Palm Sunday 2008
When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
That’s the Donkey’s take on the Gospel of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, at least according to the poet G.K.Chesterton. A moment of glory which lifted an otherwise blighted existence. But what are we to make of this story of mass adulation which so quickly turns to hatred, rejection and contempt? What’s our take?
As so often is the case, it’s the context of the story which gives us the clue. It’s important to realise that the Gospels are theological proclamations, and not narrative history. Luke arranges his material to reinforce his message, but we miss the significance of this because in worship we read only a fragment, and not the whole. So let’s reflect on the context in which he gives us his story, and see if we can find some clue as to what he’s trying to tell us.
The larger context is that Jesus who has conducted a dramatic public ministry, largely in the north in Galilee has set his face towards the nation’s capital, and journeys inexorably to Jerusalem for what will be his triumph and his end. Chapter 18 provides the closer context, with three stories. First as he was going up to Jerusalem, for the third time Jesus predicts his coming passion. 18‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’
Finally Matthew tells us the story of the blind man at the roadside who cry out to Jesus, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ To which Jesus asks,31To which Jesus asksTo ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ 33They said to him, ‘‘Lord, let me see again.’ 34Moved with compassion, Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.’
Then, have the story of Zacchaeus, an the parable of the ten pounds. And only then we have the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The adulation of the crowds who had thronged to the city to celebrate the Passover. The cries of triumph. ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ Which so quickly turn to hate and rejection. ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’
Our context tells us that this is a story of suffering and death. A living out of the message that true greatness is service and absolute self-sacrifice. A story of blindness and sight, of faith and forgiveness.
As Jesus arrives in Jerusalem he tells his disciples to bring him a foal, the colt of a donkey so that he can ride into the city. And as he enters the city the crowds begin shouting, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” They wave their palm branches and spread out their coats on the streets.
The waving of palms and laying down of coats by the people was no accident or coincidence. Palms were the conquering Romans signs of victory and of military achievement. The Jewish people adopted this symbol of the triumph of might- hence first Maccabees tells us that the people waved palm branches to celebrate the newly established independence of Jerusalem and Judea.
The crowds believed Jesus was the “King,” in David’s line; the great military giant of Israel’s history. The one who had established the nation. They believed he was the Messiah who had come to win Israel’s independence from Rome.As their leader to liberate them in a very real tangible practical way. They wanted a Messiah who would be their political hero. In fact, the whole scene replicates a King or General’s triumphant entry into a city. It all seemed so perfect and hopeful.
And even today we want this kind of Jesus, this type of Messiah. We want a Jesus who will bless our politics, bless our armies, weapons and military conquests. Who will be “on our side” against all our enemies. For us and not for them, whoever they might be.
The only problem is: Jesus isn’t that kind of Messiah. He takes the military symbolism and turns it on its head. He doesn’t come riding a great white horse at the head of his all conquering army. He doesn’t clench his fist and punch the air and shout in triumph. He doesn’t galvanise the crowd to march on the praetorium and battle the oppressors.
No he sits on a donkey, and enters Jerusalem, as he entered Bethlehem in his mother’s womb on a donkey. A lowly donkey, the symbol of humility. Humble he came into the world, and humble he prepares to leave it. And in silence he rides through the crowd, not to the seat of temporal power, but to the Temple, to God’s house, where he takes possession, throwing out the money changers and temple merchants. And in silence he leaves and goes to Bethany.
And if you listen, ever so carefully, already you can hear the crowd beginning to mutter, Damn him. Impostor. Fool. Fraud. Damn him. Who does he think he is? Kill him, kill him, crucify, crucify. The blind crowd; who can’t see. Who call out to him, ‘Save us Save us now’ which is of course what Hosanna means. But who are in denial about what they need to be saved from. Unlike the blind beggars who wanted to see – and saw clearly the path of discipleship.
So, what are we to do with this kind of Messiah? Who comes in peace and humility and rides in on a donkey. Even now we don’t want to conquer evil with peace, humility, and non-violence. We’d rather resort to violence and power. That’s why, just a week later, after it has fully dawned on these would-be followers that Jesus’ true goal is not in any way aligned to theirs, that their muttered protests emerge in a scream of hatred - “Crucify him!”
And it’s not just them. It’s us too. We all do it in our own way. Every time we fail in love and charity. Every time we succumb to judgmentalism, or self- centeredness or exclusion. Every time we put self-interest above the common good. We who should cry Hosanna in truth scream Crucify.
What was so hard for Jesus’ disciples to understand initially was that Jesus’ victory, while not temporal, militaristic or immediate, had a much deeper meaning behind it. Jesus did not come merely to free us from our temporal enemies. He came to liberate us from everything which undermines and inhibits authentic existence, from all which separates and alienates; from the source and root of human brokenness: from sin, evil, and even from death itself! This is the triumph behind the triumphal entry which the crowds were blind to see! This is the true victory won by Jesus!
Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected, and returned to heaven; and we are the ones who must live this liberation out…by doing all that we can to liberate all victims of oppression and violence; by both enacting and proclaiming justice and righteousness to the least of these in God’s world: to the victims of poverty, disease, and war; to the refugees and the marginalised; to the creation itself under strain from human exploitation. It’s we who must live out God’s peaceable Kingdom here on earth.
Today our palm branches mean something quite different from what they once did. They are now signs of martyrdom and of victory over death, proclaiming liberation through peace and non-violent resistance. Wave them high and hold on to them! Remember their call to you. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Who is the Prince of Peace and who rides a donkey.
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