Gentle

MOBSTER MOVIES

I love movies - especially movie theater. I'll see just about any movie in the theater for the chance to smell the pop corn in the lobby, recline in a seat to watch previews, and then zone out for 1.5 hours for a feature. It's always a good time.

There are a few genres I particularly like - historical pieces, "Who-done-it?", and mobster gangster movies. These mobster movies show up in the likes of Peaky Blinders, American Gangster, Public Enemy #1, etc.

One of the most famous mobsters in history is Al Capone - and he's famously quotes as saying: “Don't mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me.”

Something similar could be said of Jesus.

MATTHEW 21:5

Jesus in entering Jerusalem for the final week of his life.

He tells his disciples to go fetch a donkey for him to ride on to fulfill what Zechariah prophesied:

“Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”^[a]

This summarizes the incarnate-posture of Jesus throughout his life on earth and even the ascended-posture of Jesus now - gentle, humble and kind.

However he won't always be this way. Revelation 19 describes Jesus as such:

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war...

¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean...

¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

¹⁸ so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army...

²¹ The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

The second arrival of Jesus seems to be less-than-peaceful.

NOW IS OUR TIME

There are two ways we will be able to encounter Jesus:

• Gentle and on a donkey, or if we refuse to receive him as such
• Violent and on a horse

When we arrive at Holy Week - and especially Palm Sunday, we remember that Jesus comes to us gentle and humble and invites us to repentance. If we don't, the next time we meet Jesus won't be as kind.

If the words of Capone were applied to Jesus:

“Don't mistake my [gentleness] for weakness. I am [gentle] to everyone, but when someone [rejects] me, [gentle] is not what you are going to remember about me.”