During the Gospel reading for today’s Mass for Palm Sunday, we hear large, emotional crowds calling for Jesus to be crucified, as well as their preference for another to be released in His place.
“Crucify him! Crucify him!!” the crowd shouts.
“We want Barabbas,” they had screamed before.
Barabbas was a criminal, an insurrectionist by some accounts. The chief priests of the Temple had exhorted the crowd to demand his release instead of the Way, the Truth and the Life.
This serves as a reminder of the evil effects of basing decisions on raw, naked emotion. An emotional mob, easily manipulated by their leaders, selects a criminal over the Savior.
The crowd in Jerusalem in Jesus’ time sacrificed the Savior, one that they had just welcomed emotionally as the Messiah just days before.
Emotions are never a basis for making decisions, ever. This is something that should be discovered in early recovery, when our emotions are new and untested, sensitive and confused.
Just something to ponder in these days when emotions are running wild over a whole host of issues.
Nothing good will come of it.
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Agreed, wholeheartedly. Emotions make very bad executives, and aren’t much better as advisors. I’ve found that they can prod me into noticing something that needs attention: which is when thinking should start. And, of course, they’re part of being human.
Our Lord’s performance in the Jerusalem polls – – – is a prime example of what you said, like you said.