3-19-24 - Why Are You Doing This?

You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.

The Palm Sunday story begins with a cryptic message. Jesus sends two of his followers to a village on the road ahead, and gives them instructions worthy of Mission Impossible: When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”

How Jesus knows this colt will be there, we are not told. But it likely didn’t take clairvoyance to anticipate the colt’s owners' objections to total strangers coming along, untying and leading it away. Jesus foresaw the question, “Why are you doing this?” and provided an answer he thought would satisfy.

Has anyone ever asked you that question regarding your commitment to Jesus and/or his church? “Why do you spend so much time at that church?” “Why do give money to that church?” “Why do you go to Bible study?” “Why would you pray for healing? It doesn’t work, you know.”

As Christ-followers, we are part of a profoundly counter-cultural enterprise. It was so when Jesus first came on the scene and remained so through the church's early centuries. To allocate time, money, emotions, resources to this odd sect with its strange forms of worship and bizarre claims about a crucified and risen Lord, who was fully human and fully God, a triune God, yet; and who allows terrible things to happen to those he loves… it was hard to defend. Add in periods of persecution, when being part of the Christian movement could imperil your life, livelihood and loved ones… “Why are you doing this?” was a reasonable question.

Then came many centuries, right up to the 20th, when Christendom was the dominant religious tradition in many parts of the world, and that question grew more muted – as did commitment to the radical Gospel Jesus proclaimed. But now we live in a post-Christendom age, at least in America and Europe. No one has to be part of a church, and not many are looking to be. Millions have no frame of reference at all when it comes to religious affiliation, and Christian commitment competes with many other claims on people’s time, money and allegiances (often true even among church-goers!) There are fewer people asking, “Why are you doing this,” if they notice what we’re doing at all.

Still, we should each have an answer at the ready. We can use part of the answer the disciples picking up the colt were to give: “The Lord has need of me.” No one can argue with that, and some might even want to know more about this “Lord” who successfully claims your time and investment. You might even ask yourself that question – and invite the Holy Spirit to be part of the answer. Ask God, “What need do you have of me?” While I believe God delights in our identity far more than our utility, let’s pose the question and see how the answer comes to us. It might point us in a whole new direction.

Wherever it takes us, be assured that God already knows the route, as surely as Jesus knew that colt would be tied up in the village up ahead. The instructions may still be cryptic, but God will provide what we need as we participate in his mission of making all things whole, colts, answers and all.

© Kate Heichler, 2024. To receive Water Daily by email each morning, subscribe here. Here are the bible readings for Sunday. Water Daily is also a podcast – subscribe to it here on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform.