There are times when we want to stand out in a crowd. A couple of years ago, I saw a day of NCAA men’s basketball tournament games in Louisville’s Yum Center. The University of Kentucky Wildcats were playing and my red IU shirt stood out like an island in a sea of blue. Other times it seems we just want to fit in. Move that red shirt to Assembly Hall in Bloomington, and suddenly it blends into an undistinguishable swirl of crimson and cream.
We’re thinking about how we can best prepare our hearts and our minds for Easter. We talked first about the necessity to begin the week praising God for his indescribable gift. Praise is how the Passion Week began. Today let’s focus our attention just for a moment on the crowds. Luke closes his account of the triumphal entry (Luke 19) by reminding us of the crowds – the different groups of people who surrounded the events of the week. Two thousand years later, do any of them look familiar to you?
The most obvious group contain the believers who welcomed Jesus into the city. Luke calls them “the whole crowd of disciples.” The triumphal entry. Throngs of people. Waving of palm branches. Shouts of Hosanna. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Many well-meaning scholars and preachers describe this crowd as fickle – praising Jesus on Sunday and chanting for him to be crucified on Thursday. While there may have been some whose opinion turned in that final week, the vast majority of these believers were simply unaware of the real life events that were unfolding. Might we call them “Sunday focused Christians” today?
Luke describes two religious groups – leaders actually – as the chapter meanders to a close. The Pharisees are singled out as the dominant leaders in the first group. When the people were cheering praises to Jesus, these people were afraid that the noise would stir the Roman soldiers who were patrolling nearby. Blend into the culture, they would say. Don’t rock the boat.
Another group of religious leaders can be observed the next day in the Temple area. They were present to help the people have the best, most convenient experience available. Animals were available to be purchased for sacrifice. Money exchangers were available to convert any coinage to the Hebrew money that could be given as tithes and offerings. Everyone had their job. User-friendly worship.
As we spend time preparing our hearts for Easter, Luke reminds us of one final group – a group that we should strive to emulate. As Jesus was teaching each day in the Temple, the religious leaders were looking to seize an opportunity to kill him. They were unable to do so because “all the people hung on his words.”
Today, prepare your heart for Easter by spending time hanging on His words. When was the last time you read through the gospel accounts of Jesus’ final days? Each gospel contains its own rendition, but Luke provides a thorough overview. The Palm Sunday account starts with Luke 19:28. If you want to start your reading with the Last Supper, go to Luke 22. The resurrection account can be found in Luke 24.
If you are going to hang on Jesus’ every word, you are going to stand out in the crowd. You won’t be satisfied with simply going to church on Sunday, listening to a seeker-friendly sermon and singing bouncy praise songs. Your faith will often go against the grain of a diverse culture and government, making your beliefs and your ethics noticeable because they are different. You will be unable to settle for just going to church; you will desire to be the church.
This Easter, hang on these words of Jesus: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Go ahead. Stand out in the crowd.