“Hosanna! d ”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” e
“Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:12&13, NIV)
They blessed because they felt blessed - in the presence of God, and there was none to challenge their faith. Within a week of the Triumphal Entry, almost everyone, other than Jesus' mother and the apostle John, had deserted Him. I cannot imagine what a difficult week that was for Jesus or even for those who loved Him. For His mother, Mary, and John to watch Him suffer and die a horrible death. For the apostles and followers to struggle between their love and devotion and their human frailty.
We aren't much different than them. We might not ever go so far as Peter, to deny Christ when facing our own potential persecution. We might not ever be challenged between life and death over our faith, as Peter was, either. We do have a lot to be thankful for. But, no matter how much religious freedom we do have, following Christ does come with a cost and is not always easy.
Right now, here, in Canada, born again believers represent approximately 3% of the population and that number seems to be declining steadily. Our beliefs, very misunderstood and often poorly represented, are challenged constantly. We've even reached a point where the Bible, the true Book of love, has been deemed as "hate speech." The diversity of every religion is encouraged in schools and work places, except for Christianity. When we see believers continuously casting judgement and living hypocritical lives, it's easy to understand how we got this way. We are called to not cause any to stumble. And I am far from calling myself perfect, here, too. We are all a work in progress. But even where Christianity is banned, the love of Christ can never be removed. It is perfect, timeless, unfailing, and victorious. It lives within us. Let it shine like never before! Lives truly are depending on it!
Yes, some will call for repentance, and it's true that repentance is necessary. We must cling to the Truth. What we need to realize is that it's Christ's love and the Spirit's leading that draws us to repentance. It is not ours to demand, only ours to give. Forgive and you will be forgiven. (paraphrased from Matthew 6:14).
Our calling is the Great Commission, " 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20, ESV) If we're going to teach effectively, we need to build a positive relationship with people, giving a reason for our hope, with gentleness and respect. God is not oppressive; He gives us freedom of choice, in Truth and Love. Let's remember to honour His ways with all we meet. Let's pray that we cause none to stumble. We know that God wants NONE to perish. Let's share His passion, which is a story of redeeming love. <3 Let's see how far we can "Go" by loving God and loving one another - and showing our love, generously.