Life’s Chorus (CaD Matt 21) – Wayfarer
[The chief priests and Pharisees] looked for a way to arrest [Jesus], but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Matthew 21:15 (NIV)
In theatre, it’s called the Chorus.
Every major theatrical production has a Chorus. It’s where almost every actor begins their journey on stage. For me, it was the musical Mame my freshman year in high school. Craig got the lead as a sophomore because he was over six feet tall and the only dude in school who could naturally grow a full beard.
I was in the Chorus.
I was a minion switching costumes for each of the big production numbers. An anonymous party-goer at Mame’s New York City penthouse apartment in one scene, then suddenly a mint-julep sipping southern gentleman in a tux later in the show. A face in the crowd.
As I studied acting in college, I was taught the importance of doing a character study for any role I’m playing.
But what if I’m a member of the Chorus?
It’s a legitimate question. It’s a legitimate role.
In today’s chapter, the crowd plays a significant role.
The crowd welcomes Jesus to Jerusalem in a triumphant parade in which they shout His praises, wave palm branches, and spread their cloaks on the ground before His donkey.
The crowd has Jesus #trending. He’s who everyone is talking about. He’s all the buzz. So much so, in fact, that the religious leaders are indignant.
Later in the chapter, the indignant religious leaders try to trap Jesus in a debate. Jesus skirts His way out of the trap by leveraging his enemies’ fear of the crowd.
A third time (there’s that number three again) Matthew mentions Jesus’ enemies were so upset that they became determined to get rid of Him, but they were afraid of the crowd.
By the end of the week it will be a different scene in a different Act. The crowd will have switched costumes and will be calling on Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus.
It’s easy to be dismissive of the Chorus in any musical, but it has a significant role to play. In the same way, it’s easy to pretend the crowd doesn’t exist in life, but it plays a larger role than I care to admit.
The number of “likes” and “comments” I get on social media from the crowd.
The movies, shows, and songs that the crowd is buzzing about.
The fashions and styles everyone in the crowd is wearing.
The fickle winds of popular opinion being tweeted, chanted, and shouted by the crowd online and in the media.
In the quiet this morning, I find myself wrestling with my own relationship with and participation in the crowd of life. I can’t escape it anymore than Jesus could escape it. He rode His donkey through the crowd shouting His praises. He knew the crush of the crowd following Him wherever He went for three years. He will feel the sting of the crowd turning on Him in the end. There is a Chorus in life whether I choose to recognize it or not. Sometimes I’m a part of it. Sometimes I’m on the outside being influenced by it.
As I ponder, I’m reminded of an observation that John made about Jesus and the crowd of Jerusalem:
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. John 2:23-25 (NIV)
I might not be able to escape the Chorus in my life’s production, but I can certainly be mindful of the role it’s trying to play in my story. I can be discerning. I can choose not to take the role when it’s offered. I, like Jesus, can choose whether to entrust myself to it or not. The further I get on this earthly journey, the more I think it wise to do so.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
