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 know that the colt’s owners might raise objections to total strangers coming along, untying and leading it away. Jesus anticipated the probable question, “Why are you doing this?” and provided an answer he thought would satisfy the questioners.
Has anyone ever asked you, “Why are you doing this?” concerning 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.”
We are part of a profoundly counter-cultural enterprise. It was so when Jesus first came on the scene and remained so through the early centuries of the church. To allocate time, money, emotions, resources to this odd sect with its strange forms of worship and bizarre truth claims about a crucified and risen Lord, who was fully human and fully God; a triune God, even, who allows terrible things to happen to those he loves… it could be hard to defend. Add in periods of persecution, when being part of the Christian movement could imperil your life, livelihood and loved ones… it was a reasonable question: “Why are you doing this?”
Then came many centuries, right up to the 20th, when Christendom was the dominant religion in many parts of the world, and that question grew more muted – as did the commitment to the radical Gospel Jesus exemplified. 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. Christian commitment competes with many other claims on people’s time, money and allegiances (all too often true even among church-goers). Few people ask, “Why are you doing this,” if they notice what we’re doing at all.
Yet I believe we should each have an answer at the ready. We can give the answer the disciples picking up the colt were to offer: “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 makes claims on your time. You might even ask yourself that question – and invite the Holy Spirit to be part of the answer. And ask God, “What need do you have of me?” While I believe our existence is a delight to God, far more than our utility, let’s put 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 that village ahead on the road. The instructions may still be cryptic at times, but God will provide what we need as we participate in God’s mission of making all things whole, colts, answers and all.
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