Sermon for Palm Sunday
Yes, I’m aware it’s been several days since my last post. There’s a lot going on – least of all, it’s Holy Week. Sadly, all the events of the last few weeks have come right at one of my most creative points in a long time. So there are a whole lot of half-finished drafts glaring at me from the top of my page tonight. But they’ll have to wait.
What I can post is my draft from the sermon last Sunday. The text – predictably enough – is the Triumphal Entry. Specifically, I looked at Mark’s version (Mark 11:1-11), but you really have to read all three to get the whole story. All kinds of cute names came to mind, but all of them involved using a word I’m not allowed to use, so I’ll let you fill in the blanks when you get to the end.
Remember that this is a preaching draft – I’ve tried to edit it quickly, but there are likely a few spots where I placed a note to myself that probably makes no sense to you. But I think you can get the main ideas.
Hopefully, after this weekend I’ll be able to finish some of my posts. But until then, I’ve got services to plan!
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One of the ways I look at a passage with an eye towards writing a sermon, is to look at the story through the eyes of some of the characters. It’s a helpful way to read a novel or story, as well – and even though the Bible is a retelling of actual events, it’s still placed in the form of storytelling. When you look through the eyes of the people in the story, even though you can’t fully get inside their head, you’re really able to get inside the story and begin to see what’s going on.
It’s like the movie Vantage Point, which I’m interested to see because of the premise – the President has been shot, and the only way to get to the bottom of the story is to put together the information of various witnesses from the crowd. [Note: I've actually seen the movie now, and while it doesn't really make my point like I thought it did, it's still a pretty good movie!]
Inevitably, you begin to like a certain character, or to envy their position in the events as they’re unfolding. You also gain empathy for others in the story, or find some whose shoes you’d rather not be in.
As I looked at the story this week – the story of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem – I decided to look at the story through the eyes and ears of the various people we encounter. In particular, I found someone I’d most want to be in the story, and someone I’d most NOT want to be. But while I was looking around, I found myself and… well, we’ll save that part for later.
Expectations of a Messiah
At some points in the story of scripture, it’s easy to miss the significance of the things that are happening. I don’t think this is one of those points. You just can’t miss the significance and importance of this event. There are energy and excitement – and a lot of irony. The energy and excitement come from almost everyone around, waving palms and shouting and celebrating. The irony comes from the main character himself.
It’s a climactic moment, the pinnacle of Jesus’ earthly ministry. If he were a politician, a traveling evangelist, a normal public figure, this would be the pinnacle of his career – the tables are finally starting to turn in his direction. All his miracles, all his preaching, all his days of healing and casting out demons, all these three long years have finally “paid off.” The people are finally beginning to recognize Jesus as Messiah.
But Jesus knows what the Messiah REALLY is, and he knows that certain expectations came along with that title.
We see these kinds of expectations all the time in public office. For example, Rudy Giuliani was rightly hailed as hero for the way he handled 9/11. But when those same expectations for handling crisis were placed upon Michael Brown of FEMA in the face of Katrina, he didn’t live up to the challenge. I’m not saying anything at all about the way Brown did or didn’t do his job; but look at the expectations that the public placed on him. And since there were no terrorists to blame for the cause of a hurricane, Brown took a lot of the heat himself.
To be hailed as “Messiah” was to be handed a whole closet of big shoes to fill. The Messiah was supposed to be like Moses reborn – a natural, fiery leader who knows God face to face. The Messiah was supposed to be like David reborn – a sensitive, godly leader whose military skills are unmatched. The Messiah was supposed to be Melchezidek reborn – the great priest whose insightful spiritual leadership introduced Abraham to God. The Messiah was expected to be Prophet, Priest, and King.
The Messiah job even comes with an unwritten job description:
- Cast off all oppressors,
- restore Israel to its rightful ownership of the land,
- bring all Israel back to God, and then lead the whole world to worship the one true God.
- And other duties as deemed necessary by the people – including healings, feedings, miracles, good speeches and the like.
Imagine if you believed that someone was prophesied to do those kinds of things today, and you realized that he had finally arrived. They believed that when the Messiah arrived, the world was about to change. Everything would be different at last!
Imagine if someone told you that YOU were the Messiah today and you had that job description, to restore peace to the Middle East. What kind of expectations would you feel on your back all the time?
Talk about “no pressure.” This is what Jesus faced that day as he rode into Jerusalem. Sure, the people were cheering and waving palm branches. But he knew that the expectations of the whole Jewish people were on his shoulders that day.
The irony is, Jesus IS coming to be all those things the Messiah is supposed to be – he’s a prophet in the truest sense of the word. He’s a priest if ever there was one – he stands between the people and God, and introduces us directly TO God (remember the veil in the temple). He’s a king, who will one day return to claim his throne.
But Jesus also knows what it will take to accomplish those things – he’s told his disciples half a dozen times already, in some form. He knows what awaits him in Jerusalem. And he knows that he MUST do it.
Let’s Have a Parade…
So Jesus asks his disciples to find a young donkey, tied up in a certain place and a certain way. The disciples are to tell the owners that “the Lord needs it,” basically impressing or commandeering the “vehicle” for official use. They place their cloaks on the donkey to make a kind of impromptu saddle, and Jesus gets up and rides on it. And as Jesus and his followers come through the villages outside Jerusalem, word spreads quickly: “Jesus of Nazareth is coming to Jerusalem! At last the Messiah is here to set us free!”
A crowd forms, following behind – waiting for something exciting to happen, for the fighting to start. Maybe he’s going to confront Pontius Pilate and the Romans right now? Maybe he’s got an army hiding on the Mount of Olives! In the meantime, word races ahead of them, and people come out of their houses along the road to watch as Jesus comes by. The excitement is building so rapidly that people begin to clap, and then to cheer… and finally, the little procession becomes a parade.
“Hosanna!” the people yell, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” It’s a Psalm they’re quoting – one about God coming in might to rescue his people, with signs and wonders and defeating many armies. They send the children off to cut down palm branches, and they wave them and throw them on the ground in front of Jesus as he rides through – things they would do for a mighty king or general returning from battle. Some even show the ultimate respect, taking off their cloaks and putting them on the ground for Jesus to ride on – the kind of thing you did for someone you thought was divine, as if the ground were not worthy of being walked on by them.
Through Different Eyes
It would have been an exciting scene for almost anyone present. But from Jesus’ point of view, things must have looked very different. I’m convinced Jesus knew what was happening around him, knew the hearts of those present. Jesus knew what was ahead and who would play a part. And I imagine he couldn’t help but think about that as he looked at the people around him.
There, walking beside the donkey, laughing and cheering along until he’s horse from yelling. Jesus knows this man – it’s Judas Iscariot, the moneykeeper… who already knows what he’s planning to do, and is just looking for the right time to do it.
Here on this side is a man who looks nervously around, watching the crowd for any hint of resistance. Finally after several minutes, he begins to get into the spirit of the moment. He reaches over and puts his hand on the donkey, looks up at Jesus with a wink, then lets out a huge bellow as he recognizes a friend – and suddenly he’s lost in the crowd. It’s Peter, Jesus’ close friend… who will deny him and run away in less than a week, won’t even come to be at Jesus’ side as he dies.
There in the crowd, that tall fellow with the beard, he’s taking off his cloak and bowing down as Jesus rides past. When his cloak is off, you can see the glint of metal in the sunlight – a shortsword is hanging from his belt. This man is one of the Zealots, a Jewish soldier itching to start an insurrection at any moment, always ready for battle. He sees at last in Jesus a man who has the charisma and leadership to start a war with the Romans. But as time goes by, he realizes this is not at all who Jesus came to be. And as the man cheers, Jesus recognizes his voice – in a few days, in the silence after Pilate asks, “what would you have me do with this man?” this man’s will be the first voice raised to cry, “crucify him!”
Over there, standing in the door to her store, is a woman who is waving and cheering along with the crowd. She’s tired of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, and she’s been waiting for someone who will come in and make things right in the temple again. She sees at last in Jesus a High Priest who will restore order and honor to the Temple and the priesthood. Tomorrow her heart will beat in excitement as she hears the story of how Jesus came into the temple with a whip, turning over the tables of the moneychangers. But as the week goes by, she realizes Jesus is not going to be that kind of priest at all. Why, he even said he’d tear down the Temple! She’s the one who comes to his cross on Friday and spits at his feet and says, “You said you could tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days! Let’s see you come down from the cross and save yourself!”
There, next to the synagogue in the little village closest to Jerusalem, is a clump of men easily identified by their robes – they are Pharisees, and very powerful men who sit on the ruling council. They heard about the hubbub, and came down from the Temple to see what is going on. Jesus looks into their eyes and knows their hearts. While everyone else is cheering, they frown and glare at Jesus as he passes, their stares burning into him as they whisper quietly to each other. They understand crowd dynamics, and they know Jesus has no army waiting outside town. They’ll bide their time, waiting for the time when public opinion has swung the other direction.
So this simple scene, that probably lasts no more than a few minutes, is actually a very complex scene. In a way, it’s a climax of the story so far – Jesus is finally being hailed as King and Messiah! But it’s a bittersweet moment, because only Jesus realizes just what it means to be the Messiah, and he can already see his future murderers standing along the roadside as he marches into a trap.
The Characters
So whose eyes were you looking through as you listened to the story? Who would you WANT to be?
The more I read into the story, I’m not sure I want to be ANY of the people there that day. Jesus was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The disciples are in for a heartbreak in a few days. The Pharisees already have murder on their minds. The crowd is only counting on expectations that no one could meet. No, I don’t think I would want to be any of these…
I’ll tell you who I want to be: the donkey.
- The donkey didn’t have an agenda. All he had to do was walk, and let people pet him and love him. He got to walk on a soft carpet of palm branches and clothes.
- The donkey didn’t have an emotional investment in the situation at hand. He wasn’t going to be upset in a few days when he hears what happens to Jesus. He’s really only like a taxi driver.
- The donkey didn’t have any expectations to be upset. He didn’t expect something of Jesus that Jesus would not do.
- The donkey didn’t have any expectations placed on him. No one was expecting him to be the savior of the world!
There are very few times I would want to be a donkey, but this is one of them! As far as this parade goes, the donkey has got it made! He can take Jesus into town, head back to his pad, grab some hay, and lay down to get a good night’s sleep. No controversial sermons, no plotting and conniving for him.
But to be the donkey would suppose that I don’t have an agenda. To be the donkey would suppose that I don’t have any emotional investment in what’s going on. To be the donkey would suppose that I don’t have any expectations of Jesus. To be the donkey would suppose that there are no expectations placed on ME.
But none of this is true. I’ve found myself in the story, alright. I’m in all of those places I didn’t want to be. Question is, where do I go from here?
