SOMETIMES, JUST SLEEP ON IT

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when he had looked around at all things (περιβλεψάμενος πάντα), as the hour was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” (Mk 11: 11)

After our Lord triumphantly entered Jerusalem, seated on a colt and greeted by exuberant crowds, He went into the temple and …did nothing, really. He just looked around and left, probably to the disappointment of the crowds. It was only on the next day that He “went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves…” (Mk 11: 15), like Master of the Temple.

I have no profound point to make here. I’d just like to note the delightful aspect of our Lord’s character, that He isn’t a crowd-pleaser, and doesn’t “grasp the moment,“ our moment, as our whole crowd might expect. Even when He was on His earthly mission, walking amongst us in our time, He did things in His own time, having taken a look around and having slept on things. So let me also not rush to fix things in my own “house,“ particularly when it’s “late“ and I’ve noticed things that need “fixing.“ Let me sleep on things, in the prayerful quiet of night-time, delaying my reaction to any disturbing thing, in Christ’s light-filled wisdom and patience. Our unpredictable Lord, glory be to You.