Rev. Chism's Weekly Message

Read Mark 11:1-11 and Mark 14:1-31

Sometimes your expectations have to change. In 1984, my family just lost a beloved dog named, Pepper. A few weeks later my Dad suggested we adopt a new dog and he wanted a Miniature Dachshund. We found one nearby.

We named her Tiny and she was a sweet girl. As she got older, she was no miniature dachshund. Apparently, another male dog snuck and changed the trajectory of the litter. We adjusted, laughed about it, and she was a loyal companion to my family for many years. We wept when she passed. Dad missed her because every morning she would walk with him to the garden.

It's good when we can adjust our expectations and put them in their proper place. But that is so hard to do.

Jesus had already entered Jerusalem on a colt as Passover festivities were beginning. This was a sign of a humble person. Palms were waved, cloaks placed on the ground, and people cheered for their Messiah. It was a good day for His followers. But Jesus had much more on His mind.

We see on the news all the time how popular people fall out of grace with the public. Maybe they committed a crime or said something inappropriate. We put a lot of expectations on celebrities. When they fail the court of popular opinion will win the day.

Recently our country has been enthralled in “Cancel Culture.” Many have realized that things that have been part of our culture have promoted racism and implicit biases. This is a good thing. None of us are free of consequences if they happen. It’s good to talk about these issues so we can all move forward.

There is one part of this movement I do not like. People should never be “cancelled” for their failures. We as Christians practice that a person can be redeemed. My perception of this is we need to adjust our expectations. People will fail us. Part of that is our expectations. Just making them go away does not solve the problem.

Jesus was changing the world. He said things contrary to the cultural norms and the elite didn't like it. You get the idea that they were jealous of His popularity. They didn't like He challenged their authority, their beliefs, and their pop status.

Jesus did His best to change the expectations of His followers. The miracles stopped and He talked about discipleship and its complexities. Needless to say, it was hard for followers to adjust. They wanted Jesus to be something He was not.

Judas the Betrayer reminds me of people that feel betrayed by false expectations. During the Last Supper, Jesus told Peter that Judas would betray Him. He also told Peter, as we read in Mark 14:27, that he would "fall away" and go into hiding. Peter would run away in fear. He would also run away with his expectations obliterated.

We pick on Judas a lot. Should we? He wanted better for his nation and was tired of Rome. All his life he had heard of the stories about the future messiah. There was so much hope in this for him. Why would he want that to go away?

Expectations can betray us.

As we parade with Jesus, I think of our expectations. Are we waiting on God to do something or better yet, follow with God's expectations of us?

The cheers would turn to jeers for Jesus by the end of the week. They were thinking this Jesus was just another false messiah. Just like Judas, they had heard of the prophecy. They wanted something different.

God's expectations are not the same for us. Eventually, those that followed would have the expectations that Jesus taught. A parade of people going into the world to share the good news. That's bigger than any miracle. As a matter of fact, it's a miracle when a person puts their neighbor first.

We are at the end of Lent 2021. As we go into the last week once more, may we consider our expectations.

Expect God to always love you. God expects us to share this grace.

Stay Safe,

Rev. Baxter