There are so many interpretations and sermons on the entry
of Jesus into Jerusalem beginning the week of his death and resurrection. For
the inquirer and seeker, for the curious, this event that inaugurates what we
call the Holy Week deserves detailed
presentation.
These celebrants present in his entry are the people who
have heard of these miraculous deeds, who have heard his proclamation of
compassion for the weak in spirit and peacemakers, those who seek succor from their oppression by the forces of the world, and those who have heard of his
confrontation with the reactionaries in the religious establishment who desire
nothing more than the status quo.
Even those reactionaries are present at this entry, as the
latter words of the passage show. These people, some even through gnashed
teeth, understand the Deliverer is at hand. The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Reconciliation is at hand. In no uncertain terms, grace is at hand.
But what message lies in these words of Luke for those who
profess to be “Easter People” - those persons who claim they are imbued with
the Holy Spirit and are dedicated followers? At the time these were his
disciples and close adherents such as the women, those he healed, and Lazarus.
What does this entry mean to them? In fact may I inquire,
extrapolating what I suspect is Luke’s subliminal question, “What does this
entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the heart of formal worship of the Lord, mean
for Christians of the present, today?”
The weakness we all face is intimidation. We are averse to
risk, to speaking out. In fact, many of us are quite off put by those who speak out. Some of us may even be averse to risking our money as we discussed in the last post. Many of us want a more sedate
existence in which we gloat with some comfort in our assured justification of receiving grace. We
believe. Thank the Lord, we believe. That doesn't make us "bad" people. We all face that intimidation to some degree. But those who lose sight of the danger of that intimidation tarnish their stature.
What kind of noise do we make? My Christian social advocate friends must think the same
as they shout aloud about injustice and governmental insults. Where is Jesus in those shouts?
Jesus entered Jerusalem, perhaps as Pilate entered
from the opposite side, one on a foal completely disdainful of the power of the world, the other on a stallion, the epitome of power of the world. One entered
accompanied by the trappings of earthly power, the other by the trappings of
weakness, humility and ultimate sacrifice amidst the shouting of the powerless.
It was quite a show, weakness against power, even a disruption. Luke says even the
Pharisees pleaded for Jesus to quite the crowd lest they aggravate Pilate and
spoil the party for everyone.
Yet the powerless were not to be denied, even if some of
them envisioned a worldly paradise. They
were in the corner of Jesus and not to be quieted.
Today in our staid worship services where we expect some
modicum of decorum and respect for order, how many of us would be asking the
pastor to quiet those who stood up and professed their faith as Paul suggested in
Romans 10.
Was Paul there on the sidelines at the back of the crowd of Pharisees as Jesus entered. We will never know.
In verse 5 of Romans 10, Paul says, “Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from
the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” Yet we miss the point Moses made if our living does not reflect what is written in
your heart. We ought to read on in Romans 10 to appreciate Luke's message to us about the celebration of entering Jerusalem.
But what we should know, what message we ought to gain
from Luke’s presentation is that our voices, as Paul said in Romans 10:9-11, if
your profession of faith is written in your heart the Pharisee’s plea to quiet
his followers is futile as the shouts, the physical reality of living a
Christian life proclaim the clear message of faith with a volume that will
overpower even the shouts of the stones.
If all we hear is the shouts of stones, then the glory of
the Lord is clearly proclaimed, but our shortcoming is visible to all. Do we
proclaim grace, or just sit back in our comfortable chairs in homes within nice
neighborhoods where our children attend the few exceptional schools, where we look away from the impoverished on the street, thanking
God we are not like everyone else? Our voice does not come from our throat, it comes from our hands and feet guided by our heart.
In a thoroughly secular culture, are we the stones
that shout the magnificence of the Lord's hesed:
loving kindness and mercy for which we have unmerited justification to
enjoy?
How loudly are your acts of Christian compassion shouting? Are they deafening the voices of the world that prefers we just sit back and privately enjoy our grace?
Garce and peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment