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April 1, 2007 Luke 19:28-40 Rev. Steve Gehlert Jerusalem rocks and rolls when Jesus makes his Palm Sunday entrance, a shaking that is still being felt today. My hands are shaky and my knees are weak I can't seem to stand on my own two feet Who do you thank when you have such luck? I'm in love I'm all shook up! Hard to believe, but it's been 50 years since Elvis, the King's, All Shook Up was at the top of the charts. Today's gospel contains Jesus, the King's, Palm Sunday procession, one that leaves the city of Jerusalem "all shook up." And why not? He's has just finished telling his followers the parable of the greedy and vengeful king, a shocking story which ends with the monarch giving the command, "as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them - bring them here and slaughter them in my presence." Kill 'em all, and let God sort 'em out. That's how most ancient kings operated, and Jesus' followers are wondering if this is what he'll do to Israel's enemies. Jesus knows what is in their hearts, and tells the story "because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately." What is Jesus going to bring. Salvation or slaughter? Reconciliation or revenge? Peace or a sword? The disciples are feeling the anxiety captured so well by Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll: A well I bless my soul What's wrong with me? I'm itching like a man on a fuzzy tree. Can you picture that - disciples "itching like a man on a fuzzy tree?" They're nervous, anxious to know what Jesus will do when he gets to Jerusalem. Many hope he'll drive out the Romans, and rescue the Jews from oppression. Others long for him to become God's own king - the Messiah! Either way, some heads are going to roll. But as he approaches Jerusalem, it seems he has another agenda. Jesus dispatches two disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here." He picks a colt, because he wants to fulfill the words of the prophet Zechariah, "Lo, your king comes to you … on a colt, the foal of a donkey." He wants to show humility, not arrogance - he enters the city as Zechariah said he would, "humble and riding on a donkey." The donkey also sends the message that he's the bringer of peace not violence. If he'd wanted to take down the Romans, he would've entered on a war horse. Looks like this king is more interested in reconciliation than revenge. Jesus also sends the message that his entrance isn't human - it's divine. When the disciples go into the village in search of the colt they find everything is supernaturally scripted and perfectly prepared. When the owners of the donkey ask, "Why are you untying the colt?," they reply, "The Lord needs it," and this simple answer seals the deal. When Jesus rides along, people spontaneously spread their cloaks on the road, showing their praise. "I'm in love"; they seem to be saying, "I'm all shook up!" Somehow, the crowd grasps the divine dimension of the moment, and begins to praise God for the deeds of power they've seen. What begins as an ordinary parade for a king ends as an extraordinary procession for the Messiah. "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" they shout. "Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" You can almost hear the angels that welcomed baby Jesus in Bethlehem - "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those he favors!" Clearly, this Messiah is more focused on salvation than on slaughter. Of course, not all is peaceful in the city of Jerusalem. For their own reasons, the Pharisees are also all shook up. "Teacher, order your disciples to stop," some of them scold. But Jesus, knowing that his kingship is beyond human control, answers, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out." Jesus knows his kingship is divine, and that God will assemble a cheering crowd to welcome his king - even if he has to use the stones of the city streets. So Jesus enters Jerusalem and gives it a shake. The shock waves continue as he cleanses the temple, denounces the scribes, and weeps over the city and predicts it's destruction. The chaos increases as Jesus is betrayed, arrested, sentenced to death and killed on a cross. We all know what's coming. The shakiness and weakness we feel today only intensifies as we move through the events of Holy Week. So what's the meaning of Palm Sunday? What's it mean for us to be followers of Jesus the Messiah? Elvis had it right. "I'm in love. I'm all shook up." Something's happened to our heart that's shaken it lose from other loves, has torn it away for Jesus. Something's happen to our heart that has set it free from other gods we've loved and worship, so we could give it totally, joyfully, eagerly, to Jesus. It's something we want to do, have to do. When we follow our divine king Jesus we do it out of love - not obligation. It's entirely voluntary, like any commitment of the heart. We follow Jesus because we're called to his mission and his message, drawn to his work of salvation, reconciliation, and peace. Jesus is not the greedy and vengeful king of the parable; but the generous, forgiving Messiah who gives his life for us. Following Jesus as the Messiah means that we're, literally, going to be "all shook up." Not just our hearts, but everything that flows from our hearts - our values and priorties, our trusts and hopes. That means that we're going to find ourselves out of sync with a world around us. So we won't fit in with a world that lives by the sword, dies by the sword, and is all-too-comfortable with forces such as aggression and revenge. That world's been all shook up by Jesus, who said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." I hope you've been shaken up, too, so that you can't fit in with the conflict-driven world we live in. Nor will we fit in with a world that's ever more absorbed in narcissism, everyone focused on himself, herself, what makes "me" feel good, what makes it easy for me, what gets me what I want." That world's been all shook up by Jesus, who said, "Those who want to follow me must be last of all and servant of all." I hope you've been shaken up, too, so that you can't fit in with a world that says "get all you can, while you can." Nor will we fit in with a world that's focused on climbing to the top by putting others down, on being in by keeping others out. That world's been all shook up by Jesus, who said, "Let the children come to me," and "come to me, all you who are weary and seeking rest." I hope you've been shaken up, too, so that you can't fit in with any group that would hold some out so that others can be in. Nor will we fit in with a world that says, "words and actions don't really matter; they're just a means to an end. Say what you have to say, deceive, twist the truth, lie, do what you have to do, to get by." That world's been shaken up by Jesus, who said, "Let your 'yes' really mean 'yes' and your 'no,' 'no.' I hope you've been shaken up, too, so that you can't fit in with a world that's full of deceit, so that you can't lie or cheat with your friends or at school now, and won't ever be able to do it later, at work to make a sale or to get a sick day, or with your government, to lower your taxes. William Sloane Coffin makes the point that Jesus entered Jerusalem as a prophet, who was willing to bear the cost of "shaking things up." He saw that the real troublemakers were not the ignorant and cruel, but the intelligent and corrupt. In contrast to so many of today's preachers, warns Coffin, Jesus knew that "Love your enemies" didn't mean "Don't make any!" The only way we can find the courage to do that, is if we're really "in love," in love with Jesus and what he means for our life." Then being "all shook up," is a joy, even if it brings the pain of being put down, excluded, left out, because you don't fit in with a world that doesn't know or follow him. But there is a huge benefit to following Jesus, especially if we don't mind being "all shook up" - when we walk behind Jesus, we become more clear about where we should stand as Christians. William Willimon, a Methodist, tells of attending his denomination's General Conference, where his church debated a number of controversial issues, including the question of whether Methodists ought to own handguns. During one of the breaks during the debate, he was discussed the issue with with a fellow delegate. The man said, "Well, I voted in support of the ban against handguns." "How did you decide to vote that way?" Willimon asked. "Jesus," the delegate replied. "Jesus?" Willimon asked. "Well, sometimes I really wish," the delegate continued, "when those soldiers came to arrest Jesus that night, he'd pulled out a gun and defended himself, or at least he would have let his disciples defend him with their swords, but you know, he didn't." That's how it is, concludes William Willimon. As Christians, we're just "stuck" with Jesus. "To be a Christian is to love Jesus, listen to him, serve him, judge ourselves by him, letting our lives be all shook up, again and again, as we're remade in his image and seek the grace to see him more clearly, follow him more nearly, and love him more dearly, day by day." That's how it is for all who've been baptized, whether decades ago, or just today. We're stuck with Jesus. Stuck with Jesus who keeps us all shook up; who won't let us settle in and get comfortable with the world. In some ways it'd be a lot easier for us if he would have lived and taught differently than he did, but he didn't. He didn't and we believe that what he did - say and do - has authority for us, because he is our Lord and Savior and we believe his way is the way to true, eternal life. True, eternal life is not convenient, easy, selfish life, but it is true and eternal. Today, all of us have a chance to affirm our baptism and say again that that's the life we want, the life we're willing to struggle, and suffer, and, yes, die if need be, to live. It's a life worth living. Even when it makes us feel "all shook up." |
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