He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.
Mark 15:31-32
This Sunday we enter Holy Week which could easily be described as the most disorienting time of the year. Scripture tells us that in one week’s time, Jesus’ followers go from welcoming and worshipping Jesus as he enters Jerusalem, to mocking and torturing him as he hangs on the cross. What began as a grand triumphant entry into Jerusalem, with the waving of palms and the throwing down of coats on the street of Jesus’ path, quickly turned into a time of ridicule and doubt. In less than seven days, the crowd does a complete 180 in regards to how they treat their Lord and Savior. Mark 15:31-32 shows just how fickle we as human beings can be.
The crowd, consisting of high priests, scholars, and townspeople, insisted that Jesus save himself in order for them to believe. Forget the fact that Jesus spent his entire life healing the sick, feeding the hungry, casting out demons, and loving the unlovable! They still wanted more! Today’s scripture can be very difficult to swallow, yet despite our fickleness, our desire for more, and our crises of faith, Jesus still loves us and believes in us. The true joy of Palm Sunday lies in the fact that Jesus never turns his back on us. As we begin Holy Week this year, I pray that we all remember and accept the love and the sacrifice that Christ has made for each one of us.
The Rev. Amanda Knouse
