I was watching it all slip away—and I hated it.
In the fall of the 7th grade, I ran for my homeroom’s student council representative. I lost. I lost again in the 8th. And the 9th. And the 10th. The 11th grade, though, was a very special year for me. Oh, I still lost my run for representative, and to the same guy who always won: Bobby King (not his real name).
Still, something new happened that school year. That spring, I became a viable candidate for Student Council president because Bobby King was not allowed to run. The faculty and the principal decided he was over-committed. Since he was unwilling to give up anything, they denied his request to run for president. Finally, I felt, I was going to get mine. I had scoped the only other person allowed to run and, even though it would be challenging, I felt I could beat him. I was finally going to get elected, and not only that, elected to the highest office. I felt excited, happy—assured.
Election Day finally came. The polls would open immediately following the candidate speeches in the auditorium. If I had had any concern, it vanished after we finished our speeches to the student body. The other candidate spoke first. I spoke second. Based on the applause, I clearly had the upper hand.
Then, the principal asked if there were any nominations from the floor.
For the first time anyone could remember, someone was nominated from the floor. A guy popped out from the side stage, stepped to the podium, and uttered the very words I feared: “I nominate Bobby King!” For his part, Bobby was seated in the very last row, the very highest point on the floor of the auditorium. He stood and slowly walked down the sloping aisle toward the stage. As he passed each row of students, they rose to their feet, wildly cheering and applauding. By the time he mounted the stage, it was obvious to everyone that he would be the winner.
I was crushed—and I was angry. Everything I had worked for had been stolen from me, and not just for that election, but for all the years I had been trying. With each rising row of students, shouting their accolades and praise for their chosen leader, my envy and jealousy rose. And rose. And rose. His triumphal procession to the front infuriated me. I was forced to just watch as it all fell apart before my eyes. More than anything else in the world, I wished him gone.
That right there? That is what the religious and political leaders of Israel felt when they watched Jesus descend from the Mount of Olives in a triumphal procession toward Jerusalem. They felt it all belonged to them, and they could not abide the thought someone else would take their place, that someone else would have all that power. They wanted Jesus gone, and they set in motion a plan to make that happen.
We see it all in this week's Matthew passage. Not pretty then, not pretty when I was in high school, and not pretty now. Do we, like the leaders of Israel, want to keep hold of the power? Are we trying, even now, to push Jesus from the lordship of our lives?
Or, do we embrace “the stone that the builders rejected” as the cornerstone of our lives?
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PHOTO: The author, circa 1968
BONUS: For the full story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, first read the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9-17. Then read all three of the Gospels that report it: Matthew 21:5ff, Luke 19:28ff, and John 12:12ff.
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Join us at 8:00 Friday on Zoom** and at Our Breakfast Place for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We'll be feasting, getting our hearts and minds prepared for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and all that leads up to Easter. There’s a great breakfast menu, and the spiritual food is the very best.
There will be NO nominations from the floor.
Blessings,
Steve
**Contact me for the Zoom link
NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=29
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_LiturgyofthePalms.pdf
Liturgy of the Palms (April 2, 2023)
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Matthew 21:1-11
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