From hero to zero

Although I live on the outskirts of Leicester, I don’t often venture into the city.  If I do go into the city centre it is almost always with a specific purpose in mind.  I usually park the car about half a mile or so from the city and walk the rest of the way.  When I do, I pass a large mural which was painted onto the gable end of a property.  It appeared there a couple of years ago.

It is the face of former Leicester City FC manager, Claudio Ranieri, who famously and (some would say) miraculously led the team to the Premiership title in the 2015/16 season.  He is depicted as a Roman Emperor, with the words, “Veni, Vidi, Vice” (“I came, I saw, I conquered”) inscribed underneath.  Ranieri was lauded as a conquering hero, and when he and the team paraded through the city in their open topped buses they were cheered by many thousands.  The scene was joyous, celebratory and enthralling!

My mind went back to that momentous occasion, as I prepared for today’s Palm Sunday services.  If we were able to travel back in time around 2,000 years to the outskirts of Jerusalem, we would witness another large, excited and noisy crowd of people.  This time they were not waving flags but palm branches (a symbol of victory), as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  Many believed that he was the promised Messiah, who would rid the nation of the hated Roman occupiers.  And so they celebrated, danced and shouted for joy!

Just months after Ranieri and his team were feted by the massive crowd, he was unceremoniously sacked from his role as manager.  From hero to zero.  Just a few days after Jesus rode into Jerusalem in triumphant procession, another crowd cried out: “crucify him, crucify him”.  Jesus was not the kind of hero they hoped he would be; he was not the kind of king to lead an earthly army.

Of course, we must not push the parallel too far.  When Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the acclamation of the crowd he was under no illusion as to what lay ahead of him; he had spoken to his disciples of his forthcoming suffering and death.  His journey into Jerusalem on this occasion was the culmination of a long journey which would lead to the cross.

Jesus was not an earthly king, but a heavenly king; not a warrior who would destroy the Romans, but a warrior who would destroy death; a Messiah who would suffer for the sins of all people.   He was and is the sacrificial lamb.

Faith is not a feeling

Sue and I have recently been away for several days, firstly attending the New Wine Leadership Conference in Harrogate, then on holiday in Scarborough.  The break from the fairly pressurised regular routine of life and ministry was much appreciated.  Contrary to what some might think, human beings are created with a need to have times of rest.  For example, in Mark's gospel we can read of a time when Jesus and the disciples were experiencing a particularly demanding period, and Jesus says to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest' (Mark 6.31).  I still think back to the old Mars bar advert which encouraged us to "work, rest and play!" We were in great need of a break, and I'm sure it has done us the world of good, even if I have arrived back to a mountain of matters which require my attention!

One aspect of times away which I particularly appreciate is the opportunity to do some reading.  Our recent break coincided with the arrival of the so-called "Beast from the East", which brought with it some heavy snowfalls and strong, icy winds.  This provided an added incentive to stay inside in the warmth, and how better to spend the time than curled up with a good book?  One of the books which I read during our holiday (which I found in a charity shop in Scarborough) was a book written by a lady called Ney Bailey, titled, "Faith is Not a Feeling."

An underlying premise of the book is that feelings make very bad masters: if we live our lives purely based on our feelings then we are going to really struggle; it is a dangerous path to tread.  Now, of course, feelings are not bad in themselves; we were created as beings with feelings.  Jesus himself is described as feeling compassionate, angry, frustrated, tearful, anguished and tired, for example.  We are wired to have feelings, but we must not let them take control of our lives.

Sue and I have been married for just over 40 years.  Often during that period I have felt deeply in love, but not always.  If I had only acted in a loving way towards my wife during the times when I felt in love, there would be something very wrong in our marriage.

In her book, Ney Bailey writes of a time when she was really struggling with her job and with life in general, and her feelings told her that she was nothing but a failure.  Indeed, she felt that her life was worthless and even contemplated suicide.  In the event she was encouraged to trust in the promises of God in the Bible.  She writes, "As strong and as fluctuating as [my] feelings are, God's word is truer than anything I feel, truer than anything I experience, truer than any circumstance I will ever face, truer than anything in the world."

A fruitful and contented life requires a firm foundation.  Feelings of themselves can never give us such a foundation.  But we are called to trust in and act on God's promises as contained in his word, the Bible, even when our feelings are pulling us in a different direction.

'The grass withers and the flowers fall,    but the word of our God endures forever' (Isaiah 40.8)