regular communication with God. He took the opportunity to share with God all that was going on in his life. He sought God’s direction and guidance. When things were going well, Jesus talked with God. When things were hard, and even desperate, Jesus talked with God. Spending time with God was what enabled Jesus to face all the obstacles he came up against. Spending time with God made the joys he experienced even more complete.
This understanding of what it means to approach God with our own situations reminds me of the gospel song, “Just a Little Talk With Jesus”. The writer says…
”Sometimes my path seems drear, without a ray of cheer,
and then a cloud of doubt may hide the light of day,
the mists of sin may rise and hide the starry skies,
but just a little talk with Jesus clears the way.
I may have doubts and fears, my eyes be filled with tears,
but Jesus is a friend who watches day and night,
I go to him in prayer, he knows my every care,
and just a little talk with Jesus makes it right.”
And the chorus assures us what talking with Jesus can do for us…
“(Now let us), have a little talk with Jesus,
(let us), tell him all about our troubles,
(he will), hear our faintest cry,
(and he will), answer by and by,
(now when you), feel a little prayer wheel turning,
(and you), know a little fire is burning,
(you will), find a little talk with Jesus makes it right.”
I know, and I assure each of us, God knows the mix of emotions and stuff we each must deal with every day. Maybe how we get through all of this really does amount to a little talk with Jesus and God. Our problems don’t magically go away or get solved. The situations we face aren’t immediately corrected. But we are assured of God’s presence with us, and we can face anything unafraid when God is there.
Your companion on the Way,
Pastor Tom