Jesus weeps

​On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem. And the bible tells us as Jesus drew nearer to the city - he cried.

Here is this large crowd of people, celebrating his arrival - a star, a hero in the making - and Jesus weeps.

Not the reaction you'd expect from many of today's celebrities.

I'm thinking about these times we're in. How we've been looking for a hero to step in and save the day - save the WORLD. And what reality tells us: the collective actions of the most powerful leaders in the world, could do little to contain the impact a virus has had on our health and economy and our fears and anxieties.

And yet, we continue to search for that hero. The man or the woman who will put an end to all of our suffering. As we do, I can hear Jesus weeping. I can hear Jesus saying, "would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace."

In the book of John in chapter 12, when the palm waving crowd celebrating Jesus' arrival begins to think this guy wasn't who they thought he was, that he wasn't actually there to save their day, they begin to question Jesus. We read:

“We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

I do get where this crowd was coming from. I've been in this darkness. I've turned to a lot of earthly props and kings in my life in search of a way out - in search of something to save the day. In search of lights that weren't light at all.

I'm grateful that in that search, the day came when I heard Jesus weeping over me. I heard him saying, while you still have the chance, grab the light. And I did.

All I know is, for me, these words are so true. In the darkness I had no clue where I was going. I thought I did, but now that I walk in this light, I realize how lost I was.

As the unprecedented challenges in our lives continue, I can still see Jesus riding into my life on a donkey. Not as a hero, not as a celebrity with a trailer full of merch, but as a humble servant. I feel his embrace - full of peace and reassurance. I hear him now like I heard him then: "while you have the light, believe in the light."

It's in that belief - every day - that I discover the things that make for peace. That doesn't mean every day "feels like" peace - because not every day does. It simply means when things get to feeling a little dark, I look for the donkey, not a hero.