The Rest of the Story

It is my intent to put up a mini discussional/devotional each day of Lent. But, I may fall of that pace. I'd ask anyone who reads this to keep me accountable to it, however. Lent is a time for us to reflect and grow, and I feel that with each day bringing a new discussional/devotional and a prayer combining our program theme and Lent we can accomplish each of those in a better way. If you have a discussional/devotional for Lent that you'd like me to include, send it to me via e-mail at vicepresident@sigmatheta.org

Sometimes, we have a tendency to get to a part of the Bible, read the familiar part or the part we like best, and stop. Or at least I do. But I don't think I'm alone in that. And I'm not sure it makes that much sense. It's like watching Return of the Jedi, and stopping after Yoda dies. There's so much more to the movie.

It's the same with Palm Sunday. Often, we look at the triumphant entry. Sometimes, we look at the next few verses where Jesus overturns the tables in the Temple and cleans house. But then, we're usually done, and we're ready for the Last Supper and the other events of the end of Holy Week.

But there's more to the story. Jesus wasn't hibernating during this time. Luke tells us at the end of chapter 19: "... he taught each day in the Temple. The high priests, religion scholars, and the leaders of the people were trying their best to find a way to get rid of him. But with the people hanging on every word he spoke, they couldn't come up with anything."

Can you imagine what it would be like to be there? To hear the final teachings of Jesus? I'm sure I would be like the crowds. Hanging on every word that Jesus spoke. Trying to garner some of His wisdom, insight, and nuggets of knowledge. I'd love to know the exact content of these teachings. To know what Jesus taught about in the Temple the week before the death he knew was coming.

And yet there were many, most of them leaders of the religious community, who refused to be caught up in the hysteria. Who not only didn't want to listen to the teachings, and not only wanted to stop them, but wanted to be completely rid of Jesus. We know that they eventually put Jesus in a rigged and illegal trial and killed him.

And so we've got two very different reactions to the same thing. And, really, that thing was a change to the status quo.

How will you respond to Jesus when he changes your status quo? Will you hang on every word and try to learn all you can from it? Or will you try to get rid of it, and ignore it? Will you want to know the rest of the story, or will you want to escape it and just think about the parts you like?

Ponder this with me. Because I think we all know which one we want to be. But the challenge is how to get ourselves into the position to be the one we want to be.

Join me in this prayer:

Sovereign Lord,

I desire more of you
More of your teachings
More of your love
More of your power
More of your direction

Help me to not fear change
Change that comes from you
Disruption of my status quo
New direction to serve you better

Help me to embrace you
In all I do
And all I will do

Bring me to atonement
Bring me to you
Bring me to love

Amen.