“If a man is convinced that he is safe only as long as he uses his power to give others a sense of insecurity, then the measure of their security is in his hands. If security or insecurity is at the mercy of a single individual or group, then control of behavior becomes routine.” (Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited (p. 25). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.)

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,” Matthew 5:11

“They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: ³⁸ “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” ⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” ”” Luke 19:35-40

Jesus was immersed in and understood his society – he came from a poor family, and he lived with the poor. His ministry was particularly focused on these people, but not just to the marginalized. Jesus also interacted and ministered to the rich, the nobility, and to the Romans. So when we watch Jesus enter Jerusalem, on the back of a donkey, with his disciples shouting that the “Son of David” had arrived, we begin to understand how this single act was so controversial. Caesar was king – Caesar was the “Lord” – this is not going to sit well with the ruling authorities.

“It is never to be forgotten that one of the ways by which men measure their own significance is to be found in the amount of power and energy other men must use in order to crush them or hold them back. This is at least one explanation of the fact that even a weak and apparently inconsequential movement becomes formidable under the pressure of great persecution.” (Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited (p. 27). Beacon Press. Kindle Edition.)

Jesus was one small part of a movement that was heavily persecuted, but not forgotten by G-d. He did not ride into Jerusalem on a war horse, he rode in on a donkey – but this simple gesture set the whole city of Jerusalem into a scene of chaos. His few followers were there initially to cheer him on, but in the end they will all abandon him as he is led to his cross. These same followers, though deserters before the crucifixion, become a force to be reckoned with within 300 years. The power and energy used to defeat and crush the Christian movement over 2000 years has only been met by more and more determination led and supported by the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we need to remember our humble roots, but also the power of the spirit to change the world. Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament was a counter-cultural ministry – disrupting the authorities, but changing so many lives — without discrimination, and without condition. As such, we can follow his example in ministry and share his love, one person at a time.

Pastor Dave

Also known as All Souls, the Holy Souls, or the Faithful Departed is celebrated on November 2 in Western Christianity; that is, the souls of Christians who have died. Observing Christians typically remember deceased relatives on the day.  The Catholic Church teaches that the fate of those in purgatory can be affected by the actions of the faithful on earth. Its teaching is based also on the practice of prayer for the dead mentioned as far back as 2 Maccabees 12:42–46. In the West there is ample evidence of the custom of praying for the dead in the inscriptions of the catacombs, with their constant prayers for the peace of the souls of the departed and in the early liturgies, which commonly contain commemorations of the dead. 

“There are three reasons for Jesus [being a puzzle]. The first reason for our being puzzled is that, for most of us, Jesus’ world is a strange, foreign country. I don’t just mean the Middle East, a major international trouble spot then as now. I mean that people in his day and in his country thought differently. They looked at the world differently. They told different stories. The second is that Jesus’ God is strange to us. That idea may itself seem odd. Isn’t God simply God? We need to try to catch a glimpse of what Jesus meant when he spoke of God. The third, hidden puzzle: throughout his short public career Jesus spoke and acted as if he was in charge. Jesus did things people didn’t think you were allowed to do, and he explained them by saying he had the right to do them. He behaved as if he had the right, and even the duty, to take over, to sort things out, to make his country and perhaps even the wider world a different place.” (“The Three Puzzles”, Simply Jesus, N. T. Wright, p. 9-11)

What people need today is a Lord and Savior who speaks, acts and teaches like he is in charge. And we have just a Lord and Savior in Jesus. But we have too many people today who just do not recognize the need for a Lord and Savior in their lives. And yet we see, day after day, in this pandemically-charged society and world, well it just seems that things are going to Hell in a handbasket. Now, that is just my own opinion, and you may have another opinion about how modern and progressive our world and society are. And yet, people are dying of malnutrition and starvation; people are being marginalized and oppressed; people are jobless or being denied basic, human rights; and those on the top are living on the backs, shoulders and wills of those on the bottom. And so many Americans think the world looks upon us with envy. I think many throughout the world look upon us with pity – because we have lost the ability to care – to care for one another, and to care for our spiritual wellness.

If you are looking for something to pray for tomorrow, I would suggest you pray for America’s spiritual well-being as we approach this election day. I would suggest you pray for more Americans to look to G-d for a relationship through Jesus Christ to help us all help one another.

Pastor Dave