THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKEND

Recently, our family went for a walk around a local park. As we strolled along, we noticed some people giving us strange looks. I realised there was a oneway system in operation and we were going in the opposite direction.

In life, most of us go with the flow. We want to fit in and be accepted. We prefer to avoid conflict. Therefore, it’s easier to follow the crowd.

That’s what happened on Palm Sunday. As Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a colt, the onlookers were caught up in the excitement. There was great expectation in the air that this was the promised Messiah who would lead a revolution against the occupying Romans. The crowd waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna” in the frenzy of enthusiasm.

It’s hard to believe that five days later a similar crowd would shout “Crucify” as their final verdict on how Jesus should be punished.

What happened? Why did they change their minds so quickly?

Firstly, people are fickle. They may pledge unswerving loyalty, but if you don’t meet their demands, or expectations, their support can quickly fade.

Jesus understood the shallowness of the human heart. In John 2:24, we read: “Jesus, for His part, did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people...”

Secondly, it was the sovereign plan of the Father. Jesus’s death was no tragic accident. Jesus said: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” (John 10:18). The rejection and betrayal were necessary for the redemption of humanity.

Lastly, crowds can be easily manipulated by people in power. The Jewish religious leaders were threatened by Jesus. He wouldn’t “go with the flow” of their self-serving rules, regulations and rituals. Therefore, He had to be silenced.

It’s not unlike the “cancel culture” we are witnessing today. If you dare to dispute the predominant liberal narrative, or refuse to conform to extreme political correctness, you risk being labelled as a bigoted extremist and, perhaps, being professionally ostracised. The “mob” simply won’t tolerate dissent.

Sadly, many, even within the Church, are capitulating to this “cancel culture”. Yet, Christians were never meant to go with the flow, or blend in.

Paul says in Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world...” Jesus’s followers are necessarily non-conformist.

Christians never make a difference in this world by being the same as everyone else. We make a difference by being different. That may make us unpopular, or politically incorrect. It may even get us “cancelled”.

So be it. Our loyalty is to Jesus Christ. Our values come from God’s word. We desire to please an audience of One.