We began our journey into Lent, reading the story of Jesus retreating into the Desert for 40 days. In those days, the expectations were high that God would send a Messiah – who like Moses, would lead his people to freedom – to the Promised Land. He would be leader who would raise a powerful army to drive the Romans out of Jerusalem and free the people of the yoke of foreign domination. Jesus was thought by many to be just that person; the one called by God to leadership and follow in the footsteps of King David – to destroy Goliath. This story ends when Jesus left the Desert and began his personal journey to Jerusalem, not as a great and powerful king, but as a servant, calling the people to help one another, especially the poorest and most helpless. Jesus walked this journey with many disciples, and on the way, confronted those who held positions of power. They were aware of his many followers who were looking at Jesus as the possible Messiah. They were intimidated and fearful of his growing popularity and looked for ways to bring him to his death – to eliminate him as a rival to Caesar. As they worked to trip him up with loaded questions, he answered them with stories – with parables. He was a storyteller, as were the storytellers of old. These stories were designed to make a point and to force the questioner to confront his own hypocrisy.
As Jesus continued his journey, he healed the sick, the blind and the deaf. His disciples were also blind and deaf but learned to see and to understand; slowly but surely. Jesus spoke with the unclean – he ate with them and he treated them with compassion and fed their spirits and healed their lack of understanding. Along the way, Jesus continually confronted his disciples to open their eyes, their minds and their hearts and then to reach out to act.
As the journey continued, the crowds and the disciples were still discerning if this Jesus was the one they were longing for. He warned them several times that their journey would be most painful and difficult – asking them if they were ready for it. On Palm Sunday, we celebrate the story of his followers assuming that he was now going to assume power and take control. There was a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air as they gathered in the streets to welcome him – their Messiah – the chosen one of God. Much to their surprise, as they gathered in the streets, he enters the city seated not on a powerful stallion, all decked out in armor. But once again, being tempted by their expectations, he chose to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, dressed simply. He then shared a meal with his disciples, who were nervous and afraid. He knew their weaknesses and fears; but explaining that God was with them in their humanity – their blindness; but would eventually see. He shared a meal with them and taught them of their communion with him at all times. He taught that God had become human to share the human journey; to become one with humanity. He then taught them that in the sharing of the meal, they became one with God. He taught them to accept and love their humanness as God love them; not because they were perfect but because they were human and were called to fall in love with the Universe itself; with all that was alive and to see life everywhere. They were then called to be life-givers as Jesus was for them.
As we read, Jesus was indeed arrested and charged with insurrection – of claiming to be God. The rulers could not sit still and allow him to threaten their power. Jesus did indeed challenge the powerful. He made the point time and again, that the role of authority was not to grasp power for the individual. The role of authority was and is to serve; to heal the wounded and broken; to feed those with empty spirits and to walk with them, celebrating life. Jesus was a Viatorian, walking a journey, bringing light where there was only darkness; bringing life where there was only death.
He called his disciples to follow him and do the same. He promised them that the journey would be difficult and challenging. The Crucifixion was one side of a double- sided coin with the other side being the Resurrection to new life. Jesus called his disciples to let the old die so that the new could spring forth alive. He saw the human journey as long and difficult, but promised that God would walk with humanity, through all of the trials – and to believe that. He promised them that they would see the face of God in human flesh if they would learn how let go of their fears and to look. Hoe then taught them that what he did, they could do: that they were responsible for the world that had been given to them. He taught that we are in fact co-responsible; God and Humanity walking together on a common journey. We are in Communion with one another and that Spirit of Life that touches the Universe and resides with us and within us. He then, as he did to his disciples at that time, implores us to open our eyes, our minds and our hearts; to understand. To walk together on our common journey of creation becoming.
Creation is a verb; not a noun.
