"Worthy of Worship"
Sermon Presented March 20, 2005
Matthew 21:1-11
During the Season of Lent we don't sing praise hymns or display fresh flowers in the sanctuary because this is a desert time - a time for introspection and self-examination. But Palm Sunday is a respite from the desert of Lent and the darkness of Good Friday. Nevertheless, I still don't like to preach the Palm Sunday text because it's so familiar that it's difficult to find something fresh and new to share - no matter how hard I try.
I shared this thought at Prayer Meeting last Wednesday and on the way home, I had a new insight. Now you young people won't understand this, but when you get to be my age, a thought can be fleeting and not remembered unless there is an opportunity to write it down. This thought lasted, and I include it in the sermon.
As background to our text, the chapter immediately before tells of happenings that occur on the way to Jerusalem and the crucifixion. In that chapter Matthew relates that Jesus tells the disciples of his upcoming death and resurrection. We also hear James and John's mother's request that her sons receive special treatment in Jesus' kingdom and we see the healing of two blind men who are sitting beside the road. Our text this morning begins with Jesus' final entrance into the city of Jerusalem during the last week of his life. Matthew 21:1-11 (read text)
Parades are exciting - whether they're planned like the annual St. Patrick's Day Parades in Chicago, New York and Kansas City or spontaneous ones like welcoming the Packers home after a Super Bowl win or hopefully the Panthers after a Final Four appearance. We enjoy opportunities to cheer and party. (As an aside, members of the marching band may not experience the same excitement over parades as the rest of us because of all of the preparation that goes into their participation.)
The parade that winds its way into Jerusalem on the week of Jesus' death is spontaneous! People in Jerusalem have no clue that Jesus is coming and most could care less because they don't know him. However, people gather along the route to watch the procession.
But before the parade gets underway, some preparation needs to be made. Matthew says that when Jesus and his disciples reach the Mount of Olives, Jesus sends two disciples into Bethphage less than two miles southeast of Jerusalem to find a donkey and her colt and bring them to him. Here we run into a textual problem. It appears that Matthew is so desirous of making this story fit his interpretation of what the prophet Zechariah wrote that he changes it to make it fit how he understands the prophecy. The other gospel writers relate it differently with only one donkey present.
Zechariah 9:9 reads: "Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." He tells of a single donkey - a young colt. Matthew understands the text to mean two animals and he has Jesus mounting both and riding them simultaneously. The point of the story isn't the mode of transportation but the affirmation that Jesus comes as king in the name of the Lord.
Jesus and his disciples are going to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover. This is a yearly event commemorating the Exodus of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. During Passover hundreds of thousands of people come from the surrounding cities and territories to Jerusalem to worship and remember and celebrate. It's the place to be for all Jews.
Ordinarily Jesus and his followers walk everywhere, but on this occasion, Jesus chooses to ride a donkey into the city. Royalty and military heroes ride horses, but that's not for Jesus. His disciples make a saddle from their cloaks and Jesus mounts the donkey and rides into Jerusalem over cloaks and palm branches to the accolades of the festival pilgrims. These pilgrims enthusiastically greet the entourage, and this causes official consternation.
Jesus, whose roots are among the poor and humble, presents himself as king, and yet he comes without weapons and rides a symbol of peace. This man who taught his disciples not to resist evildoers is prepared to live and die by his own teachings. His actions here become a powerful prophetic statement.
Why do the onlookers cheer? What do people see when the procession advances into the city? (This is my new insight.)
They see one who is worthy to be praised, but most don't know why. They don't know him! They don't recognize him as the Messiah. Even his disciples don't understand what he told them about his death and resurrection. Zechariah's prophecy isn't on anyone's mind. (Matthew connected the prophecy and the event later when he wrote his gospel decades after Jesus' death.) But those along the parade route know only that Jesus is worthy of praise. They recognize that God is in him, directing him. They believe he is worthy of worship. It must be God who gives him the ability to heal and teach with such authority. They attribute what Jesus does and says to the presence of God within.
Now my thoughts turn to us! What do people see when they come in contact with us? What do they see as we move along the parade route of life? Do they see God/Christ in us? Is God manifested in us individually through our words and actions and collectively through the mission of our church? Do our words and actions bring healing or hurt, encouragement or desolation, life and hope or death and hopelessness? While we live - or at our funerals - will the word be "This is a person who walks or walked with God"? Will young people look at us and see love and acceptance and a non-judgmental attitude or will they see someone who fails to reflect God's presence and love? And what about our peers? Will people believe that we come in the name of the Lord?
The shout from the onlookers is: "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" It's God they recognize! Even though Jesus is an enigma to them, they see compassion, healing, wisdom, prophecy and humility as he rides into town on that donkey. They see God!
What Jesus rode that day isn't significant. What is significant is that he rode into Jerusalem a few days before his death and as he rode, people saw God in him and they praised God.
In that culture, prophets were often killed because the words they spoke were both powerful and unpopular. Words of a prophet are meant to confront and evoke change. They can also evoke anger! Jesus as prophet is no different. His words and actions confront everyone - including the religious establishment. The crowds see him as God's representative speaking with a prophetic voice. But what he stands for is a threat to the authorities and evokes anger in them.
Today, prophets aren't popular either. People who dare to speak what they believe to be a reflection of the mind of God are often criticized and "killed" politically, socially and religiously. Because we don't want to hear anything that challenges our convictions, we often ignore the prophets - or crucify them. We don't like to open ourselves to new ideas because new understandings are uncomfortable and require attention. Most of us play it safe and refuse to prophesy - or refuse to embrace the prophetic word.
As Jesus rides into town, those on the parade route and Jesus' followers have differing opinions as to who he is. Even thought many see him as a prophet and a man who comes in the name of the Lord, they desert him by week's end. The prospect of danger overwhelms them. Jesus is worthy of their praise one moment and abandoned the next. They have the right words but they miss the meaning and they aren't around on Friday.
Following the prayer, we will sing a new hymn Worthy of Worship and most of us will mean what we sing. But will we follow the one we worship when it means taking an unpopular stand? Will people see God in us and worship God or will they see someone who turns their back on God and abandons Jesus at the cross? If God is worthy of our worship, will we allow God to change our lives? These are haunting questions to contemplate during this Holy Week.
