Palm Sunday – Don’t forget Habakkuk!

This Sunday, April 5th,  is Palm Sunday – the day where Christian churches remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

What does that have to do with Habakkuk?

We don’t know much about this Old Testament prophet other than the general time in which he lived (sometime in the ballpark of 640 – 598 B.C.). There is a lot of emotion in his writing – and with good reason. He was prophesying about the wickedness of God’s people and the impending captivity.

In chapter 2 verse 11, God tells Habakkuk that the stones will be crying out due to the injustice of those who have acted unjustly. This symbolic “crying out” is repeated in Luke 19:40 when the Pharisees tell Jesus to rebuke His disciples.

What’s the point of all this?

Romans 1:20 tells us that “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” I believe this is one of the key verses for understanding the important principle to understand between the natural world and our Heavenly Father.

First and foremost, we do not worship creation. Don’t hug a tree or throw paint on someone with a fur coat. Creation is a way God reveals Himself to us. We can see His beauty in the sunset. We can see His power in a storm. We can see His gentleness in a baby lamb.

In that sense, we need to respect creation. In the simplest terms, don’t litter. Recycle. Don’t dump toxins. Use natural resources well. (See Genesis 1: 27-30.)

What does this all have to do with Palm Sunday? Good question. Somehow, I think I got on a soapbox???

Anyway – to the Habakkuk and Luke bridge – there is a delicate interweaving of the Old and New Testament Scriptures. Old Testament looked ahead to the promise of that which was to come. New Testament reveals Christ specifically.

If I may pull together a thought for your contemplation:

I think the stones crying out reference (reminder?) was Jesus trying to communicate to the Pharisees the bigger picture of the bondage of sin in which they were living because they refused to acknowledge Him as the promised Messiah. They were in captivity (literally to the Romans and figuratively to their sin) because they were mired in sin.

Their freedom would be found if they would but recognize the Messiah.

What is your bondage? Where is your freedom?

Yours in Christ,

Marty

The Missing Stop Sign

Attending a Tourette’s Syndrome support group last night, I heard one person call TS “The Missing Stop Sign.” I found that a very interesting phrase and a pretty accurate depiction.

I think it is also a fairly accurate word picture for trying to live a Christ-centered life in a sinful world. (Paul’s difficult passage in Romans 7 expresses this as well.)

It’s a quick but interesting thought to contemplate for today:

When life if difficult, what is the “stop sign” in your life that will keep you from sinning?

What will keep you seeking after God’s will in all things?

Yours in Christ,

Marty