Short clips of the 1973 movie version of “Jesus
Christ Superstar” are used in this sermon.
I
am the youngest in my nuclear family.
As a toddler, I mimicked my older brother. If he wore cowboy boots, I wore cowboy boots. He rode the big rocking horse mounted
on springs while I rocked on the smaller horse on “rockers.” He spent weekends at Big Mama and Uncle
Jake’s house in the country; I wanted to spend weekends there, too. I was the
youngest, and I did not want to be left out—of anything. Do you know what it’s
like to not want to be left out?
In
our text today, no one is left out.
For as we read the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, we encounter 2
sets of characters—those involved in the revelry of the parade and those who
want to stop it. Pick your group.
Jesus’
ministry is one of enacting. Teaching, Jesus explains and enacts the true meaning
of the law. Healing—he enacts God’s
mercy. Feeding—he enacts God’s
justice. Welcoming—he enacts God’s
grace. Now, as Jesus nears
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, he enacts the prophet Zechariah’s vision of
the Messiah’s triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem—Of course his
followers—his disciples who have been learning from him since the early days as
well as the people who have joined the group along the way—of course his
followers recognize and want to be a part of this prophetic procession. Here is
the Messiah, God’s anointed one who is sure to bring about God’s rule to this
area of Palestine, sure to bring about God’s
reign instead of Caesar’s, sure to bring about God’s kingdom in the here and
now. Naturally they don’t want to
be left out of that.
So
the people respond as they have since the time of the Jewish monarchy 600 years
earlier. When the king was
approaching the city for his coronation or returning from a great battle,
shouts to throw open the gates would be heard. Words like our call to worship this morning: “Open the gates of righteousness that
we may enter through them.” The
people in today’s story respond with shouts, songs, movement and revelry
reminiscent of the exuberance of King David and his company when they carried
the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” The people respond with
the time-honored greeting Passover pilgrims shouted to one another as they
enter Jerusalem. “Blessed is the one
who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Jesus’ followers are caught up in the revelry of his entry into
Jerusalem. They are caught up in
the joyful anticipation of the coming of God’s kingdom. Dancing and jumping,
singing and shouting, waving branches and throwing cloaks, they are overcome
with joy and energized by hope.
[Jesus Christ Superstar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPi2r2j70Zc
00:10 to :35 “Hosanna, heysanna, sanna sanna ho, sanna heysanna
hosanna. Hey JC, JC, won’t you
smile at me, sanna hosanna hey Superstar!!”]
And then there’s the other set of
characters in this story—the ones who want to stop the joyful parade.
[Jesus Christ Superstar—Caiaphas’
response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPi2r2j70Zc
00: 35 – 00:59 “Tell the rabble to be
quiet, we anticipate a riot. This
common crowd is much too loud. Tell the mob who sing your song that they are
fools and they are wrong. They are
accursed. They should
disburse.”]
Some of the Pharisees want Jesus to quiet
his disciples—to stop the ruckus.
Were they appalled at the spectacle the crowd was making of
themselves? Were they calling for
silence or decorum? That’s not how
we do worship. Did these Pharisees
fear retaliation from the occupying Roman forces? Were they caught up in anxiety over how the people in power
will respond? What will they
say? What will they do? Will they pick up their marbles and go
play elsewhere?
Worrying
about the people in power—as if they matter, for God is the one who ultimately
has power. That’s what we’re going
to learn in the events of this week—from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday to Good
Friday to Easter morning. God has
the ultimate power. And God’s
power is not power of coercion and control, of domination and subjugation, of
fear and reprisal. God’s power is the power of love, of entering into suffering
on behalf of and along with God’s creation and with God’s creatures. God’s power is a power of hope—hope for
the future and hope for now.
The
Pharisees say, “tell your disciples to be quiet.” And Jesus responds:
[“Jesus Christ Superstar” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPi2r2j70Zc
01:22 – 1:58 “Why
waste your breath, moaning at the crowd?
Nothing can be done to stop the shouting. If every tongue were still the noise would still
continue. The rocks and stones
themselves would start to sing. Hosanna heysanna sanna sanna hosanna heysanna
hosanna.”]
Jesus replies, You cannot squelch this
celebration today. Over the course of time, you cannot squelch the coming of
God’s kingdom—nor can you stop the breaking in of God’s rule on earth in the
here and now even if it seems to come in bits and pieces. For God is
sovereign. Ultimately, God’s
purposes will be achieved. Because it is God who is sovereign, in
the final analysis, nothing will squelch God’s good purposes for God’s good
creation.
Jesus
comes to the people—in Galilee, across Palestine, in Jerusalem, as well as to
us in Paola, KS. Jesus comes to us—inviting
us into the revelry and work of God’s kingdom. How will we respond?
As those who are part of the parade or as those who want to squelch
it? How will we respond?—as a
follower of Jesus—joyful, exuberant, hopeful, ready to be a part of God’s work
in God’s creation. Are you ready
to live and work within the freedom of the Biblical narrative of
abundance? The narrative that
claims God is generous. God will
provide. God’s good plan for God’s
good creation will be enacted. Or
will we respond as one of the Pharisees?—bound by the chains of our cultural
narrative. There is not enough. I
want more. Jesus comes to us
and invites us to be part of the parade.
How will we respond?
Me—I
have a history of not wanting to be left out. I don’t want to be left out of the exuberant, palm
parade. I want to respond as a
follower of Jesus—praising God with reckless abandon—dancing to a contemporary
Palm Sunday song because our precious children chose it, and I mean it when I
say I want everyone to be welcome participants in our worship. I want to respond as a follower of
Jesus—supporting foolish endeavors—like a Thrift shop where anyone can buy a
pair of jeans and a shirt for $1.00, a warm coat for $3.00 b/c we recognize the
importance for people to purchase what they need with dignity. Those of us who
joined this congregation after the Thrift Shop ministry was begun may not
realize that it was once considered a foolish endeavor. But JP can tell you about
resistance to this mission she and 4 other PW women proposed. She can tell you how there is always
resistance to something new and different. I want to respond as a follower of
Jesus—participating in foolish endeavors—like a week of church day camp for
children in our community—whether or not they are connected to this
congregation, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay—because church day
camp offers an experience of God’s transforming love. I want to respond as a
follower of Jesus—throwing my cloak on Jesus’ donkey—giving—returning some of
God’s gifts of time, energy, talent, and money to do God’s work because I’m so
grateful for God’s love given to me.
Me—I
want to respond as a follower of Jesus—living in faith that it is God who is in
control—not me, not some other person, not some organization, nor some power or
entity. I want to respond as a
follower of Jesus—living in faith that God is sovereign and refusing to succumb
to fear. I want to respond as a
follower of Jesus—actively participating in God’s rule here and now—no matter
what. Knowing what Jesus has done
for me, I want to let go of the brakes that hold me back from expressing my joy
and gratitude. I want to join the
raucous revelry of the palm parade.
And
you—how will you respond?
No comments:
Post a Comment