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by Kevin Pauley
And they brought the donkey to Jesus and threw their robes on it, and He sat on it. Many people spread their robes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. Then those who went before and those who followed kept shouting: Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven! – Mark 11:7-10[2] HCSB
There was something ambivalent about this exciting day described in the above verses. If you know the rest of the story, you’re aware that the rest of the week went downhill from here all the way until Friday. The story came to its climax, not when Jesus entered Jerusalem, but when He wept over it.[3]
Very shortly the applause ended. Quickly, the mood changed. And a great truth was dramatically reinforced. The truth that “the voice of the people is a fickle one.”
Politicians certainly know this fact. Remember how popular George Bush, Sr., was after the Persian Gulf War? Remember how few votes he received in the ’92 election? And so today, we hear of lawmakers who follow the polls and check the blowing breeze of public opinion with a wet thumb in the air before taking a political stand - as if the greatest legacy you could leave behind is that you were popular.
No, the voice of people can’t always be trusted. At sporting events, the same crowd who boos madly at a player after a series of mistakes will cheer for him wildly after a great play. Crowds have a short memory. They usually ask, “What have you done for me today?”
That happened to Jesus. The same voices that shouted, “Hosanna!” on Sunday were yelling, “Crucify him,” and “Give us Barabbus,” by Friday morning[4]. It’s pretty sad.
Judas ended up selling out for 30 pieces of silver[5]. And when Jesus was arrested Thursday night in the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew’s Gospel closes the scene with these chilling words, “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.”[6] Where was all the applause then?
When Jesus was on the way to Calvary on Friday, severely lacerated and beaten, struggling under the weight of his own cross, he needed someone to carry the cross for him. Surely one of the disciples would leap from the crowd and volunteer? Surely one of them would surface now and show his face? But no, a stranger named Simon, who just happened to be passing through the city, had to be forced at spear-point to carry his cross[7].
This passage should leave us questioning ourselves, “Would we have fared any better than those disciples? Do we fare any better today?” We must make sure our praise is not limited to Sunday morning. We must be certain our praise is not limited to what God does FOR us. We must ensure our praise gets translated into service. Let’s rededicate ourselves to being loyal to our Master.
[2] Mark 11:1-11; Matthew 21:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19
[4] Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39-19:16
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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