Review: Fans and Friends

Matthew  27: 21-25
The governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas."   Pilate said to them, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" All of them said, "Let him be crucified!"   Then he asked, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!"   So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."  Then the people as a whole answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

Why do I need to know how much weight Jessica Simpson lost for her wedding?  (it was 50 pounds according to ABC News BTW)  And exactly how is that "news"?  Or for that matter how is 90% of what we get as "news" actually in any way newsworthy?  Our magazines and news outlets are glutted with images of newsworthy events like "Zac Efron Goes Grocery Shopping!"  

I would love to say that it's all about how modern media manipulates us, but the truth is gossip mongering about celebrities isn't new.  Why do we all feel entitled to the minutiae of celebrities lives? Because when they lead idyllic and enviable lives we get to live a teensy bit vicariously through them.  They make us happy because we associate with them and we love to love them.  When they live in a way that makes us unhappy or that does not square with our idea of perfection we feel betrayed and slighted.  After all, if we are living vicariously through them we feel entitled to demand that they live the way we WANT them to live.  When they stray from our expected roles we also love to hate them... this also makes us feel good.  The Germans even have a word for it, they call it schadenfreude.  It means "to take pleasure from another's misfortune."   

The same people who shouted for Jesus's triumphant entry also shouted for Jesus' crucifixion.  The only thing we love more than loving a successful celebrity is how much we love to hate an unsuccessful one.  But we aught to see this "relationship" for what it is: manipulative.  People with real and deep relationships with, say Jessica Simpson, love her despite whether or not she meets society's demands for perfection.  That is the difference between a FAN and a FRIEND. 

When it comes to Christ, are we fans or friends?  In the last days in Jerusalem the crowd showed they were not his friends.  How do we act when Jesus behaves in our lives in a way we do not like?