Palm Sunday

At the time of Jesus, many of the Jews found their identity, their personal worth in the Promised Land, the Mosaic Law and especially the Temple. These were gifts from God, but they were not God. And when God came to them, offering His life to them in Jesus, they chose the gifts rather than God. In fact, the High Priest will say that it is better for Jesus to die rather than losing the nation to the Romans.

On Palm Sunday Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling. ‘According to scripture,’ he said, ‘my house will be a house of prayer for all nations.’ But you have turned it into a ‘den of robbers.’

Jesus denounces the mixing of worship and trade in the Temple. But something deeper is also going on here. Jesus points out the deeper problem first by quoting Isaiah 56:7 “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

God’s plan is for all people, all nations to share His divine life through Jesus, becoming sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters in His Family. Israel was the Chosen People in the sense that they were the oldest son in God’s covenant family. They had the responsibility of bring the younger nations into the Family of God. But they lost sight of their true identity and, then they lost their mission.

The sin of Pride is the effort to find our identity in something other than God.

I know where I am tempted to find my identity and happiness apart from God.

What is it for you?