7Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.8They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.9Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call.
God has called us to come into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and He desires for us to have a clear sense of His love for us, as well as the mission to which He has called us. His coronation in Jerusalem that day can give us inspiration of His coming to be our Savior and also remind us that when people and circumstances take a negative turn, we can still stay focused on our relationship with Him and His mission for us.
In Matthew 21, we see the narrative of Palm Sunday, as Jesus instructed His disciples to obtain a donkey so that He might ride into Jerusalem:
4All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:5"Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.' "6So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.7They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.8And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!"10And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"11So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."
It was all about the pomp and circumstance - the one who would be champion rode into town, the throngs greeting Him and hailing Him as the One who would come to save...with shouts of Hosanna. Less than 6 days later, he would be facing another crowd; this time, they were shouting, "Crucify."
This series of instances that Jesus encountered can illustrate for us that fame is fickle. Approval from the crowd can switch to disdain. And, you might be hailed as king, regarded as something special one day and regarded as something else the next.
On Palm Sunday 2014, a young man who has admittedly placed his profession "fourth or fifth" had his own coronation - in a place called Butler Cabin, at a golf course known as Augusta National. And, just 2 years ago, he had stood in the same place to receive his first Green Jacket, the symbol of excellence.
In a USA Today piece released late last week, Bubba Watson was quoted from the time of his first win as saying, "You've got to think about where I've come from, my mom having two jobs to pay for my golf, my dad working in construction...And when you think about that and where I am in my career and where I am in my family, my young family, you're thinking about how great this was. Besides the Lord, marrying my wife and having our child, it's right there, it's fourth or fifth on the list."
He has always been outspoken about his faith, but since his coronation two years ago, it has not necessarily been smooth sailing for Bubba. He related, "It drains you a lot more than you know...So as soon as you win, you get a green jacket on you. Every sponsor that you have, every company you represent, they want a piece of your time, they want more of your time. And yellow (Masters) flags? I've seen enough of those. I really don't want to sign too many more of those yellow flags. I think I've signed every single one since 2012."
It was just too much for him, and he got caught up in all of it as he arrived at the Masters as the returning champion a year ago.
"Media attention is on the defending champion," he said. "You're asked all these questions: 'Can you defend? How are you going to play? How are you going to do this?' You have to give up the green jacket. So there's a lot of things going on, media attention, when you're defending champion. I didn't know how to handle it the best way, and so I didn't play my best golf last year."
Bubba decided this was a year to change. He said in another USA Today article that he looked at 2014 as the year to rejoice, to remind himself how blessed he is to be a father and a husband and to play golf for a living. He would concentrate on being a better husband, father and Christian. And golfer.
He said it took some time to balance being a new dad and having a green jacket. "My wife and I figured out our schedules so I can still practice at a high level. It took me a year or so to get adjusted that I'm not really that good, that I've got to keep practicing. Finally I got adjusted to it, and here we are with another green jacket."
"Last year was a rough year with the pressure of trying to prove yourself, but this year his attitude's been great," Scott said. "It's been a lot of fun to work for him this year. I really enjoyed the good and bad."
In a piece on the BillyGraham.org site, Bubba is quoted as saying, "For me, it’s just showing the Light...There’s people who want to put down Christians. I try to tell them Jesus loves you. It’s just a way to be strong in my faith.”
And that's the mission - after that so-called "coronation" in Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday, Jesus continued to stay focused on and connected with His Heavenly Father. He was devoted to carrying out what God had ordained for Him to do - to bring redemption for you and me. Bubba Watson had a different kind of coronation - he had a green jacket, and that brought a whole new set of circumstances to him...he had to refocus on his true mission of "showing the light," and keep Christ and family ahead of golf.
And, that's our mission - the world will tell us, or we will tell ourselves, how great we are sometimes, but we have to continue to remain humble and focus on the work of Christ in and through us. Worldly fame and accomplishment will pass away, but God wants us to pursue activities that will last and build our lives on a firm foundation, so that we might make an enduring stamp on the lives of other people.
And, in those times of pressure to perform, it's important to remember that we can rest in the Lord, rely on His power working through us, and rejoice in Him According to an ESPN.com story, this offseason, Pastor Smith suggested that Bubba read Philippians 4:11: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Smith told him, "As a kid, you dreamed about playing on the PGA Tour. You dreamed about playing in the Masters. You're doing that. Why don't you just go ahead and rejoice in the circumstances of your life?" We maintain a sense of our mission and our relationship with God as we learn to keep connected to Him, despite what may be going on around us to distract us.
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