Are things what they seem?

I'm still recovering from the idea that it is April. Where did the month of March go? Where did February go for that matter? (I know where January went, it got buried in a pile of snow in Denver!) But seriously, does it really matter what month it is? Today feels about like yesterday, which feels about like the whole last week, so March feels like April and life goes on.

I was reflecting this morning on some recent conversations I have had. Specifically a conversation about Palm Sunday and the fact that this year it happened to fall on April 1, or as parts of the world would know it, April Fool's Day. The point of the conversation was this: "In Jesus' ministry," as my professor stated, "things are not quite as they seem." What a fertile ground for a great sermon (too bad I wasn't preaching).

The idea of this particular conversation was reflected in my devotions this morning when I read about one of the instances when Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees then told them a parable and they were quiet because they knew he was talking about them. They also knew in this moment that their preconceptions of who the Messiah would be might be a bit incorrect, they might have to accept the fact that Jesus is indeed the Messiah!

When my professor made the statement, I was on board. In the example of Palm Sunday, the people are expecting a great military ruler to ride in on a mighty horse and lead them to freedom, but instead (surprise, not quite what you expected) enters a humble Jesus on a donkey's colt (I guess in today's world that would be like expecting the President in his limo convoy but instead getting some dude driving a Ford Focus). What got me though was one student in class that just couldn't accept an analogy of Jesus and April Fool's Day. For this woman, April Fool's Day is associated with one thought and one thought only and that is "deceit" and she was completely unwilling to move on her idea of the day to make room for an analogy to Jesus. (I agree that Jesus was NOT about deceit, but I think the analogy is still a wonderful one).

For me, the beauty of the analogy is that April Fool's Day is a day when things are not as they appear. Yes, there are practical jokes. Yes, the point is often to make people look foolish. (I recall one of my favorite April Fool's Jokes when traveling with New Vision and we were led to a cemetery, long story, but a great memory). Jesus' ministry was NOT about practical jokes and making people look foolish. However ...

Jesus was not what the people expected, and Jesus is still not what we expect.

In this day, we expect a Jesus that caters to our needs, answers our self-serving prayers, and ordains the many actions that we do "in the name of Christ." but that is not Jesus at all. Jesus is an example of how we are supposed to live ... challenging authority when it doesn't make sense (or goes against a shared belief, ethic, or law), putting others before us, teaching with the use of language people understand. Jesus is a humble servant. Jesus is the forgiveness of our sins.

I dig the prayer that was included in my devotion this morning, please pray it with me now:

Lord, I have some doubts. I have some questions. I have my own expectations and you don't always fit into my views. But I'm willing to reconsider this. I don't want to miss you. I shouldn't try to dictate what you should do and how you should do it. Please help me understand that IT'S NOT ABOUT ME. If I'm blind to you, open my eyes. Thanks for thinking about me. Amen.