The effort of Winning

Matthew 21.1-11 Psalm 118.1-2; 19-29

I wonder if you remember the old schools T broadcasts. !f course" that ty#e of #ro$ramme is no lon$er with us. %ince now the mornin$ $o$$le-bo& schedule is filled with holiday homes in #laces li'e Tash'ent" com#etitions to coo' lama stea's or some other (ideo #ul#. )ut in their time these scholastic #roductions were $ood watchin$ for adults as well as children.

!ne I #articularly remember was %ha'es#eares *ulius +aesar in modern lan$ua$e and settin$ called ,ail +aesar. )asically it was a tale of a military cou# a$ainst a dictator. In it !cta(ian says that )rutus did not want to do the winnin$ of the ensurin$ ci(il war" he -ust wanted to ha(e won.

.nd how true that is / true of #eo#le in literature / true of #eo#le throu$h history / true indeed of oursel(es. 0e cant be bothered with the winnin$ - -ust to ha(e won. 0e dont want to tra(el - only to ha(e arri(ed. 0e dont want to face the fi$ht -ust wear the cham#ions crown.

1eedless to say this ta'es us to the scene on the Mount of !li(es.

2ets ima$ine it also in a modern day (ersion. The camera switches to the charismatic leader who ma'es his way slowly throu$h a rally in some (olatile Middle 3ast ca#ital. 0e see him surrounded by a swirlin$" clin$in$ mob of humanity. ,e is bein$ simultaneously lauded" -ostled and threatened. %ome e&tra(erts" #arty colours adorned" $o o(er the to# with e&tra(a$ant $estures of su##ort. !thers" casual bystanders" #eer at him with sus#icion throu$h the $audy -amboree. Then" in the allay way shadows" lur' the more sinister fi$ures; the secret #olice" the informers" the #lotters and the assassins. )ut who amon$st them would stay the course once the #arty was o(er; not the disci#les" not the cam# followers not the onloo'ers. 1o" there were #recious few with *esus when the net ti$htened and the dar'ness closed o(er his head. %ince" his followers and the crowd" li'e the rest of us" wanted to ha(e won but not to do the winnin$. They wanted the fruits of the resurrection but not its bitter seeds. .s a result" they would ne(er $ras# what 4andhi was $ettin$ at when he said%atisfaction lies in the effort" not in the attainment" full effort is full (ictory. 5ew of them would understand this story. It was durin$ the early days of tele(ision. . wor'man was #lacin$ tele(ision transmitters at the (ery to# of the 3m#ire %tate buildin$ in 1ew 6or'. %eein$ him at wor' u# there" so far off the $round" a re#orter thou$ht this would ma'e a fascinatin$ human interest story. %o" when the wor'man had com#leted his tas' and had returned to the $round" the re#orter a##roached him and as'ed" 7.rent you fri$htened to wor' under conditions li'e that that8 Isnt it dan$erous to wor' so hi$h off the $round89 The wor'man re#lied" 76es sir" it is dan$erous.9 Then he added. )ut I ha(e to do it" if #eo#le are to see a new wonder.

0ell we may face a wee' of dar'ness and threats of dar'ness. 0e certainly face a wee' of chan$e" hassle and bustle and constant distractions. ,ow then" if we ha(e little stomach for the fi$ht" do we $et throu$h to %undays (ictory8 ,ow do we ma'e #ro$ress crowded as we are with what is can be doubt-ma'in$" discoura$in$ e(en debilitatin$. ,ow" in essence" do we summon u# the sinews for winnin$ as well as the #ri:e of ha(in$ won8

The answer lies in our Psalm for today. 5or" it reminds where we should #lace all our winnin$ effort. It should not be in $oin$ it alone. It should not e(en be in a communal effort by friends and family. ;ather it is to as' 4od to o#en the $ates. It is to as' 4od to $rant success. It is indeed to wait u#on the most unli'ely of thin$s / the re-ected corner stone that will be our ca##in$ stone. 5or" it was +hrist who o#ened the $ate to life. It was +hrist who bolsters us in the wee' ahead. It is +hrist *esus who #ulls us throu$h to 3aster sunrise.

.nd it is need for the wor' of trust and trust alone" we hear from the old woman in this story told by Pat )arnes. This is what she wrote under the little / the ma$ic of three days< It was a beautiful s#rin$ day" and a sense of #eace stayed with me as I left the cathedral on 3aster Monday mornin$. I #aused for a moment on to# of the ste#s leadin$ to the a(enue" now crowded with #eo#le rushin$ to their -obs. %ittin$ in her usual #lace inside a small archway was the old flower lady. .t her feet" corsa$es and boutonnieres were #aradin$ on to# of a s#read-o#en news#a#er.

The flower lady was smilin$" her wrin'led old face ali(e with some inner -oy. I started down the stairs=then" on an im#ulse" turned and #ic'ed out a flower. .s I #ut it in my la#el" I said" 76ou loo' ha##y this mornin$.9 70hy not8 3(erythin$ is $ood.9 %he was dressed so shabbily and seemed so (ery old that her re#ly startled me. 76ou(e been sittin$ here for many years now" ha(ent you8 .nd always smilin$. 6ou wear your troubles well.9 76ou cant reach my a$e and not ha(e troubles"9 she re#lied. 7!nly its li'e *esus and 4ood 5riday . . . 9 %he #aused for a moment. 76es89 I #rom#ted. 70ell" when *esus was crucified on 4ood 5riday" that was the worst day for the whole world. .nd when I $et troubles I remember that" and then I thin' of what ha##ened only three days later=3aster and our 2ord arisin$. %o when I $et troubles" I(e learned to wait three days . . . somehow e(erythin$ $ets all ri$ht a$ain.9 .nd she smiled me a $ood-bye. Pat concludes - 4i(e 4od a chance to hel# . . . wait three days. 2et us then do the same.