Month: April 2022

It’s Palm Sunday.  Like many of Jesus’ followers around the world, today at the Baptist church in Mooroolbark we spent time thinking about that first Palm Sunday. 

We remembered how Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, heralded by jubilant followers shouting praises to God. He made his way to Jerusalem under a canopy of palm branches and carried over a ‘red carpet equivalent’ comprised of peoples’ cloaks laid on the path. We looked at Luke 19:28-44.

“We often make a mistake when we read about Palm Sunday in the gospels,” the preacher said. “We interpret it from the perspective of already knowing what was to come. Most of those who were key players on the day had no idea of what would transpire in the days ahead.” 

What were they thinking, I wonder? How did they experience the day? 

Hence this blog post. 

Susanna’s perspective

(According to Luke 8:1-3, a number of women were amongst those who followed Jesus on his travels. Clearly I am attracted to Susanna because of her name being like mine. That’s why I am choosing to try and put myself in her sandals that first Palm Sunday as I write this blog post.)

[Jesus] “… went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.”  Luke 18:11 NIV

“When they 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.” Luke 19:37 NIV

It’s time. It’s finally time!

We can see the city of Jerusalem from the hilltop right now. We have seen his miracles – one after another after another, as we’ve followed him about this nation. His power is indisputable. We know the Scriptures. And today – right now – we are part of fulfilling Scripture. Can you believe it?! What an honour!

The King has come! King Jesus, the Messiah, is entering his city NOW!

Waving palm branches is our custom when welcoming a victorious king into the city. So of course the young men raced off to gather enough branches for us all to wave about.

We all threw our cloaks on the ground so that he could enter his city on a pathway befitting a king. My cloak was particularly beautiful. It was made of lovely soft brown wool. It wasn’t cheap, and I have always taken good care of it. I was honoured to see the hooves of that young donkey carrying our king clomp right on top of it. 

And now here we are, singing and shouting Psalms and spiritual songs. Children are dancing. Even though a middle-aged woman, I find myself doing a bit of a jig, clapping along. The atmosphere is incredible, with an energy like I have never sensed before.

In only a few days time, we will celebrate the Passover. The first Passover was when God rescued his people from slavery in ancient times. 

God is about to do it again, and permanently this time. His Messiah – this same Teacher whom we have been following about the country – will usher in a period of peace and stability. 

And I’m welcoming him to his city, right here, right now. I can scarcely believe it. 

A Pharisee’s perspective

This is not right. 

In fact, it is downright wrong. 

Blasphemy, it is. How can a mere mortal claim to be God? We cannot allow this. 

Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem on a donkey, and that judgement would follow. How dare this man manipulate the people by acting out that prophecy. We know what he is up to, setting up symbolism like this, even if the wretched Romans don’t.

See, your king comes to you,    
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah 9:9 NIV

He has clearly whipped these ignoramuses into a frenzy. We tried to stop them carrying on in such a blasphemous manner, but they were beyond listening to reason. 

And so my fellow Pharisees and I marched up to the heretic, now seated on that blinking donkey. 

“Teacher, rebuke your disciples,” we said. Politely, we spoke. Voices calm, with the dignity befitting our station. 

His reply was unfathomable. Chilling, in fact, to those of us who know the Scriptures. For he quoted another prophet, Habakkuk, who spoke of judgement. Although Habakkuk had originally spoken of the suffering caused by foreign invaders, we understood that in this context, Jesus was once again criticising us. He has done that time after time after time. How dare he speak a word against the very ones responsible for preserving the righteous standards of God’s people. 

“You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.” (Habakkuk 2:10-11 NIV)

Habakkuk 2:10-11 NIV

“I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out,” he replied.

This man has gone too far……

Jesus’ perspective

Oh Jerusalem. My dear, dear Jerusalem.

My heart throbs as we approach the city. I love the people of Jerusalem. I have loved this city for centuries.  If only … if only … oh, I cannot bear it. My chest constricts, my breathing is shallow and ragged, and all my muscles are as tight as tight can be despite the fact that I’m just sitting here on this donkey.

In my mind’s eye, I can see it already. My beloved city surrounded by enemies, embankments built up against its walls, its people terrified. And then … oh, it is too awful to contemplate. Not one stone left on another. My people slaughtered………

Why, Jerusalem, can you not see that I have come to you this very day? 

Why, leaders of my people, have you rejected me? 

Why has my Father hidden from your eyes the peace that I offer you? 

These followers around me can see it. They are honouring me as king, though there is so much that they don’t understand. 

But there in the city of God is only darkness. 

My heart feels as if it will break. Sobs wrack my chest; my shoulders shudder; tears run down my face; the jubilant cries around me abate as my loyal followers stare in shock at my grief displayed in all its awfulness.

Why, Jerusalem? Why? 

From the perspective of 2022

Three individuals. 

Three very different perspectives.

Zechariah’s prophecy was fulfilled in part that day, yet not in the way that people expected. With the benefit of hindsight, we can understand more than people of the day did, but I’m pretty sure that we don’t have the full picture yet either. 

Almost two millennia have passed since that day. Throughout the centuries, Jesus’ suffering followers have taken courage from the image of the New Jerusalem that will one day be our home. 

In the meantime, we wait … and watch … and wonder. May I live up to my namesake, that of first century Susanna, who did not understand but wholeheartedly followed Jesus, singing ‘Hosanna’ as he entered Jerusalem. There is a lot that I don’t understand either, but I sing nonetheless, too.

Specifically, today, I am singing the song ‘Shout! Hosanna!’, a song produced by ‘Passion Conferences’. Yes, it was written with the benefit of hindsight. And that intensifies yet further the wonder of that first Palm Sunday.

Our king entered Jerusalem. The people at the time thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. As it turned out, there was much more to come. It would involve not only Susanna of old but also Suzanne of 2022 and a great many more in-between.

What an honour.

It’s one of my favourite verses in the whole Bible. And it was part of this morning’s Lenten devotion.

“He will cover you with his feathers,
And under his wings you will find refuge….”

Psalm 91:4a

In fact, the whole Psalm is magnificent. During these days of wars, disease and natural disasters, more than ever, we do well to meditate on it. Even as write these words, I find myself humming the beautiful old hymn, ‘Under his wings’, and so looked it up. It is playing in the background as I write.

My morning meditations led to this blog post. Thanks for reading along.

Psalm 91 NIV

Let me copy the Psalm here for our convenience, since I am about to jot a few thoughts about it.

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

Context now

‘A Pandemic Prayer’, some have termed this Psalm.”Pray Psalm 91 for 91 days and God will protect you,” they say. (No, I’m not providing references for that paraphrased quote, because I do not think it is helpful.)

Of course, it’s good to pray the Psalms. The Prayer Book of the Israelite people is packed with helpful models for our own prayers. However, let me begin this reflection with a note of caution against taking verses out of context and applying them literally to our specific circumstances. I do not want to throw a wet blanket over the glorious flame of confidence and assurance that this Psalm provides us during these difficult days. Indeed, these precious words offer real hope.

Horrific war scenes confront us in the media every day, and I can’t imagine how it is for those who are actually experiencing the destruction and bloodshed. And then there is ongoing isolation and frustration, let alone health and economic challenges, that people still face because of the pandemic. I am thinking particularly of friends in Asia whose movements have been severely restricted for over two years now. Closer to home, some of my fellow countrymen are suffering homelessness, loss of income and trauma after repeated floods.

My life right now is pretty comfortable. I’m healthy, happy and as safe as anyone in our crazy world can be. So I am aware that the position from which I jot these following thought is privileged. Nevertheless, let me push on with some reflections.

Context then

In the book of Deuteronomy, and particularly in chapter 28, we read of God’s promise of prosperity for the nation of Israel if they live according to God’s Law, but also the threat of oppression and plague if they forsake God. While the principles of Psalm 91 can be applied to us as individuals, I don’t think that we can expect to be protected from all trouble in the same way that the nation of Israel was promised prosperity for obedience.

What’s more, our enemy, the opposer of God’s people, Satan, modelled for us the error of quoting verses of hope and promise from this very Psalm without considering the broader context. Centuries after this Psalm was penned, when our Enemy tempted the very Son of God, Satan quoted verses 11 and 12 to our Lord.

Surely God would send his angels, as promised, to protect Jesus were he to throw himself off the temple, the enemy suggested. Jesus responded by quoting another Old Testament Scripture – ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ (Matthew 4:7 and Luke 4:12, Deuteronomy 6:16.)

So how can we apply Psalm 91 to our lives in the messed-up world of 2022 without misusing the Word of God like our enemy did?

Make the Most High our dwelling

We’re called to make the Most High our dwelling. But how do we do that? How can we metaphorically shelter under his feathers, covered by his strong wing, as verse four so beautifully describes?

Space does not permit me to write much on this very important matter, but I think the answer is obvious. It is simple yet difficult. It is can be summed up in one word: FAITH.

It is simple to say that we believe in God. In times of trouble, of course, more than ever, we throw ourselves upon him, seeking that shelter under his wings, snugly enveloped by his feathers. It is comforting to reflect on the fact that angels surround us, looking out for us, even though we can’t see them.

Yet it is difficult to throw ourselves on God at times. When we are faced with problems, our minds quickly turn to worry, to try and figure out how to overcome the difficulties in which we find ourselves, and how to ‘pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps’ … however that works. (Yes, I went down that rabbit trail of enquiry in preparing these thoughts too but again, space is limited. If you’re interested, check out this article: https://uselessetymology.com/2019/11/07/the-origins-of-the-phrase-pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps/ )

The bottom line is this: We need to very deliberately, frequently and ideally in the company of other followers of our Lord, turn our minds to him. ‘Meditation’, English translations of the Bible call it, though that word has other connotations these days too.

How does God rescue us?

I wish … I REALLY wish … that God would make the lives of his people like a bed of roses without the thorns. However, we need look no further than the example of our Lord Jesus himself to realise that clearly, this is not what the Psalm is promising those who fix our minds on God.

The Bible is full of examples of prophets, disciples, apostles and others who endured dreadful suffering. They did it tough not only because they lived in a broken world, but often specifically because of their faith in God. Jesus actually predicted great trouble for his disciples, though in the same breath he assured them that he had overcome the world (John 16:33).

The answer to the question, ‘How does God rescue us?’ is simply ‘Jesus’. Psalm 91 not only had relevance for the nation of Israel as they obeyed … or disobeyed … their Lord, but it pointed ahead to the day when Jesus would endure tremendous suffering so as to save God’s people once and for all. Jesus refused to succumb to the temptation of testing God’s promises to suit his own ends, as the Enemy suggested.

As I delved into how others make sense of this Psalm in our stricken world, I stumbled across a delightful meditation written by a Nigerian brother. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus opened the door for us to ‘dwell with God’ for eternity. He expressed it better than I can:

Psalm 91 was not Jesus’ excuse for avoiding the cross; rather that scripture was His reason for going to the cross.

Ayokunle Fagunwa, Lagos, Nigeria, https://journal.cjgh.org/index.php/cjgh/article/view/461/869

Hope

Psalm 91 offers us hope for the here and now. Praying these words during difficult times is helpful and the images the Psalm offers us are comforting. However, the full extent of the hope it offers will only be experienced when we, as a nation, live under the Lordship of the Most High, the Lord Almighty.

I’m not talking here about the nation of Australia, though it would be fabulous if we would turn as one to our Creator. No, I am talking about the kingdom of God’s people – a kingdom in which we already have citizenship. We remain in this broken and hurting world for a while longer but Scripture assures us that our citizenship is in heaven. (See, for example, John 14:2, Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 13:14, 1 Peter 1:4 and Revelation 21-22.)

A city

I started this blog post with the comforting picture of snuggling securely under the wings of the Most High. It is right to meditate on Biblical images such as this, especially in the midst of chaos and destruction. It is a cosy image.

But let me now finish with another Biblical image which is also worth meditating upon during these uncertain and difficult days. The picture is not anywhere near as cosy, though quite majestic. It is that of a city. Not just any city, but the New Jerusalem.

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelation 21:3-4 NIV

And so, in the midst of difficulties, let us remember that we belong to the Kingdom of God. May we keep our thoughts fixed on the Most High One, and thus ‘making the Lord Most High our dwelling’. One day, together with all God’s people, bouncing with all the energy and beauty of our resurrected bodies, we shall fully experience all of that which Psalm 91 promises and which Jesus brought about.

In the meantime, we snuggle under those feathers, protected by those strong wings.