Day of Praise

Fr, 01/24/14, "Day of Praise"

Luke 23:24 - "So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted."

1 Corinthians 2:2 - "For I [Paul] decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

Pilate decided on the crowd against Jesus. Paul decided on Jesus and his cross, period. What have you decided?

I was walking out of Tony's Hot Dog Shop in Pelham (best burger in the world). I was saying "Bye" to one while another said "Hi, come back in" and another said "Hi" as they walked out the door. I didn't know the one who walked out the door, so I took off and tried to catch him.

"Nice jacket," I said to the guy as he was ten yards ahead with a jacket covered in logos of professional basketball teams. No reply from the stranger. So trying again, I said, "Which team do you pull for?" With a slight turn toward me, he replied, "Whichever one I'm betting on." And then he slid into his car and was gone.

Hmmmm. "Whichever one I'm betting on." He might as well have said, "I decide to give my energy and money to the one that I need to win."

Pilate bet on the crowd and bet against Jesus. Paul bet on Jesus and the cross of Jesus Christ.

In other words, Pilate decided to give his energy and money to the crowd. Paul decided to give his energy and money to Jesus and Jesus's cross.

Pilate needed the crowd to win because Pilate wanted his own job to be saved. Paul needed Jesus to win because Paul wanted his own life to be saved.

Hey, y'all, decisions, decisions, decisions today. Ya need to go with Jesus. He's won.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson