April 13th,
2014 “Palm Sunday Demonstration”
Rev. Heather Jepsen
Matthew 21:1-11
You know, I love writing sermons, and
the more I do it the better I get at it.
But there is something about Palm Sunday that always trips me up. I don’t know if it’s the looming threat of
Holy Week, one of the busiest times in the life of the church; or if it is
Easter on the horizon and the pressure to preach the best sermon ever that one
Sunday of the year. Whatever the reason,
on Palm Sunday I always seem to find myself trapped up here with nothing to
say.
I think part of the reason I have
trouble with Palm Sunday is that it is such a strange story. All of the gospels have some version of this
narrative. The time of the Passover is
coming and Jesus gathers with his friends on the edge of town. The past few weeks have been a “there and
back again” journey as he comes near Jerusalem and then wanders away
again. Now though, is the time to make
his entrance and so he sends friends ahead to pick up his ride.
In three of the gospels, Jesus rides
in on a donkey. He enters humbly, riding
on this small beast of burden as his feet drag along the ground. Some of the writers tell us that this
happened to fulfill a scene laid out in the writings of the prophet Zechariah. Unlike the other gospel writers, Matthew is
especially concerned with portraying Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, so when he
quotes Zechariah he takes it super literally.
That’s why we have Jesus riding in on a donkey and a colt in this
version of the story. It’s strange, and
hard to imagine, Jesus somehow riding in on two small animals at the same time.
Whatever the exact details were, the
writer of Matthew tells us that crowds gathered to watch this procession. The people spread cloaks and branches from
trees, presumably palms on the road. As
Jesus passes by, the crowds gather ahead and behind him shouting, “Hosanna,
save us! Blessed is the one who comes in
the name of the Lord!” which comes from Psalm 118.
So, what is this all really
about? What is really happening on Palm
Sunday? We know that Jesus faces death
in the next week, which the disciples and crowds certainly don’t know, or at
least don’t understand. It’s odd that
even though we know this is a prelude to death, we celebrate it every
year. Is this a happy day or not? What are we doing waving these Palm branches
around?
In my readings on this text, I came
across the writings of Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan in their book The Last Week. Now, these guys are a bit liberal, even for
me, but they have some interesting ideas about this Palm Sunday thing. They say, that on the same day that Jesus was
entering Jerusalem by the back door, a Roman Imperial procession was coming in
the front. Pontius Pilate, the Roman
governor of this region, would have also been processing into Jerusalem that
day. The time of the Passover was a
crazy time in the city of Jerusalem. The
population would swell with the arrival of Jews from all areas coming to celebrate
the holiday. It would have been a
festive occasion on one hand, but also a very tense political situation as the
Jews were captives in the Roman empire.
The Romans would not be happy with a big party of rowdy Jews all
gathering in this city, that is just a prescription for trouble.
So, Pilate’s procession into the city
was a chance to make a statement about the power and authority of the Roman
Empire. Borg and Crossan write “Imagine
the imperial procession’s arrival in the city.
A visual panoply of imperial power: cavalry on horses, foot soldiers,
leather armor, helmets, weapons, banners, golden eagles mounted on poles, sun
glinting on metal and gold. Sounds: the
marching of feet, the creaking of leather, the clinking of bridles, the beating
of drums. The swirling of dust. The eyes of the silent onlookers, some
curious, some awed, some resentful.”
Pilate is processing in to display the
power of Rome over the city of Jerusalem and over the Jewish people. He is also making a statement about the
theology, or religious beliefs, of the Roman empire. We have to remind ourselves that the emperor
was not just called the ruler, he was called the “Son of God.” Inscriptions about the emperor would have
called him “lord”, “savior”, and the one who would bring “peace on earth.”
When we consider the main activity for
that day in Jerusalem, the marching in of Pontius Pilate and his forces and his
great show of the power of the Roman empire, then suddenly what is happening
with Jesus is cast in a new light.
Suddenly what is happening with Jesus, looks a lot more like a planned
political demonstration, then like a sad parade. Again, Borg and Crossan write “Jesus’
procession deliberately countered what was happening on the other side of the
city. Pilate’s procession embodied the
power, glory, and violence of the empire that ruled the world. Jesus’ procession embodied an alternative
vision, the kingdom of God. The two
processions embody the central conflict of the week that led to Jesus’
crucifixion.”
So maybe that is what we are
celebrating this day; that Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem in the spirit of
protest. The followers of Jesus were
claiming that the kingdom of God does not look like the kingdoms of this
world. The actions of Jesus were showing
that true leadership can be found in humbleness, and that one can be making a
powerful statement without resorting to violence. This is what will lead to conflict with Rome.
The Empire wouldn’t be threatened by a
man riding a donkey. But the empire
would need to snuff out a rabble rouser, making political statements, causing a
scene, and stirring up the crowds in what was already a delicate season of
balance between the Romans and the Jews.
In our own time and place, it is good
for us to be reminded that this is the God we worship. We too, live within the bounds of the
greatest empire of our time. What is the
response of the followers of Jesus to the shows of power and force in our
modern world? How willing are we to
protest the powers of empire in our own time and place? What would it mean for us to sing “All Glory,
Laud, and Honor” in the spirit of “We Shall Overcome”?
As we know, the story for this week
continues way past this Sunday processional.
Jesus will enter the city, he will preach and teach, and he even will
lead another political demonstration this one against the unjust power of the
church in the temple. As the week draws
to end and as the Passover is celebrated, Jesus will be arrested, he will be
falsely accused, he will have an unjust trial, and he will be executed by the
state. It is a sad story, and yet it is
the story of our hero.
This morning we gather around the
communion table, and as you know, when we gather here we remember and honor
that story. Jesus came into the world to
teach us a new way to live. He preached
against empire and he often preached against church. He came as one of us, so that we could
re-learn the way to God. To come and
boldly preach such a challenging message can lead to nothing other than death. This week, as we remember and honor that
death, we also hold to the hope that death is not the final word. But of course, that sermon is for next Sunday.
This week, churches around our nation
and around our world will celebrate and honor Jesus the Christ, the man who was
God. We will tell the stories over and
over again, about his humble ride on a donkey, his last meal with friends, and
his unjust death. Palm Sunday is a day
to gather and remember all of these things, from political statements to a
political death on a cross.
So is this a happy day or a sad
day? I still don’t think I know. On the whole, Palm Sunday leaves me feeling
confused and torn. And you know what, I
am OK with that. Because I have a
feeling that when Jesus road into town on a donkey that day centuries ago, he
too was probably feeling a bit confused and torn. No one likes how this week ends. Amen.
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