Palm Sunday: The Road to Jerusalem, the Road less Traveled
Copyright ©1996, 2014 b y Chaplain Bob Haines All Rights Reserved
When the days drew near for Him (Jesus) to be taken up, He set his face to go to Jerusalem.(Luke 9. 5)
. . . . . He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem . . . . . As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
(Luke 19. 28; 37 – 41)
Life is a pilgrimage and a life-long journey of learning, training, positive change, and becoming in the image of God.
In the United States of America and many other parts of the world today, we have more freedom and time to enjoy life than ever before. One of the great realities of this day and age of personal freedom is the ability to choose – to make choices between all sorts of possibilities. I believe that the #1 choice in all of life is to choose to be who you really are and who you should become.
I found in my work as a chaplain in counseling young Sailors and Marines is that many had never really made that choice for themselves. In a sense they had that choice made for them. Many of them were in many ways sort of pushed, so to speak, in that direction by either society, family, friends, or someone else. It’s almost like being compelled to buy something by a commercial advertisement. And, even when they did choose the military as a career, they found that they were still confused as to what or who they really are. The future was unclear which, of course, usually is at that age.
I think that in order to really be satisfied with life, one must be totally in charge of who he/she is with respect to one’s inherent personality (type), sense of purpose, and sense of religion as one’s ultimate concern in life.
To really have a sense of satisfaction in life, one must not only have a sense of who one really is, but one must totally accept one’s Self in that one is congruent, i.e. one’s outer facade is congruous – or compatible with one’s inner Self and one shows to the world one’s true self. Some people, maybe most people, live what may be called a fake life, and live in a dream world that is made up of what they think they are instead of who they really are.
In order for a person to really be free to be oneself, he/she must actively choose the road of reality. One does that by a combination of volitionally (willful) factors.
First, accept one’s self as it has been given to them in life. Accept the hand you have been dealt without cheating by, for example, accepting the following facts:
– Accepting one’s cultural heritage.
– Accepting physiological self, i.e. genetic heritage; physical appearance etc..
– Acceptance of personality traits. For example, if you are an introvert by nature, there is no need in trying to be an extrovert.
-Acceptance of family heritage in all of its fullness. This would include the fact of abuse if it happened. It is also rewarding to research one’s family heritage, genealogy with its family stories.
I’m am often reminded of Jesus adage, “know the truth and the truth will set you free.” To know the truth so that it is internalized in one’s life is to accept the truth about oneself, to own it, and not to be ashamed of it. Take all of the above listed aspects of yourself and then take full responsibility for your future life.
Nurture a trust in a power external to yourself
The second major choice in life is to foster your belief or faith system of the universe outside of yourself. This is what is usually meant by a belief in a power – greater than oneself – or – a religious (spiritual) “system” that is your own. And let me point out some very important here in regard to religion – Make sure your religion is really yours and, not of necessity that of your parents. By that I mean that your salvation, i.e. your religious belief, should not be based on the decision(s) of your parents. It MUST be a religion that at some point in your life you made a definite decision to accept for yourself.
The question I would like to pose for you to answer is: “Are you on the right road?” That is, are you on the road you have chosen for yourself? In answering that question, I offer you the possibility of joining Jesus on the road to Jerusalem of spirituality and spiritual growth.
The Choice is Yours
Robert Frost wrote: ” . . . Two roads diverged into a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” (Poem, The Road Not Taken).
Taking the road of one’s own choosing is a matter of choice. I want to speak to you in the moments remaining of the idea of choice – first, to review the choices that Jesus made – as an example for us as his disciples; second, to address the issue of your choice to follow Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, no matter the cost.
The Choices of Jesus
The choices of Jesus are the choices that each of us must face.
King of Men or Servant of God?
(Remember Jesus’ admonition: “you cannot serve (both) God and mammon.”)
Jesus, as the Jewish Messiah, was expected to re-establish the throne of his ancestral father, David. Jesus was supposed to be a kingly figure. His disciples had already urged him in that direction – and they expected to rule with him. The world urges us to follow its way of deception.
When Jesus had set his face toward Jerusalem, a perilous fate, his family and friends had urged him to stay in the safety of Galilee. His life would certainly have been spared had he opted for the easier choice and path of life. There is no doubt that Jesus agonized over the pressures of the crowd and the expectations of others versus the purposes of God as seen in the climactic scene in the Garden of Gethsemane . He could have saved his life, but that would have meant the loss of all he had lived for. Rather than accepting the power of a king, he chose instead the role of a suffering servant. He made His choice according to God’s will. Are your choices based on the expectations of others or a higher purpose?
Personal Character Versus Societal Approval
The fantasy of fame is one of the most powerful of all human fantasies. The fantasy or dream of being famous – a popular figure of television – movie, sports, politics, etc is all too real. Perhaps if more church pastors would invite famous personalities to the church, more people would show up. Sounds rather facetious doesn’t it.
It is no secret (or maybe it is) that Billy Graham initially became famous when popular figures were converted at the first large Los Angeles crusade. If you have ever been to or watched his crusades on television, you almost always found a popular person giving his/her Christian testimony. Church sanctuaries generally overflow when popular college coaches or Elvis Presley’s step brother, or a Christian Miss America are the speakers of the hour.
Jesus didn’t come to earth to make a name for himself. He always pointed beyond Himself to His heavenly Father. He didn’t even take credit for His mighty acts but rather gave credit to the glory of God. Jesus possessed what psychologists call “congruence.” A congruent person knows exactly who he is, what he is here for, and where he is going. A congruent person has self-respect, self-esteem, self-worth, and self-dignity. He owes nothing to no one else and doesn’t need the approval of any organization of the public.
Congruent persons are those who exemplify the fact that they are their own selves. They do not play mind-games. They don’t need political power for personal prestige.
Few people are really congruent in that they must look to others to confirm their dignity and worth. I want to suggest that you become totally congruent – that you become, if not already, a person of self-worth, dignity, and value because you know you are a child of God.
Service versus Success
(By the way, success, in and of itself, should never be a goal. Success is a by-product of one’s goal(s).)
In the eyes of his contemporaries, Jesus was an utter failure. The dominant motif of Jesus’ life was not earthly success, but service to God and humanity. It is not who we are in life that is important, but what we do.
John Claypool, in his book, The Preaching Event, writes;
“ . . ..We need to hear the gospel down in our guts. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, ‘You are the light of the world.’ He does not say, ‘You have got to be number one in order to get light,’ or ‘You must out-achieve everybody else in order to earn light.’ He says simply, ‘You are light. . . . ”
You can serve God and be His light to world without being on a board, some committee, or personal position of leadership – and you can be on a board and not serve God. Your status and position in life will not ultimately give you real meaning or value. In God’s eyes, you are not what you are by status and position. You are what you do.
It is what you do for others that really counts. True greatness lies in service to God and humanity. The world may assess your greatness by the number of people you command, manage, or lead by your intellectual standing, by your academic excellence, or by your bank balance. But as assessed by Jesus Christ, all these are irrelevant except as they are used for His glory. His assessment is: how many people you have helped in His Name.
Choosing to follow the truth no matter the cost
As they were going along the road, someone said to him (Jesus), “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:57 – 62)
You may heard, and rightly so, that salvation is free, i.e. a free gift of God. It is true – “not of works, but by grace.” Yet, salvation did cost – in theological terms, the cost was the sacrifice of God’s Son. Even though, from our viewpoint, personal salvation is free, ironically, it costs something, e.g. the cost of personal repentance.
Repentance, change, is never easy. Now, salvation is one thing, but discipleship is another. Discipleship is the discipline of being a student, or follower. Discipleship is putting one’s life entirely under the tutorship of a master, and for the Christian, the master is none other than Jesus. A Christian, saved solely by the mercy of God is not necessarily a disciple. God’s great grace saves many people, but few are real disciples.
Being a disciple will cost, just as being a football player cost – physical training and practice regimen. Being a military person cost – sacrifices, hard work; family moves, etc., – sometimes war – supreme sacrifice. There are many deaths in peace time as well as in war. In short, it takes total commitment.
As reported by Luke, Jesus made some very strong statements about those who would join his team. There are at least three things to consider in reference to being a committed disciple. One must first, Count the Cost
As the disciples and Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem, He took the time to teach them about the cost of following Him and the necessity for continuing to follow in His steps all the way.
People followed Jesus for many reasons – His popularity (charisma) – His miracles – His unique teachings, etc. As the going got rough, it was said that many “followed Him no more.” It must have became apparent that it would be costly. The call to discipleship is a call not only to share in Jesus’ commitment, but in the suffering sometimes inherent in it. We may never become martyrs, may never suffer severe hardships, but it will cost to be a true follower of Jesus because it demands an unconditional love for all people, and sometimes a non-acceptance by some because of the unconditional love for all people..
Another consideration of the cost of service is: never give up, regardless of changing circumstances
In Jewish society in the days of Jesus, the highest duty of a son was to care for his father in his old age and to give him an honorable burial at his death. Jesus strongly contradicted one of the highest and strongest convictions of ancient Jewish customs. Discipleship means that we are under supreme obligation to a higher calling, even when it conflicts with tradition and customs. Loyalty takes precedence over all other claims. The fishermen immediately left their nets (occupation) and their father to follow Jesus. (Matthew 4:19-22) Jesus Himself, gave up His Nazareth home. “Who is my mother, sisters, brothers?” he asked.
Of course, we do have obligations to our family (Honor thy father and mother) and friends. But – the point here, is that we must first be about the business of service, that we proceed with all haste to do what God has called all of us to do. We must not be overly burdened with past family relationships. The work of the kingdom of God is our first priority. Jesus proclaimed as a boy in the temple, “I must be about my father’s business (affairs).” (Luke 2:49).
Finally, to follow a higher calling of service, we are not to look back to the past so as to cling to it.
The problem was not that the man could never see his family again. The problem is that looking back, probably with emotional attachment, meant that he might want to turn back and remain there. But, more important, looking back continually to one’s past means that the future path is likely not to be straight.
We must be decisive and committed ever to the future. “Forward March!”, not, “to the rear.”
The Real You on the Road less Traveled
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him (Jesus) to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” ( Luke 10: 25-28)
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. (Luke 6:31)
The journey to Jerusalem is a life-long road for the disciple. The journey of spiritual growth is a long one. Spiritual growth with its ever-new, ever-expanding concepts of self and mission is a continual quest How many of you ever started a journey, say, to visit relatives, and stopped for the night in a motel for rest and decided you would just remain in the motel for the rest of your lives. Well, that seems to be the way it is with some people on their pilgrimage of service.
You never stay stopped on the journey no matter how far along you are. There certainly may be a time for refreshment, renewal, or self-examination on a side road or roadside park, but don’t get sidetracked and too comfortable that you neglect re-starting your journey.
Characteristics of Discipleship Important for Personal Spiritual Growth
Discipline – To Love
The fact is, life is difficult. Life is a series of problems. Discipline is a basic tenant required for life. Discipline takes time with the ordering of priorities around being the servant you are meant to be. My challenge to you today is to live a life of continuous self-examination and contemplation about what and who you are.
The older we get, the more we try and protect ourselves from new challenges. Most of us simply seek relief from life’s hardships. We refuse to see new opportunities for service because we are not open to challenge as a way of life. Never be satisfied with the status quo. Discipline yourself.
How to be disciplined?
If discipline is the means to spiritual growth and discipleship, is there a sure way to truly be disciplined? I believe there is a force that can drive us to discipline. That force is LOVE, God’s Unconditional Love. The motive, the energy for discipline is love, God’s love. That love cannot be truly understood or measured, or even limited within the framework of words alone. In fact, it can’t even be adequately defined. It has to be experienced.
I like Scott Peck’s definition of love: The will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth. That is another way of presenting the teaching of Jesus to love thy neighbor as thyself. To love thy neighbor implies first a love of self, to take care of oneself so as to have the ability to love other..
The New Testament’s idea of love, is not pure emotion or flattery or any such thing as infatuation. It is a deliberate volition, an act of the mind towards the action of extending one’s own life with the view of helping another person grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Love is not a feeling. Genuine love is commitment. Commitment is the cornerstone of a loving relationship. You can’t experience spiritual growth without commitment – to service – and to others. It an alliance of relationships, what the New Testament, particularly Paul’s letters, refer to as fellowship or partnership.
Again, love is volitional rather than emotional. The person who truly loves does so because of a decision to love – a commitment to be loving whether or not the loving feeling is present.
Love is a two-fold process – to love thy neighbor as thy self.
(1) to love one’s self – to nurture oneself, to be dedicated to one’s self-development and spiritual growth. To love oneself with all one’s soul, strength and might as you love God.
(2) secondly, to extend one’s life to another to the end that the other person grows spiritually.
All this is to say, in the words of Jesus, to love self and to love others. Of course, this isn’t easy. The act of loving requires effort. We learn to take the extra step, to go the extra mile, to stick with the person through thick and thin. We never give up in loving others.
Love also involves risk. Because of the risk involved, it takes a lot of courage to love.
The more we love, the more risks we take. We risk not being loved in return, i.e. rejection. Was not Jesus rejected?
Also, we risk the object of our love – the other person – becoming independent through spiritual growth. The relationship changes. We lose the known territory to the unknown. In fact, love means ultimately losing control over the other person, even as love for our children means that, ultimately, they have their own lives to live.
Each of us has our own destinies to fulfill. The ultimate goal of life remains the spiritual growth of the individual, the solitary journey to peaks that can be climbed only alone, but while providing fellowship and service to the community of others.
Honesty: Your life as a map of reality truly open for inspection by the public
A life of total dedication and discipleship to Christ is a life of total honesty. (Honestly that is not absolute is not honesty at all.) What this means is that we live life that is a continuous and never-ending process of self-monitoring to assure that our communications invariably reflect as accurately as humanly possible the truth or reality as we know it.
(A short anecdote: Maxene Andrews of the famous singing trio, The Andrews Sisters, died October 21, 1995. In speaking of her mother, Maxene’s adopted daughter and manger, Lynda Wells spoke of her “wonderful wisdom and her honesty . . . she was probably one of the most frank to a fault people that you would ever meet. You wouldn’t hear anything but the truth from her . . .”)
The reason people lie – and all of us are liars if we admit the truth about ourselves – the reason we lie is to avoid the pain of challenge and its consequences. President Nixon’s lying about Watergate was no more sophisticated or different in kind from that of a four-year-old who lies to his or her mother about how the lamp happened to fall off the table and get broken.
It doesn’t matter whether we tell black lies or white lies. Both are destructive. Black lies are statements we make that we know are false. White lies are statements we make that may not be, in themselves false, but leaves out a significant part of the truth. One of the greatest things about Jesus was that he was not a liar. He went into Jerusalem openly, honesty, and fully accepting his mission in life.
Do you really and truly want to be real? If so, I challenge you to open up your life to the Word and the world. Get absolutely honest with yourself and others. Don’t be afraid, as the Epistle of Peter urged, to confess your sins to another. Whatever it takes to do so, do it. It may mean getting some therapy, or long-term counseling. Or it might be that you need to lay yourself openly before the throne of God’s grace. You may need to get rid of a lot of junk in your life.
Turn it all over to the Power higher than yourself. Enter with Him into Jerusalem. Go to the cross with Him. Cast any and all of your manipulative and exploitative self on Him. Let Him orchestrate your life anew with His love. You are free to be you as a disciple.
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(Some of this material in the first and last parts are biblically based principles integrated with precepts manifested in The Road Less Traveled and People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck)
Chaplain Haines 