Lent
March 18, 2016

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:28-40

Then they brought [the colt] to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. –Luke 19:35-36

How do we show respect or adoration to someone entering our presence today? Pope Francis recently made a trip to South American from where he came. As his vehicle rolled along the streets, he was greeted with loud shouts, waving arms, people jumping up and down to see over those in front of him. He stopped at one point exited the vehicle and approached a man seated in a wheel chair. As he blessed the young man someone in the crowd reached over the seated person pulling Pope Francis over the wheel chair bound man potentially crushing him. The Pope pulled himself back and chastised the person pulling him, “Don’t be so selfish.”

How do we love without conditions? Jesus’ willingness to die on the cross was surely the best example of loving without conditions. Whether we want to admit it or not, most of us want something in return when we offer our love. The man pulling at the Pope was trying to touch him for selfish gain with no concern for who might be endangered in the process.

My teacher, mentor as a spiritual director, Bob Gardenhire, shared with our class that he really did not fully understand the meaning of unconditional love until he cared for his mother as she experienced in the end stages of Alzheimer’s. I have always wondered how many of the people laying their coats in the road to honor Jesus, were in the crowd shouting “Crucify him” a few days later. As we lay our version of our cloaks before God this Holy Week, let us all be mindful of what our commitment really is. Have we learned from Jesus’ how to love unconditionally?

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when our selfish desires overcome our concern for those around us. Enable us to love like Jesus’ loves. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.