Deceptive Looks

INTRODUCTION

There is a Chinese story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, "Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?"

Then, when the farmer's son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?"

Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg, they let him off. Now was that good luck or bad luck?

Who knows?

Everything that seems on the surface to be an evil may be a good in disguise. And everything that seems good on the surface may really be an evil. So we are wise when we leave it to God to decide what is good fortune and what misfortune, and thank him that all things turn out for good with those who love him.

JESUS’ ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM

Today as we view two events during the week we call “Holy” the truth of the farmer’s observations become readily apparent. We are challenged to put labels on the events of Holy Week. Was the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, which started the week, really “good”? Was the crucifixion, which ended the week, really “bad?”

The week starts with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. It was a fantastic celebration, with palm branches—symbols of victory—and cries of “Hosanna!”

Jesus was seen as the long awaited Messiah. God’s kingdom was being established on earth. Peace and justice would reign.

We certainly can say that the kingdom that Jesus established was a different kingdom. It was diametrically opposed to the Roman Empire. Jesus’ kingdom was a kingdom of love; love was the force that changed lives and the world and not physical force.

The writer of John also uses scripture to view the events of the Sunday. He quotes from a prophet of the Hebrew Scriptures, and sees Jesus fulfilling the prophecy that Israel’s king would come humble and seated on a donkey.

THE CRUCIFIXION

For the past several Sundays, we have focused on Jesus before the Jewish religious authorities—the Sanhedrin—and the Roman governor, Pilate. We have observed the clash of the two kingdoms. We have witnessed the blind hatred of the priests and Pilate’s forced compliance to execute Jesus. In the midst of it all, we have seen Jesus battered and beaten yielding to God’s will and in love offering himself as a sacrifice for all.

We see the extent of God’s love. The plaque above his head is written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. Jesus died for the Chief Priests and Jewish religious authorities. Jesus died for Pilate and for the Roman soldiers who crucified him. Jesus died for all of those who were standing around his cross. Jesus died for the every man, woman and child, in the entire world.

On the surface, it looks like the crucifixion is the worst thing that could happen. It is the end of hopes and dreams. It is the victory of physical force over love.

The gospel writer, however, sees it in the light of scripture. The events of that day had been written in the Hebrew scripture and were part of God’s plan. God was not absent on that site of execution, but rather very present and very in control.

WORD OF HOPE

There are times when good things happen in our lives and we say that we are “blessed.” Perhaps our affluence, though, has prevented us from experiencing God in the depth that those in less fortunate circumstances have experienced God. I certainly experienced this when I traveled to Tanzania. In the midst of that poverty was an experience of the holy that I had not encountered before.

All of us bear the scars of life. We say that bad things have befallen us—we have experienced the brokenness and the evil of the world. While these times in our lives are not to be sought, at the same time, they were times when we sensed God’s presence in our lives and grew in our faith.

At all times, in both good and bad, God’s hand has been upon us. God did not leave us or forsake us. In that we rejoiced. We continue to rejoice as we look to the future, knowing that God’s hand will continue to be upon us.