What do you think? The hosanna-shouting crowd on Palm Sunday, and the Crucify-shouting crowd a few short days later---were they the same crowd? I’ve heard it preached both ways. My estimation is that there were at least some of the same people in both crowds.
Crowds draw us, excite us; we can get caught up in the momentum. The danger is getting lost in the crowd, which can lead to getting lost with the crowd. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 7:13-14. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord…” 2 Corinthians 6:17.
Zacchaeus did this in a literal sense. “ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man, he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly.” Luke 19:3-5. It’s interesting to me that all four versions I read this passage from use the same word in Jesus’ response to Zacchaeus. “…I MUST stay at your house today” It’s almost as if, when we come out from the crowd to seek Jesus, He is compelled to spend time with us. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” James 4:8. “…Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house…” Luke 19:8-9. When we move apart from the crowd and encounter Jesus, change takes place.
Speaking of change taking place, let’s look at the story of a woman who gave all of hers. “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to Him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything---all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44. Sometimes it’s not possible to move apart from the crowd literally. God’s aware of this. Jesus while praying to the Father said these words of His disciples: “…they are still in the world…they are not of the world…” John 17:11 & 14. Even when our feet have to be in it, our actions, like those of the poor widow, can cause us to stand out from the crowd, in the eyes of Jesus.
If being apart from the crowd invokes God’s favor, it is imperative for this to be the Christian’s practice. In other words, we need to learn crowd control. I’m not referring to controlling the crowd outside, but controlling the crowd’s influence on the inside. How do we do this? It would be helpful if we had an example to follow. Let’s see…whom do we know who dealt with crowds on a daily basis, and, yet, was not sucked in by them? Let me think (snapping fingers) I’ve got it---Jesus! He might be a good mentor. “…a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him…” Mark 5:24 “There was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng…and all the people were trying to touch Him…” Luke 6:17 & 19. How did Jesus control the crowd? Brother Luke gives us the answer. “…large crowds were gathering to hear Him…But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.” Luke 5:15-16. What a rhyme to remember: slip away and pray. If we don’t draw strength from the Father in solitude, we will cave from the pressure of the crowd. If everyone of the people in the hosanna-shouting crowd had been routinely, earnestly seeking God, I’m convinced that not one of them would have been present in the crucify-shouting crowd.
Crowds draw us, excite us; we can get caught up in the momentum. The danger is getting lost in the crowd, which can lead to getting lost with the crowd. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 7:13-14. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord…” 2 Corinthians 6:17.
Zacchaeus did this in a literal sense. “ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man, he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly.” Luke 19:3-5. It’s interesting to me that all four versions I read this passage from use the same word in Jesus’ response to Zacchaeus. “…I MUST stay at your house today” It’s almost as if, when we come out from the crowd to seek Jesus, He is compelled to spend time with us. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” James 4:8. “…Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house…” Luke 19:8-9. When we move apart from the crowd and encounter Jesus, change takes place.
Speaking of change taking place, let’s look at the story of a woman who gave all of hers. “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to Him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything---all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44. Sometimes it’s not possible to move apart from the crowd literally. God’s aware of this. Jesus while praying to the Father said these words of His disciples: “…they are still in the world…they are not of the world…” John 17:11 & 14. Even when our feet have to be in it, our actions, like those of the poor widow, can cause us to stand out from the crowd, in the eyes of Jesus.
If being apart from the crowd invokes God’s favor, it is imperative for this to be the Christian’s practice. In other words, we need to learn crowd control. I’m not referring to controlling the crowd outside, but controlling the crowd’s influence on the inside. How do we do this? It would be helpful if we had an example to follow. Let’s see…whom do we know who dealt with crowds on a daily basis, and, yet, was not sucked in by them? Let me think (snapping fingers) I’ve got it---Jesus! He might be a good mentor. “…a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him…” Mark 5:24 “There was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng…and all the people were trying to touch Him…” Luke 6:17 & 19. How did Jesus control the crowd? Brother Luke gives us the answer. “…large crowds were gathering to hear Him…But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.” Luke 5:15-16. What a rhyme to remember: slip away and pray. If we don’t draw strength from the Father in solitude, we will cave from the pressure of the crowd. If everyone of the people in the hosanna-shouting crowd had been routinely, earnestly seeking God, I’m convinced that not one of them would have been present in the crucify-shouting crowd.
