Every Knee Should Bow
Tony Nester
Philippians 2:5-11
Holy Week always reminds me of that God doesn't act
according to our expectations.
On that first Palm Sunday the crowds shouted their
hosannas as they waved on Jesus into Jerusalem. They
expected him to prove his power by delivering them
from Roman oppression. It didn't happen.
On that first Maundy Thursday the disciples expected
Jesus to reveal to them his secret strategy for making
a success of his cause. It didn't happen.
On that first Good Friday the disciples expected that
Jesus would die just as every other crucified man had
died on a cross. That did happen — but with results
they hadn't foreseen.
On that first Easter the disciples expected that the
tomb where Jesus had been buried would become a place
where they could grieve and express their sorrow over
losing him. It didn't happen.
On that first Easter evening the disciples expected to
hide in secret from the Jewish authorities and keep to
themselves. It didn't happen.
Holy Week is a week of sudden, frightening, and
inexplicable events. At least that's how it seemed to
those who experienced it. It's still how it seems for
most of us when we're thrown into times of confusion,
fear, evil and tragedy.
The Quaker theologian, Elton Trueblood, has said that
faith isn't belief without proof but faith without
reservation. Such faith doesn't come to us easily.
Airplane pilots are familiar with what they call
"spatial disorientation." It occurs when the pilot
can't see the horizon — such as when flying in clouds,
or during hazy conditions, or on moonless nights. All
pilots are vulnerable to this condition. They are
trained to ignore their intuition about which way is
up and which is down and instead trust their gauges.
[1]
When Jesus came into Jerusalem on that first Palm
Sunday the disciples thought they had the horizon in
view. Their situa ...
Tony Nester
Philippians 2:5-11
Holy Week always reminds me of that God doesn't act
according to our expectations.
On that first Palm Sunday the crowds shouted their
hosannas as they waved on Jesus into Jerusalem. They
expected him to prove his power by delivering them
from Roman oppression. It didn't happen.
On that first Maundy Thursday the disciples expected
Jesus to reveal to them his secret strategy for making
a success of his cause. It didn't happen.
On that first Good Friday the disciples expected that
Jesus would die just as every other crucified man had
died on a cross. That did happen — but with results
they hadn't foreseen.
On that first Easter the disciples expected that the
tomb where Jesus had been buried would become a place
where they could grieve and express their sorrow over
losing him. It didn't happen.
On that first Easter evening the disciples expected to
hide in secret from the Jewish authorities and keep to
themselves. It didn't happen.
Holy Week is a week of sudden, frightening, and
inexplicable events. At least that's how it seemed to
those who experienced it. It's still how it seems for
most of us when we're thrown into times of confusion,
fear, evil and tragedy.
The Quaker theologian, Elton Trueblood, has said that
faith isn't belief without proof but faith without
reservation. Such faith doesn't come to us easily.
Airplane pilots are familiar with what they call
"spatial disorientation." It occurs when the pilot
can't see the horizon — such as when flying in clouds,
or during hazy conditions, or on moonless nights. All
pilots are vulnerable to this condition. They are
trained to ignore their intuition about which way is
up and which is down and instead trust their gauges.
[1]
When Jesus came into Jerusalem on that first Palm
Sunday the disciples thought they had the horizon in
view. Their situa ...
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