The triumphant ride into Jerusalem! The grand Procession. The joy, as we reenact often what for many us
is a fond memory from our own childhood. John Wesley Notes that “‘Hoseanna’
(Lord save us) was a solemn word in frequent use among the Jews. The Meaning is ‘We sing hosanna to the Son of
David. Blessed is he, the Messiah, of the Lord. Save. Thou that art in the
highest heavens.’ Our Lord restrained all public tokens of honour from the
people till now, lest the envy of his enemies should interrupt his preaching
before the time.”[1]
Today we celebrate Jesus’ Triumphant entrance into
Jerusalem. Today is also known as
Passion Sunday, which we will honor during the week as we recall the events
that led to the torture and execution of Jesus. So
today let us focus on today!
Marcus Borg with John Dominc Crossan in the book “The Last
Week” gives us a beautiful picture of what was happening;
Two Processions
entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30…. One was a peasant
procession, the other an imperial procession, From the east, Jesus rode a
donkey down the Mount of Olives, cheered by his followers. …
On the opposite side
of the city, from the west, Pontius Pilate, the roman Governor of Idumea,
Judea, and Samaria, entered Jerusalem at the head of a column of imperial
cavalry and soldiers. Jesus’s procession
proclaimed the Kingdom of God; Pilate’s proclaimed the power of empire.[2]
Most people do not realize that Pontius Pilate rode into Rome. He was sent down during the Holidays to make
sure there was no trouble. Yet during
this time there had been trouble and Pontius was anticipating it.
Imagine the imperial
procession’s arrival in the city. A Visual panopoly 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 the bridles, the beating of
drums. The swirling of dust. The eyes of the silent onlookers, some curios,
some awed, some resentful.[3]
This is an intentional display of imperial power much like the army
marching in Tiananmen square or rocket launches around north Korea. This is to instill fear and remind people who
is in charge. It is also a warning to
anyone who may think about offering any kind of resistance that there is a
whole army waiting to react.
This display also was to be not just a display of military might but
that of Religious authority as well.
According to this theology, the emperor was not simply the
ruler of Rome, but the Son of God. It
began with the greatest of emperors, Augustus, who rules Rome form 31 BCE to 14
CE. His father was the god Apollo, who
conceived him in his mother, Atia. Inscriptions refer to him as “son of God,”
“lord” and “savior,” one who had brought “peace on earth.” After his death, he was seen ascending into
heaven to take his permanent place among the gods. His successors continued to bear divine
titles, including Tiberius, emperor from 14 to 37 CE and thus the emperor
during the time of Jesus’s public activity.
For Rome’s Jewish subjects, Pilate’s procession embodied not only a
rival social order, but also a rival theology.[4]
Jesus’s procession, if we look at it
as it is written in Mark seems like a very deliberate, planned, political
action. He tells his disciples where to
find the colt and just mention that the master needs it and it is understood
who and what it is for. Okay, that is an
assumption, but no one questions the disciples after they say that the colt it
is for the master.
People of that time had to be very
conscience of the symbolism, the direct contrast Jesus was presenting. Jesus is
coming into town riding on a donkey, lowliest of animals. His army are all peasants and common
folk. They are hailing him as the King,
mocking that of Pontius’s entrance.
Jesus’s 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’s procession embodied an alternative
vision, the Kingdom of God.[5]
As we have visualized this event
could you see yourself in the story.
Would you have been one of the people joyously, celebrating, welcoming
the new king into your city. Believing
this man was going to change everything right away. This man, the one who is always causing
trouble, breaking tradition, is in opposition not just to Rome but the
religious authorities. Would you welcome
him Knowing that at any moment trouble could break out and you might be caught
up it in it?
If you are saying to yourself yes I
would be there. I would welcome Jesus to
the city. I would be ready to stand
beside him and walk with him no matter where it leads. I would then say to you, know this…you are
part of a great and brave group of people who are ready for a big and dramatic
change. Until it starts to happen. For as soon as trouble started they all
turned against him. They asked for a
murderer to be released over him.
Can you picture yourself maybe as
the colt. An innocent creature living in
servitude, who is suddenly thrown into this spotlight. You are given the great honor to carry the
Lord and Master into this city. You
alone have been chosen to be blessed and to touch the living Christ. The excitement of the crowd is energizing and
terrifying at the same time and yet. And
yet, when it is all over you go back to what you were doing before no better
and no worse for it. Your life just goes
on as it always did.
Maybe, just maybe you are one of the
Roman guards on the far side of the city.
Part of the big corporation. A
Good soldier. Following orders and doing
what you are supposed to do. Maybe you
have heard something about this man about town.
There are rumors and stories.
Oddly enough you are called to stand Guard at an execution and turns out
to be this Jesus you have heard so much about, “And when the centurion, who
stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man
was the Son of God!"(Mark 15:39)
Knowing all this, all this history,
all this conflict, knowing what might be, knowing what we might have done in
this story, who we might be. Knowing
that all this triumphant celebratory entry into the city will only end on a
hill. Jesus comes. Despite all that
Jesus comes and Because of all this…All of you…all of us, all of humanity…Jesus
comes!
Jesus Comes! Jesus Enters the city and there is an open
invitiation to follow. But how do we do
that? How do we follow Jesus into
Jerusalem? What are we Called to do? How do we prepare to follow Jesus into
Jerusalem?
Here are a few
practical ways to follow Jesus this week: Offer forgiveness freely and from the
heart. Forgive often. It may be that you have been withholding forgiveness from
someone who has deeply offended you. Or perhaps you need to work on forgiving
those little everyday offenses that creep up. More likely you need to work on
forgiving yourself. Become a good forgiver, without keeping count, as Jesus
instructed Peter. If you are a grass is always greener or a keeping up with the
joneses type person…let it go. Stop obsessing so much overstuff. Yes, we love our stuff but it might be that
we spend too much time holding on to what we think is ours. Obsession and
control we need to let go! Be a peacemaker; love and pray for your enemies; go
an extra mile with someone; stop worrying about who is to be first or best or
most powerful.
Amanda Beck writes;
You may say that these practical instructions amount to
being nice to others and being a good person but carry very little spiritual
weight. We would all prefer merely to contemplate the mystery of God’s coming
near and follow Jesus’ journey with a spiritual devotion to the suffering
servant. It is true that many of these instructions don’t seem spiritual in
themselves. We must do them, not because of their own spiritual weight, but
because our hearts are very small. We clutter them daily with concern for
ourselves, misplaced loves, and hurt feelings. We must make room for Jesus in
order to welcome him properly. Somehow this practical work done with spiritual
attention prepares the way of the Lord as nothing else can. It changes us. It
makes room in our hearts that Jesus can fill with the kingdom of heaven. This
is the way to make straight the path of the Lord: self-emptying. There is no
other way to let Jesus’ message sink in, and there is no other way to follow
our Lord than to walk in his footsteps. Jesus’ life was one of self-emptying
and service to God and humanity, and so we make our lives in his likeness. If
there was ever a week to get this right, this is it. If there was ever a point
in the Christian narrative to step out of the way and let the story of divine
love continue, this is it.[6]
So on this day when we gleefully
welcome Jesus into Jerusalem with all the knowing and all the anticipation of
the spiritual practice this week. This
is the time to spend spiritually on ourselves.
This is the week to practice spiritual centeredness and forgiveness and
right living so that we cannot only be
spiritually present to each other but to the community around us.
This week can be used to ramp us up
for the rest of the year so that we here at United Church of Christ Petaluma
may “put our faith into action through our commitment to compassion and
justice. So that As individuals and as a congregation, we address need and
challenges of inequality in our community and around the world as we seek ways
in which we may join others to advance social and environmental justice.”[7]
Does anyone know where those last
few lines came from?? Your own website.
you all are doing a lot individually and collectively as a congregation, but
this week, this week is for yourself.
This week is about reenergizing ourselves as Christians as we live into
our story. Look for yourself in the
story, look for what moves you spiritually this week. Jesus’ walk to good Friday is part of our
richest tradition. It empowers and
inspires so that we may be who we are called to be Christ to the world. Amen.
[2] Marcus J. Borg
and John Dominic Crossan, The Last Week: The Day-by-day Account of Jesus's
final Week in Jerusalem (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006),
[6] David Neil Mosser,
and Wellman, eds., Abingdon Preaching Annual 2011 (Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 2010), 119.
[7]
UCC Petealuma, About, 2017, accessed April 9, 2017,
https://uccpetaluma.org/about/.
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