PRACTICAL
ATHEISM IN HOLY WEEK
We
begin Holy Week in a different way than we have ever experienced and (most of
us) will experience Resurrection Sunday to begin the Easter season in the same
manner: socially distanced from others. Still, Jesus reigns supreme and sits on
his throne at the right hand of the Father. Holy Week is a vital time in the
gospel narratives because the events of that week comprise nearly a third of
the material in the Four Gospels. Much went into Jesus’ ministry on earth; yet,
Holy Week proves to be crucial to the Christian understanding of who he is.
Both the humility and lordship of Jesus is reflected in the events that
occurred Holy Week. Matthew’s Gospel, however, grants a glimpse of not only
Jesus but his followers as well including us by telling a narrative of
practical atheism. What is meant by the term, practical atheism, is the
practice of claiming who Jesus is, namely God, and yet living in a disparate
manner. Certainly, all believers have done this to some extent at some point;
yet, Jesus continues to love and nurture his people, as he did with those who
cried, “Hosanna!” that first Palm Sunday and then denied him later. Upon the
reading of Matthew 21:6-11 and understanding the context of what would happen
later, three vivid elements of practical atheism in Holy Week stand out.
Matthew 21:6-11 English Standard Version (ESV)
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed
them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on
them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the
crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees
and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went
before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And
when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is
this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet
Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
We
Profess Who Jesus Is but Do Not Live the Same Way
As
the crowds confessed Jesus as the “Son of David,” (v. 9) with their lips, they
praised him as Lord only to deny him later in the same week. The crowd
accurately shouted, with joy, who Jesus is: blessed, the Son of David, he that
comes in the name of the Lord, the prophet Jesus of Nazareth; nonetheless, we
know now that the people, likely many of the same crown, would have him
crucified later. Such an act might certainly be reflective of our own lives.
While we might criticize these people, if we place ourselves in their
situation, it should not take long for us to realize that we would likely do
the same, for we too have failed Jesus, denied him, and even proclaimed who he
is only to live in a drastically different way later. I refer to such an act as
practical atheism because, although Christians claim to believe in Jesus and in
who he is, it is easy and often that believers do not allow that proclamation
to be realized in action, i.e. a radically changed life. All believers are
likely guilty of this contradictory way of living to some degree; as Christ
changes us, however, the hope and prayer should be that those contradictions diminish
and that hypocrisy vanishes.
C.S.
Lewis famously uses his trilemma in Mere Christianity by asking if Jesus
is a liar or a lunatic, for if he is neither, then he is precisely who he says
he is: Lord, i.e. what humans do with Jesus is of utmost importance. To
accurately proclaim who Jesus is then is to concurrently claim that one’s life
will reflect such truth. While human nature is to do as the crowd did that
first day of Holy Week and proclaim who Jesus is but live differently, Jesus’
radical transformation in the lives of his people should bring gospel clarity
from not only what the church preaches but also how the church lives.
We
Minimize Jesus
The
crowd also minimized Jesus, as believers do now; they minimized him to an
earthly warrior who would save with violence and as a mere prophet. While Jesus
certainly was a prophet, he is more; yet, the crowd failed to realize this
truth. While Jesus surely could destroy humanity with a mere word, this is not
the type of Messiah he is. Proclaiming him as such was a minimization.
Christians often treat Jesus in a similar manner by proclaiming him as a genie
and wish-granter. To believe him as this is to effectively neglect who he truly
is: God and worthy of total devotion. Jesus proclaimed himself as God; millions
of believers throughout history have given their lives on his behalf; and Jesus
lives today with supreme authority; thus, how dare we minimize him to someone
who exists to serve our petty wants and desires? As the crowd was looking for a
military hero and missed the point of who Jesus is, we too employ practical
atheism by neglecting to reveal to the world the awe and might of Jesus. Jesus
does not exist to accept you as you are; nor will he, for his glory is too
valuable to himself to do so. He will surely meet anyone where they are and
nurture them in conforming them to his own image; to think that Jesus exists
for people, however, is to minimize him. Believers should realize that Jesus is
God and co-equal with the Father and Spirit and, therefore, as worthy of total
devotion.
We
Claim Jesus’ Salvation for Anyone with Our Lips but Deny It with Our Lives
Part
of the problem with the crowd that first Palm Sunday was a misunderstanding of
Jesus. As they wanted a military leader to rescue them from earthly dictators,
Christians now often seek Jesus out of selfish motivations. When the crowd
cried, “Hosanna,” they were literally asking Jesus to save them. Psalm 118 was
evidently used in the crowd’s praise that day; some also infer that it will be
used at his Second Coming (Matt 23:39).[1] The cry for salvation was
a genuine plea from an oppressed people; yet, Jesus’ aim was larger than mere
earthly victories, for his purpose is eternal. When Christians face trials, it
should be remembered that God’s eternal purpose is bigger than mere momentary
pleasures and even than the limited time on this planet. When Christians
neglect to realize the eternal kingdom purpose of God, Jesus is minimized.
People might
wonder how the crowd could hail Jesus and then crucify him a few days later;
yet, such is still done in action for many Christians. This often plays out in
discounting certain people in God’s salvation. Perhaps, someone has committed a
heinous act or has wronged someone so extremely that the general population
feels indignation toward that individual. A common attitude seems to be, even
after professing that Jesus can save anyone, that such a person is beyond hope.
Nonetheless, not only should believers proclaim that Jesus can save such a
person but also treat that individual with the love of Christ as commanded. Failing
to do so minimizes Jesus to someone who saves only those humanly worthy of his
salvation when, ironically, no such person exists, for all are equally flawed.
To cry out, “Hosanna,” then is to believe Jesus can save anyone and to love
everyone as Jesus does.
Realizing
God’s Eternal Glory Eliminates Minimization
Christians
may lose sight of who Jesus is; yet, this happens when the focus on God’s
eternal glory is lost. God’s purposes are larger than anything done in this
life and on this earth; life on earth, in fact, serves as a mere part of his
eternal glory. When believers view Jesus as someone who exists primarily to
serve people, he is minimized to less than God. He is, however, God himself and
exists to serve his own purposes. Even in his mediation and intercession on
behalf of his bequeathed people, Jesus should not be minimized to a
human-serving wish-granter. The crowd that first Palm Sunday rightly proclaimed
Jesus as who he is but ceased short of realizing his eternal purpose;
therefore, their praise did not extend beyond that day, for, although surely a
part of God’s plan, they would have him crucified later that week. This Palm
Sunday, while the circumstances are vastly different, let us not only proclaim
Jesus as Lord but refuse practical atheism by living what we claim to believe:
namely that Jesus is God and worthy of total devotion.
