Back to the events that opened the week that changed the world; events that took place 5-6 days before Jesus’ arrest + execution.
Here’s what the events that took place on the Friday or Saturday one week before the cross + the events of Palm Sunday can teach us . . .
Almost two hundred years ago, German writer + statesmen, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote: “We are shaped + fashioned by what we love.”
Before his death in 2008, a decidedly non-Christian, but highly respected author, David Foster Wallace gave the commencement address at Kenyon College + made some amazing statements about worship.
Here are just a few sentences from that speech:
“There is no such thing as not worshiping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. An outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship is pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.
If you worship money + things—if they are where you tap real meaning in life—then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It’s the truth.
Worship your own body + beauty + sexual allure + you will always feel ugly + when time + age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you . . .
Worship power—you will feel weak + afraid + you will need ever more power over others to keep fear at bay.
Worship your intellect, being seen as smart—you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out . . .
Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they’re evil or sinful; it is that they are unconscious. They are default-settings. They’re the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day . . .” —David Foster Wallace, from his Kenyon College Commencement Address 2005 [1]
The crowds that gathered on Palm Sunday were worshiping, but their worship was inferior. They failed to truly understand all of the significance behind the symbols.
They worshiped their political ideology + national identity + failed to truly worship Jesus.
How do I know?
Because days later, some of the same people who shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” would also cry out, “Crucify Him!”
Human beings are worshipers. It’s not just something we do . . . It’s who we are.
Human beings can’t be divided into people who worship + people who don’t. Everybody worships.
We all give our devotion to something or someone. It might be something as eternally insignificant as football, wine, traveling, working out, an addiction, stamp collecting or the stock market. Or it could be something good or noble like our children, spouse, an important relationship or a special group of friends.
Everybody worships something or someone. But our deepest passion + devotion were intended to be reserved for God + God alone.
Today’s Verse: Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. —Psalm 103:2 NLT
Today’s Prompt: What is shaping or fashioning you? What do you love?
Today’s Gratitude: I am grateful that I am a worshiper + it’s not just something I do.
Today’s Prayer: Father, help me live in a way that my deepest passion + devotion are reserved for You + You alone. I want to be shaped + fashioned by You, the One that I love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] https://web.ics.purdue.edu/~drkelly/DFWKenyonAddress2005.pdf