The reading
Mark 11:1-11
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and
Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to
them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you
will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it.
If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs
it and will send it back here immediately.” ’ They went away and found a colt
tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the
bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They told them
what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the
colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people
spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had
cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were
shouting,
‘Hosanna!
Blessed is the one
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the
coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
Then he entered
Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at
everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve
The Message
This is the first time I am preaching a sermon on Palm Sunday. Over the past 7 years, we have always read
the passion story from one of the four Gospels. The passion story covers the
two or three chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John that report what happened
during Jesus last days before his death.
They include Jesus entry into Jerusalem, the first communion meal, the
betrayal by Judas, the trials before various authorities, the questioning and
humiliation, the conviction as a subversive, the abandonment by his followers,
the march to the place of execution and the dying on a cross. It feels strange to not read the passion
story on Palm Sunday so I invite you all you to do that (not right now). Take some time today and spend 15 or 20
minutes with some of the most violent and emotional moments in the bible. The reading this year is Mark chapters 14-
15.
I decided to do something different this morning for two reasons. First, we will read those stories during our
Holy Thursday and Good Friday services. Second, we have spent the last 3 months
or so reading through Mark’s Gospel and it is important to look at where Palm
Sunday fits into the greater story of God’s love for us.
Palm Sunday is the culmination of Jesus public ministry. His
words and actions were widely spoken about and had inspired countless people. He brought hope to the hopeless and new life
to the forgotten. During his entry into
Jerusalem, Jesus is being declared a king. In many Ancient Near East cultures, kings were
welcomed by covering the road with palm leaves, branches, or clothing. It
served as a symbol of respect and honor. There is another important symbol in
the story that is not obvious at first. In ancient traditions a king would arrive on a
horse as a sign of the intent for war or conflict and on a donkey or colt as a
sign that they came in peace and seeking relationship. With the selection of a colt, Jesus is telling
the crowds, God is here in peace, there would be no violent revolt or overthrow
of the authorities.
Jesus arrival at Jerusalem was a powerful moment of joy and
excitement. The people there on the road were disappointed and oppressed. They knew the religious authorities would not
help them and they knew the government officials would help them. At the
same time, the people who welcome Jesus and proclaim him to be a king knew all
about him. They knew he would help them.
Again, all the stories about Jesus words and actions had spread. People
knew he healed the sick, enabled the paralyzed to walk, restored sight to the
blind, feed thousands with a little bit of food and calmed powerful storms on
the open sea with a few words. There were even rumors that he raised the dead.
People knew the signs of faith and power that Jesus
performed. They also knew about his preaching and teaching with authority, his
words that spoke of God’s love and law in new, powerful, inclusive and exciting
ways. Perhaps the most exciting news
they heard about Jesus was that he helped everyone. Jesus helped the powerful
and the poor, the daughter of a beloved synagogue leader and the blind beggar. Jesus sat with the priests, the hated tax
collector, the sick, the unclean, the disregarded woman and the ignored other. Even the people who interrupt or disturb Jesus
would be helped. Jesus blessed the
children crying and fidgeting in the middle of a sermon, stopped to heal the
sick who cried out to him when he was racing to somewhere else and welcomed the
4 friends who destroyed the roof of a house to get near him. Jesus was not
picking and choosing who to heal based on what they could do for him. He was
celebrating faith wherever it was found.
Jesus was teaching the world that God cares for all people by caring for
all people. People forget all of this
hope, excitement and joy almost immediately after Palm Sunday. Over the next few days, the same group who
knew Jesus would help them, the same people who welcomed him as king, would all
turn on him, walk away or shout for his death in the streets.
Jesus relationship with the religious authorities was never
good, but after Palm Sunday, conflict escalates quickly. The religious
authorities were truly scared by the Jesus of Palm Sunday and wanted to get rid
of him. None of them ever received a
similar welcome or could even stage one like it. They also knew the Roman authorities would find
out about an event of this size and that would bring unwanted attention. (Rome
did not like having other kings around). The
next day, Jesus is in the temple teaching and he tells a parable directly
condemning the religious authorities for failing to share God’s love or live
out God’s law. In response, they go
after him with a series of well-conceived and aggressive questions meant to
expose him as a fraud or traitor. They ask the question of taxes, what is the
greatest commandment, and what about life in the resurrection. Jesus answers
each one with great wisdom and love.
After this, the religious authorities take a different route
and start convincing the Roman Empire to execute Jesus. At the same exact time, Jesus is preparing his
followers to become the church, his presence and voice in the world after he is
executed, risen and ascended. Jesus reminds
his followers of the power in prayer, God’s promise to be with us always, the joy
of following God’s law and the need for us to help one another. These events will fill our worship over the
next week.
For today, we are invited to sit with only this story, of
welcome, acceptance and public faith. A
friend once joked that Palm Sunday is the only day all year when you actually
get something for going to church (at least I assume he was joking). There is something special about today
though. It is one of the few days all
year that we go outside together, that we bring out faith out in public. With
our brief parade, we announce that God is here to the community we are entrusted
to speak God’s grace in. I look forward
to doing that with you more often.
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