Currently during this time of political campaigning,
many
people may be asking themselves,
Where
are the American values?
Or
what ARE American values?
Are
they the values that we see being expressed?
Questions worthy of reflection.
Too often those stated values, upon examination, may be
seen as
simply
a cover statement for an underlying objective
of
gaining power
or
benefiting one side of an issue against the other side.
Behind the words are the political maneuvering
Behind the words are the political maneuvering
aimed
at getting or keeping power.
Such is the way political systems work
and
so it has been throughout recorded history.
Some win, and rise to the top of the ruling structure,
and
others lose and pay tribute or taxes.
This is the way it is with “the kingdoms of this world,”
to
put it in biblical terminology.
But in the Gospels Jesus often is making a contrast
between
the kingdoms of this world
and
the Kingdom of God,
and the contrast is about as extreme as you can get.
The disciples are portrayed as forever having the notion
that
Jesus is going to bring about a new kingdom, a new political reality,
that
would, of course, eliminate the Roman emperor
and
their beloved nation would be free from foreign rule.
No matter how many times Jesus tells them that these same
political powers,
both
the Romans and their own Jewish rulers,
are
going to be the cause of his persecution and death,
no matter how many times he says this, the disciples just
won’t hear of it.
Instead they are thinking about how, come the revolution,
with
God on their side and Jesus elevated to a throne,
which
of them will get the powerful positions at his right and his left?
And Jesus tells them more than once
if
you are following me, one on either side of me,
you
will be down on your knees washing feet with me,
you
will be serving others,
you
will be going the extra mile,
giving
whenever you are asked without thought of return,
forgiving
70 times 7,
turning
the other cheek,
and
loving your enemies.
Jesus didn’t say blessed are the powerful, the strong, those
politically adept.
Rather
he said blessed are the peacemakers,
the
pure in heart,
those
who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
and
those who suffer at the hands of those in power
for the sake of following the One who preaches the Kingdom
of God at hand.
The Kingdom of God has a far
different economic, political and military strategy
than
the kingdoms of this world.
So with this as the background and context,
here
today we see Jesus doing something
which
is almost out of character for him.
He makes preparation for what we would later call
his
triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
He sets the scene up very intentionally and provocatively.
The
colt not ridden previously signifies a royal mount.
The route he takes coming from the Mount of Olives
will
lead up to the Temple through the Lion Gate.
It all fits the Messianic picture of a coming king,
and
the people with him are more than willing to fill out that picture.
And
so are we – with our liturgy of a procession with palms.
thinking
we are doing something
which
is an authentic mark of the kingship of Jesus.
The disciples do the equivalent of rolling out the red
carpet:
they
carpet the road with their own robes.
They start chanting their slogans: Jesus does powerful deeds,
Jesus’
got the power!
And
their political anthem is Psalm 118,
a
Psalm of David, the great king of the past,
now
for the Davidic heir, lo, these many generations later,
who
comes riding on – a borrowed donkey.
Well, this all makes a mockery of both the leaders of the
Hebrew nation
and
Pontius Pilate governing in the name of the emperor.
It is all so very provocative that the powers that be will
have to act
and
act forcefully and decisively.
And, can you see it, this is just what Jesus intends.
This
is all part of his purpose,
essential
for the main point of his mission.
And this is where we are going this week,
as
we do every year,
for
two thousand years now,
focusing
our attention in scripture, worship and vigil
around
the center of our faith.
This is the most important time of the year in our
observance of faith,
if
that isn’t already obvious.
So don’t miss it!
My brothers and sisters, be present this week like at no
other time.
Every liturgy this week is designed to unfold the whole
story of our salvation.
Like today with our palm branches.
We
are participating in a betrayal, when we do this liturgy;
we
are participating in a political mistake,
Every liturgy this week is designed to unfold the whole
story of our salvation.
Every detail of what we do and say,
every
piece of music, every liturgical action
all
is a part of this story, of our story,
of
the story of Jesus and his death and resurrection.
Today the Palm Sunday story is the climax point
in the narrative structure of the Gospels,
the
turning point that moves the flow of events
from
Jesus’ mission of teaching, parables, healings and feedings
to
the sacrifice of his life for the sake of all living beings,
the
opening of the way of liberation, which is salvation,
for
the full expression of his purpose
that
everything, previous to this, was leading up to.
The turning point had been reached.
The people in the march into Jerusalem
were
saying the words that would get Jesus and them all in trouble,
and those in the crowd who understood the consequences
were concerned.
“Teacher,”
they said, “order your disciples to stop.”
But Jesus answered,
“I
tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
The
stones themselves would shout.
They
would shout, “Hosanna! God, save
us!”
God, save us.
That’s what the Hebrew word hosanna
means. God, save us.
There was no stopping this rush of all time, of all the ages,
of
all hopes, of all prayers, of all meaning
into
the vortex of this event now unfolding.
Even the stones would bear witness.
And they did, they have.
Those
in this congregation who have just completed a pilgrimage
to
the very places we are talking about today
can
tell you about the stones.
Stones that make up the last bit of the retaining wall
from
where the Temple of Jesus’ day had stood.
Stones, in places the very stones,
that
had been the streets that the feet of Jesus had touched.
The stones on the Mount of Olives in the Garden of
Gethsemane
where
Jesus had knelt in prayer.
The paving stones in the location identified as the
Praetorium
where
the soldiers had mocked Jesus and abused and whipped him.
The stones in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
where
one could bend down on the knees to reach through the floor
and
touch the stone of Golgotha,
and
the stones where the tomb had been.
Stones still silently shouting their history and their
role in this great story.
Hosanna. Save us. Let the strong man save us.
The kingdoms of this world read these words one way
anxious
and desperate for a strong man to take care of things.
The kingdoms of this world, and their set of values,
the power basis upon which all political structures
operate
can
hardly understand this story of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
You mind is probably much more on the present politics
intensified
at this time.
So I would urge you instead
to
put your mind on the words of the Epistle reading for today.
Let this be our palm procession anthem, this ancient hymn of
the early church,
that
the Apostle Paul includes in his letter to the Church in Philippi:
“Let
the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,…”
his
mind, his values, his humility, his obedience,
his
body given for you, his
death for your life.
Let this mind be in you.
