Issue 251
This 250th WakeUpCall is dedicated to Bill Stroup April 11 1937 – November 7 2007. He opened his heart to me and the US to WorkTalk – now with his Lord in Paradise
Based on Matthew 21:1-11
Everybody likes applause. Even shy and modest people gain pleasure from appreciation. Some people are addicted to the adulation of the crowd. As some of you read this piece you can look up at certificates on your wall – official applause – for a qualification of achievement.
When you stop and think about applause there are in fact a variety of types. Some applause arises out of amusement – so the comedian is clapped after a joke; Some arises out of fear – so a dictator is applauded after a speech. Again, applause can come out of sycophancy – so an employer may be applauded by staff. Other applause can be co-ordinated as on TV shows when the board is raised saying “clap now”. When the clapping slows down it becomes protest or irony. When accompanied by cheering it can mean celebration or relief at rescue. The truth is that applause can be deceptive. The danger is that the recipient can Become addicted to the sound and oblivious to its purpose.
Such was the Hosanna road. As Jesus rode towards Jerusalem on an un-ridden animal, crowds turned out clapping, cheering, spreading tokens of honour in the path and creating an amazing cacophony of adulation.
But what did it mean? Remember Jesus was on a mission – a work project – to rescue people from disastrous futures. In this moment he is deliberately drawing attention to himself and provoking a rainbow of responses. Angry authorities stood behind adoring crowds and nervous politicians eyed up the mood of the masses. The facts, however, speak for themselves. The same city that shouted “Hosanna”, only a week later shouted “Barabbas”.
A lesser man than Jesus would have been fooled by the Hosannas. In the minds of the crowd was a desire for political and national freedom from the oppression of Rome . They wanted a material prosperity and a patriotic restoration of power. In the mind of Jesus was a moral and spiritual challenge, creating a new way of living based on the principles of serving God and loving fellow human beings. The applause could have diverted him from his mission. He could have milked it for self-centred reasons and moved to form a rebel uprising against Rome . In so doing He would have missed the whole point of his life and sabotaged everything he stood for.
The irony, of course, is that Jesus wanted people to learn to praise him – to recognise the Divine Son who was with them – but the praise should be from humble hearts enjoying their God and not materialistic hearts wanting a war.
Each week, month or year of your working life you will need applause, praise and encouragement. There will be times when you get it. Your soul needs to be fed a regular diet of applause for you to survive. Starved of encouragement, you struggle. But the lesson from the Hosanna road is to look for true approval. There is only one audience which can supply you with nutritious applause. It is God himself who will say “You are my child, with you I am well pleased” it is the Divine Son who will say to you “Well done, good and faithful servant” and it is the Spirit who will whisper “You are a child of God – there is no condemnation” in your ear. This is worth living for, working for, dying for, and the only standard by which you can judge your performance.
There is another ironic aspect of the Hosanna road. As you offer true praise to the Divine Son, laying down your tokens of honour at his feet, you become more satisfied and less vulnerable to your need for accolades.
When applause does come from employers, institutions, colleagues, friends and Family, by all means enjoy it. But it is really the trimmings. The main course has to be from the Father. Happy is the person who has learned to work for real rewards for the best is always saved to last. After all, Hosanna does mean “The Lord Saves”.
Matthew 21:1-11
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet: 5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
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Geoff Shattock
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