Tuesday Offering from Fr Marcus 30^th March 2021 

On Sunday we remembered The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. It is when the whole city goes wild with excitement as it welcomes its new King. The Disciples and followers of Jesus cut down branches from the palm trees, and laid their cloaks as if t make a red carpet out of the very clothes that they were wearing. They sang ‘Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest.’ It was the powerful and very moving spectacle of people recognising Jesus for who he was, and proclaiming him as their messiah. The one who was to set Israel free, and somehow to rid them of those who occupied their country and ruled by fear.
But Jesus was on a donkey, and indeed, not even a donkey but a colt, the foal of a donkey.
This is not the sort of thing that a new King would do. He would gather an army about him, and ride a big powerful horse or chariot and show his might and status and power and send heralds ahead and take the city by force if he needed to.
But that is not the way with Jesus. His message is love and peace, and his power is in his humility, and that is what I want to focus on today.

Our world leaders love to exert their power and hang on to it at all costs. Even within a democracy it has been known for people to challenge the results of elections because they don’t want to lose their sense of self importance. But Jesus’ message is one of service and giving and putting other people first. 
This is not the way of the world, and we do well to remind ourselves how easy it is to slip into a pattern of thinking like Peter, when Jesus says  ‘You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns’

So let us think of some more images of the humility of Jesus. In his teaching:
I just love the whole of Matthew 5, but listen to this bit:

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; ⁴⁰ and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; ⁴¹ and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. ⁴² Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Or when he talks about Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 

Or Matthew 20
²⁴ When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Philippians 2
⁴ Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. ⁵ Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

⁶ who, though he was in the form of God,
    did not regard equality with God
    as something to be exploited,
⁷ but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave,
    being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
⁸     he humbled himself
    and became obedient to the point of death—
    even death on a cross.

Then of course the events of Maundy Thursday, where, during the meal Jesus washes the disciples’ feet – an act of complete servitude. John 13
⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

And later on in that passage
³⁹ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” 

I could go on, but I don’t need to. You will have your own images of the humility of Jesus in your mind. But what I would like to suggest, as we walk the way of the Cross with Christ over the next few days, is that we look at our own sense of pride versus the idea of Christian humility, and ask for God’s help in shedding some of our sense of self importance.

Bless you, Bless you, Bless you.

As ever,

Fr Marcus