"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"
The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."'
- Matthew 21:8-11
We didn't make it to church this morning. Actually, I haven't made it to church in more than two months, but the rest of the family didn't make it. I kind of feel guilty about that. My issues with this church shouldn't be my family's issues. However, I think everyone is starting to have their own issues apart from what mine are.
The thing I'm having problems with lately is separating my faith from fellowship. It's been kind of drilled into me that fellowship is utmost, that you're not a "real Christian" if you aren't at the church every time the doors are unlocked. I know this isn't true, but it's what's been drilled into me. It wouldn't be an issue if this fellowship were a group that TRULY cared for each other and didn't feel COMPELLED to care.
I've honestly found truer fellowship on Facebook, and some that I communicate with are not Christians at all.
But I digress.
I couldn't let this day pass without acknowledging that this is the start of what many call "Holy Week", the countdown to the day we celebrate the Resurrection and all that it represents.
Tradition tell us that a week before He rose from the dead, Christ made what is known as the "Triumphal Entry". Matthew describes it in the passage I cited above. Some of people who shouted "Hosanna!" on Sunday may have been shouting "Crucify him!" on Friday. Jesus knew what it was like to have "fair weather friends".
But He died for their sins anyway.
It's hard to imagine that extreme. I'm not a social person by any means. But I care deeply for people in general. I like to think that I'm the kind of person in a hostage situation that would say "take me, let them go". That if someone needed a kidney and I was a match I'd give it, even to a stranger - especially to a stranger. But I haven't been tested on that. It's easy to SAY I would, it's another to DO it.
But Christ WAS like that. He had the ability to call a legion of angels, but he allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross. He died for those that killed him.
If I have been a "fair weather friend" to any of you who may read this. I'm sorry. I don't want to be like that. Some of you may not be Christians, and that's ok. I'm not going to preach at you. But you deserve to have me be the kind of friend that Christ is. You deserve a friend that will give and not think he deserves something in return. If I haven't been that kind of friend, I'm sorry. I hope you will give me the opportunity to be that way again.
