Jesus wishes to be our true companion and friend, not just an example for us
The longer version of the Serenity Prayer includes the phrase “accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.” I bring this up because we have made this journey together through Lent and are now seeing the very specific embracing of hardship for the sake of showing love in its deepest form. We see Jesus choose the more difficult self-emptying way to live so that He might show us the deepest kind of love that is available. He asks us not just to love our friends, but more importantly, to love our enemies. He asks us not just to go one mile, but to go two miles with those who ask. We should anticipate the needs of others and choose to consciously empty ourselves out of love, especially for those who hate us.
Consciously embracing hardship, especially that which comes our way naturally, is a promise to move to deeper peace. This is a lesson that we need to learn both individually and culturally. We keep believing that power over others will bring peace, and it never does. In the procession into Jerusalem, Jesus shows us both false triumph and true, lasting triumph.
So many of Jesus’ follows thought He would be a ruler who would embrace power over others so He could make people do what He thought they should do. Many thought He would amass armies, set up a hierarchy of rulers and make His power felt. He washed His disciples’ feet instead of taking a seat of honor. He hung on a cross, not the throne pictured by many of His disciples. I wonder if our practices of this penitential season have prepared us to live a similar life; or will we, following Holy Week, assume the thrones of privilege that we sat on before the season began?
How do we picture the betrayals that have happened to us? Do we see that hardship as a pathway to peace, or do we hold grudges in our heart and refuse to forgive? Most of us have had anguish like Jesus had in the garden. Are we willing to push aside the temptation to take the easy way out and embrace the necessary anguish, or do we sidestep any hardship we can? Can we truly say we embrace hardship for the sake of others? Jesus embraced the crucifixion, yet we avoid minor inconveniences. Are there places in our lives where we feel like we are dying and are being tempted to give up the hope of resurrection? Do we choose momentary satisfaction instead of waiting for true rising from the dead?
The procession into Jerusalem is an invitation to embrace the ongoing rhythm of living, dying and rising in our lives. Each of those can be powerful segments of our lives if we remember that Jesus is present with us every moment. He wishes to be not just an example for us, but a true companion and friend. Consciously embrace Him in the most difficult moments. That embrace will allow each of us to stay where we are and not give in to the temptation to escape. Jesus asks us the same question He asks His disciples in the garden: “Can you not stay awake one hour with me?”
