Who is in Control Here?

Yesterday afternoon saw a new crime story here in my particular corner of Midian. A local commissioner was formally charged with several counts of corruption; the first part of what promises to be a much more-sweeping set of indictments from a new grand jury finding.

On the local township blog, there were cries of joy (for the enemies of said commissioner), there were wails of disdain (from the allies); but, mostly there was just disgust that our wonderful little village was in the news because of such selfishness and greed.

When government corruption rears its ugly head, it is tempting to fall into exasperation; it seems that no real authority is "in charge." With lots of people "on the take," it often seems like no one is fully grasping the reigns. This is certainly the case in Philadelphia, where the murder rate continues to climb, despite the empty promises of city officials.

While the lack of visible control is scary, I think it is more likely that our darkest moments come when the wrong people are very much in charge. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely (as the saying goes), and the pay-to-play politics in both Philadelphia and my little township are good bits of evidence to that effect. Living in the middle of this type of government malfeasance, it can get frustrating and disheartening...Who is in charge here?

On the dark day on Calvary, nearly two thousand years ago, the final grotesque scene was not witnessed by any of the twelve Apostles. There were a few women there....a soldier posting guard....a couple of thieves being killed. The disciples had headed home to cry; to bemoan the excruciating agony of being wrong, and being powerless. The feelings are well captured by the two disciples journeying towards Emmaus; frustrated by what they viewed as the end to Jesus' life, they harangue the Risen Lord, Himself, with incredulous expresions of "Don't you know what they did to our Lord?"

Crucifixion, a torture technique taken from the Persians, was the ultimate expression of government authority. If the government could nail you to a tree and watch you die, then your complaints about the government were pretty inconsequential.

Little did they know, that the cross which was meant to assert man's authority would be used by God to exercise His authority. In the midst of the painful and evil actions of man, God is able to continue His rule, and shape the situation to His ultimate Glory.

The lesson of the cross is that man's motives and actions are bound in imperfection and sin; but, even though the pain, evil, and darkness of that sin is all around us, God is still Lord. As Easter people, despite the bad appearances, we know who really is in control here.