I'm a few days behind, but here is the sermon I preached this past Sunday, March 28, 2010
Based on Scripture Texts: Psalm 118:19-29 Luke 19:28-40
The Coming of The King
Can you feel the excitement in the air? The stones are ready to shout out praises. Jesus is gathering people around him. The disciples are laying out their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus. They are proclaiming him to be the coming king.They are ready to help Jesus bring about a new order here on earth. But I am getting ahead of myself.
Most people don’t usually like kings, do they? History is full of stories where people rebel against kingly authority. Also, typically kings don’t like other kings in those stories. However, what if a person was the king but didn’t want to be?
One of my favorite book series is that of The Lord of the Rings. In this trilogy, the author, J. R. R. Tolkien, writes about a reluctant king, Aragorn. The movies do a wonderful job of portraying Aragorn’s struggle with accepting his position, but they lost some of the sense of destiny and fate Tolkien described in the books.
Take a moment with me to think about this character of Aragorn. He goes on a journey, knowing he was called to end up in a certain place at the right time. Slowly but surely Aragorn steps up more and more in fulfilling his place in the story. He gathers allies with him to help defeat the common enemy, Sauron. Large armies amass and there is a huge war. The field is not a pretty sight to behold. Yet, with friends and comrades, Aragorn leads the group to victory in battle. Once Sauron is finally defeated, Aragorn takes his place and is crowned the king. The land is ruled with the fair and merciful hand of the once doubtful king.
So, you may be asking yourselves, what does this have to do with Jesus? No, I am not trying to draw a parallel between Jesus and the fictional king of Aragorn. But I want us to look at the followers in each of the stories. In The Lord of the Rings, everyone is on the same page. The allies are gathering together to fight and eventually defeat Sauron. However, in our Gospel lesson today, are we sure the disciples and the people in the crowd are on the same page with Jesus?
Jesus sends two disciples ahead to procure a ride for Jesus to sit on as he entered Jerusalem. From there, the disciples put their cloaks on the donkey’s back and then started laying other cloaks out in front of the donkey as they processed into the city. This is how a king enters, right? Well, Jesus comes riding in, but it’s on a little unbroken colt, not a well-trained steed. Jesus has many people following him, but they are untrained disciples, not a fully equipped army.
Jesus spent the last few years in ministry talking about how the kingdom of God is at hand. He demonstrated the power of God through the various miracles he has performed. He proclaimed freedom for the people and to trust in the love and grace of God. The crowds came together to show their support of this new king and were waiting for a physical call to arms that would never come.
The people believed God’s kingdom was to be established on earth, by earthly rules and concepts. They thought the coming messiah would set up his kingdom on the earth, freeing the Jewish people from the rule of the Roman emperor and the Roman gods. But Jesus was not actually talking about this type of kingdom.
Yes, Jesus came to free the people. However, this freedom is from sin and separation from God. As Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, he came, not in state, but as one with a different kind of authority. Again, Jesus came in on a colt that had never been ridden before and the disciples place him on its back without any mention of the colt bucking around. Now, having seen a few horses in their training stages, I know that it takes a lot of time for an animal to allow a person on their back without trying to get them off of their back. The animals have to be trained and disciplined in carrying a person and other loads. Yet, Jesus displays a calm authority that the colt accepts as the disciples not only lay their cloaks on the colt’s back, but also sit Jesus there as well.
As for the crowd of people surrounding Jesus’ entry, they are not only untrained for war, but there were also women and children in the mass of people. Jesus’ message was not one of war, but one of peace. He encouraged people to build upon the relationships they have with one another in the community as they seek to follow the will and call of God.
Like many people in powerful positions, the Pharisees were not happy with Jesus. They saw him as a threat rather than the promised messiah. Though the Pharisees were not happy that the Romans were in control, they also did not like this message Jesus was touting. It did not keep them in their place of honor above the rest of the group. The Pharisees saw Jesus as a troublemaker, upsetting the status quo. Jesus did not adhere to the full Law of Moses, that the Pharisees kept and interpreted in ways to control and tell the people what they could and could not do according to the law.
When the Pharisees demanded that Jesus control the noisy crowd, Jesus said that without the people, the stones would cry out in their place. Jesus did not stop the crowds because they had every right to give God praise and thanks for Jesus and his coming. This entrance into the city of Jerusalem starts to mark the beginning of new understanding. Jesus does not accept or attempt an earthly throne because God’s reign is in the heart of people. Even the close disciples of Jesus did not understand this type of rule at first. We today are still learning what it means to be followers of Jesus and the live in the reign and kingdom of God.
As followers of a new kind of king, we have Jesus’ teachings that ask us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Along with loving God with everything we are, we are asked to love our neighbors, anyone and everyone. Yet, what are some of the ways we fail to love God and neighbor? Is it through things we have done? Is it through things we haven’t done? Love is not just about a happy feeling, but about thinking about the needs of others over our own. Love is actually something that takes work. It takes action. Jesus calls us to put the will of God first in our lives and then to seek out the good in the people we meet.
While we are out seeking to follow God more closely, let us remember we are not alone on the journey. We do not come together once a week, or even more, as individuals continuing to go about our separate lives. But, as the body of Christ we are all members of the one body and we are all following God to the best of our abilities. We come together to care for and support one another as we continue journeying through life. Though each person’s journey looks a little different and may take a person in various ways, we are all here to listen to and learn from each other, while we grow in relationship with this divine mystery we call God, our creator, our redeemer and our sustainer.
This is a week full of new beginnings. It is the last week of the Lenten season and full of cruelty and harsh actions. Yet, as we think about the events of this coming week, let also think about what we are doing to show the love of God to the people we see and meet. We have much to praise God for in the coming of Jesus and the new reign of love and grace. As the Psalmist writes, “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!” Amen.
Benediction:
We entered into God’s courts shouting praises. Let us go forth, with the same praises, sharing them with the people we meet. Go forth in the grace and peace of God in Christ Jesus with the Holy Spirit.
Ok, just needed to get that out, at least mentally (though verbally would have been better)
Time is ticking away on me and finishing my thesis. In reality, for me to finish it by my self-imposed deadline of Thursday, I'd need to stay up all night solely doing that. However, my mind can't (and doesn't) work like that. It needs sleep, it needs time to let things percolate, it needs space.
I have about a third of it completed (well, ready to send to my mom for grammar edits). I need to move beyond the first section though and get into the second and third ones. I can do this. I need to stop being so picky about the first section, tie it up for now and send it to mom so I can move on to the next section. Really, this shouldn't be this difficult to understand, right?
Ok, as I mentioned, I need sleep. I think that will be the next best step. In the morning I will use my (hopefully) rested mind to continue working, just on a new part.
Wow, I do feel better now. That mental scream of frustration actually helped to release some of the built up tension in my head and body. Nice. Thank you, God!
If I could design the perfect place to be right now?
There would be a beautiful blue sky. The sun would be shining. There would be green grass growing on a hill with a large shade tree (maybe an oak?) with an amazing valley vista spread out in front of it. Beneath the tree there would be a large table resting with a comfy chair (but not too soft). A little ways behind the tree would be a small wooden beam with an electrical outlet. I would have my books spread out on the table and be able to stay there, with time standing still in the outside world, and work on and finish this looming thesis. I truly love what I'm writing about, but am having a difficult time getting my thoughts to the "paper".
Maybe I should write out my chapters and then type them up? That has been beneficial in the past. I think I will work on chapter 3 that way. I need to find a couple more references for chapters one and two and then they shall be given the title of "done"...but they are not finished yet. I have a week.
I used to think that I loved animals. I'm finding out that is more of a like, with clauses.
Of late I've felt so scattered and flustered. I'm trying to focus, but that seems to keep taking longer and longer. I even wrote a prayer to try to center me. I keep praying it as I start and as I need it.
God of play, creativity and chaos,
You have brought me to this place, leading to this moment.
But my mind is wandering.
It is bouncing off the walls of my many thoughts.
Focus my mind upon the task at hand, while drawing from the vast wells of imagination.
I need your help and guidance to keep true to the path laid out before me.
You call me down this road. I want to follow.
Empower me with your guidance and wisdom.
Strengthen me to remain strong in fulfilling this goal, this task, this calling.
I can feel your calming presence here in this place.
Continue to reveal your steadfast hope in me with your continued assurance
through the name of Jesus Christ, your son, the Savior.
