This week, I invite you to explore the intentionality of Jesus’ love. Holy week is not about what I called “cosmic fumble recovery” in my sermon. The cross didn't just get thrown at him. His persecution and crucifixion were not unexpected, a sudden ball flung from way out in left field. This was not a weak moment when God wasn't looking and the devil snuck in, forcing God to make a recovery once he woke up to say, “gee what am I gonna do?” This kind of dualistic thinking reflects the mythic saga of Superman and kryptonite, but it is not the story of Jesus and the cross.
Jesus’ face was set on Jerusalem. The prophets saw it in advance, and he tried to explain it to his disciples. His walk through the week was intentional drama designed to do much more than teach a lesson so we mentally conceptualize how we are saved. It was to form the very unique Christian spirituality of what love is and what it means to overcome.
So don’t hop like a skipping stone avoiding the penetration of the water. Don’t move from the hosannas of Palm Sunday to the alleluias of Easter without the fullness of the great drama. This is about what love is.
