Monday, April 14

The Cost of Compassion

Rev. Tim Travers

Reading

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Luke 19:37–38 (NIV)

Reflection

As I reflect on Pastor Mark’s sermon from Palm Sunday, the image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey will continue in my prayers during Holy Week.

The crowd’s praise when Jesus rode into Jerusalem would prove to be a foreshadowing of Jesus’ victory—but not in the way the people expected. Within days after entering the city and being greeted with adoration from onlookers, Jesus would be arrested, sentenced to death, and nailed to a cross. Within a week, exaltation would give way to an ignominious death. But scandal would become gospel, because death would give way to resurrection, and God’s plan for us to have abundant and eternal life would be accomplished.

It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the magnitude of the courage, faith, and sacrifice of Jesus.

Jerusalem was a dangerous place for him to be. Word had spread about his ministry, as evidenced by the crowds of people intrigued by his arrival. Jesus knew full well that authorities were out to get him, and they’d be waiting for him right there in Jerusalem. However, this was not a case of Jesus giving in or giving up. It was a case of Jesus giving everything.

It was obvious that Jesus had won the hearts of many people by the time he entered Jerusalem. I imagine that it appeared to many of Jesus’ followers that the time was perfect for overcoming the Roman government with violent force. And yet, Jesus didn’t take people’s adoration as a sign that he should use popularity to escape his calling; and his calling was to bring love, not hate.

Jesus stood firm in his faith and was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to bring about the realization of God’s grace in the world.

Jesus’s faith was complete and unyielding. It was courageous and relentless.

Jesus’ faith is what gave him the wherewithal to allow himself to be taken prisoner so that we could be set free. His faith empowered him to give up his power and go to his death so that we could have true life.

As Pastor Mark stated in his sermon, “Faith in Christ is good, but it is the faith of Christ that is strong enough to change the world.”

Perhaps some of the people present when Jesus rode into Jerusalem sensed things were about to change. They each had their own expectations of how this new king, the long-awaited Messiah, would inaugurate the fullness of God’s kingdom on earth; but Jesus turned their expectations upside-down. Many people threw down their cloaks to tamp down the dust so they could see more clearly as they viewed this happy procession into Jerusalem, but they were still unable to see the painful yet merciful plans of God. Crowds of people welcomed Jesus by waving palm branches on Sunday, but several days later, they’d be crying out for Barabbas to be set free and Jesus to be crucified.

Public opinion can be heartlessly fickle, but the love that flows from the heart of God never wavers.

God never counts the cost of compassion and finds it too expensive.

Therefore, if we promise to love as God loves, it’s going to require our full commitment.

Prayer
Loving God, through the courage and sacrifice of Christ, you have brought the fullness of the kingdom of heaven to earth. Help us to be about the work of the kingdom by standing firm in our commitment and by giving our whole selves to loving you and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.