“And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that Jesus did, and the children crying in the Temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they were sore displeased.” Commentary: So what does the Greek word say for “they were sore displeased”? The word Strong’s #23 means they were greatly afflicted! Why? Their religion was just a side show with no power! No miracles! No power over Satan! So instead of commending Jesus for the wonderful miracles he was doing they began to plot his death! Religion really hates God! Even in churches sometimes religion will raise its ugly head! Spiritual growth will always involve politics and religion! After being a Christian over past 48 years I have accumulated some interesting stories! Some of my best but not all is while we were serving in India as missionaries from 1983-1987. In our second year in India we moved to a village on a mountain named Yercaud in South India. There was a strong presence of Catholics there because of their schools! Our little daughters attended Sacred Heart secondary school while we were living there! Good schools! While doing ministry there and the surrounding villages catholics including nuns and priests would come to us late at night for prayer! I asked them why do you come to us late at night like Nicodemus did? They told us that if the organizational leaders find out they will severly punish us! They will evict us from our houses on Catholic lands and deny us burial in a Catholic owned burial grounds! Organized religion is sometimes ugly! Yet it is necessary to the purposes of God even sometimes when it opposes God! I never viewed them as enemies but as friends in ministry even though they were trusting organization more than God! Housing was difficult to find in Yercaud so the Catholics had a parsonage come available. Most housing there was full of rats, snakes and scorpions! So ten priests interviewed me for the vacancy. Their last question was are you a member of the 10th Order of the Jesuits? I said no! Sorry we cannot help you! In the American church we have had troubles when a Pastor is trying to get along with popular culture such as homosexualism and we confront him with scriptures on the subject! We end up on the bad boy list and political isolation begins! Truth will always divide and separates from lies and deceptions! When you do what Jesus did you will find opposition from within and from without! It comes along with the mission! We try to get along but sometimes separation will come! The last example is a young Catholic priest came to us by night and expressed a need to separate from the Catholic church! He asked for prayer and we advised him to not do this unless God confirms to you to do this! Sometimes we told him we must risk all to follow Jesus! A month later he left the Catholic church and years later became a great evangelist across the State of Tamil Nadu! To do the will of God will cost you something and maybe everything except your relationship to Christ! That relationship is more precious that silver and more costly than gold! James & Hamsa Sasse. IndiaJesusLovesYou.com