Short sermon for Palm Sunday 2020
(some recycling of earlier sermons, but I think it worked out ok)
God always takes the first step, or in this case the first donkey.
All four gospels relate the narrative of Palm Sunday –which is remarkable in itself as John tends to do his own thing: Christ on his way to set into motion those events that will mean death for him but eternal life for all of us. His messianic role as long awaited redeemer of Israel couldn’t be more evident. But as we know, he’s not going to assume any political role or kingship, his redemption will be much greater than that.
Christ’s on his way to the Temple, his Father’s House, for the last time. The crowds are wildly enthusiastic and ‘smooth’ his path to the city by putting robes and branches on the way. “Hosanna” they cry, which in Hebrew –hosha’na- literally means ‘save us!’, ‘rescue us!’ Jesus is getting ready for his ultimate sacrifice and seems to be in complete control of the outcome of the day’s events, almost like a film director setting up the scene for the coming drama, including costumes, props, music, and extras.
Marcus Borg and John Crossan, two American New Testament scholars, in their book The Last Week (2006), have drawn a vivid mental picture of two processions approaching Jerusalem that day, like in one of those classic Bible films: one was Pontius Pilate leading his troops, marching up from the coast at a swift pace, ready to quash any sign of insurrection during the Passover; the second group was far more chaotic, more organic, slowly curling down from the Mount of Olives, locals of all ages, running to and fro, edged on by the disciples, shouting, waving and cheering, not for a Roman governor but for a Galilean rabbi, perhaps even for a prophet or a king. A stead versus a colt, a war-horse versus a donkey; the contrast couldn't have been more striking; just like the contrast between the great powers-that-be of our own present-day and the coming Kingdom of God.
Can these diametric opposites set an example for us how to approach our world?
Like Christ, we're called to go to the crowds and encounter them, not stamp all over them with our marching boots. Even if some will only stand by the road enthusiastically waving for a little while, we're still called to meet them in their frailty, in their own humanity, as Christ our God-man met them in their flesh, at their own level, not to lord it over them and put them down as Pilate did. And when we struggle with this –because let's face it, people are very often very unlikable- there's nothing in that call that Jesus will not understand and empathise with; there will be no dismissive judgement from atop a lofty place. So neither should we behave in that way. The Good News places us all on an equal level, in the crowd, cheering perhaps, walking along, intimate, slow-paced so no one's left behind, kind and loving, as part of the Good News on the road to eternal wholeness.
Can we ever comprehend to the fullest what this means for us: imagine a deity, a god, a divine supernatural omnipotent being, knowing exactly what troubles us as humans, understanding his mortal creation completely and wanting to help us, save us. It’s absolutely mind-blowing. Such love! Such compassion! The Creator of the universe, on a donkey. Our puny little brains can’t comprehend it, can they. Yet, here he is. Our Master and our Friend is setting off to his destiny, and showing us ours at the same time.