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© Rev. Lance Carrithers, all rights reserved.  Permission required to copy any portion of this message by any means. Email for permission: lance@firstchurchdc.com

Lenten Series: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

"To Jerusalem"

Matthew 21:1-17

Throughout these 40 days of lent, and the Sundays contained therein, we’ve decided to follow Jesus.  He’s taken us on quite a journey.  Into the wilderness to face off with the devil.   To the lakeshore where we were asked to feed the multitudes.  To the land of the Gadrenes Gentiles, along with their pigs and their demons.  To the sick.  To the sinner.  And now, to Jerusalem.   It’s been his ultimate journey.   His destiny.   We have followed, and now, it’s time to see what this journey is all about. 

                             Matthew 21:1-17

      When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.^*’ ⁴This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,

 

⁵‘Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’

 

     ⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; ⁷they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. ⁸A very large crowd^* spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

 ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
  Hosanna in the highest heaven!'

     ¹⁰When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ ¹¹The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’

     1Then Jesus entered the temple^* and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³He said to them, ‘It is written,

 

          “My house shall be called a house of prayer”; but you are making it a den of robbers.’

 

14     The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. ¹⁵But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard^* the children crying out in the temple, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry ¹⁶and said to him, ‘Do you hear what these are saying?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Yes; have you never read,

 

            “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself”?’

 

     ¹⁷He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

         Here he comes, riding into town, on a mother burro and her colt.   His coming is causes quite a stir.  As he nears the gates of Jerusalem, there are crowds, enormous crowds all gathering to see what is going on.   To see this man arriving in Jerusalem.   As they arrive and watch, what is it that each one sees?   It seems that he’s more symbol than man.   He’s more object than person.  He’s more sign than complex individual.   Symbols and signs are objects to be interpreted.  But no person can be distilled into a symbol, a concept.  A person is a complex thing--not so easy to figure out.   Not so easy to attach meaning to.   A person—well, a person you have to know, don’t you?   A person, you have to have a relationship to know them, wouldn’t you think?

I’ve just spent the past two days sitting on my rear end, part of the Kansas delegation to General and Jurisdictional conference, as we tried to get to know the candidates for Bishop that are trying to get elected in this South Central region of the U.S.   There were nine of ‘em.  That meant that each one got exactly one hour for us to get to know them.   Well…how well do you think we were able to do that?

That’s about right.   Not much.   How well can you know a person in an hour?   Especially when you are putting your hopes and your dreams for the future in their hands?   We didn’t get to know them too well as persons—the complex beings that they are, their own dreams and fears.  To learn what they might really have to teach us.  Not enough time to really determine if they might lead us somewhere worth going, to know whether or not if we could tell if they even KNEW where they were going.

So these candidates for Bishop, they sort of rode into our midst, one after the other, and we sized them up.  But they were more symbol than man or woman.  They were more personality than person.   They were more sign than complex human being as teacher/leader.

But we each one, we delegates gathered there sitting on our hineys were trying to see something.   What did we see?   Well, it depends upon what we were looking for.

Some in that crowd on the outskirts of Jerusalem looked at the man riding into town, and they were just curious.   They’d no doubt heard something about this Jesus.  Some of it good.  Some of it controversial.  Some of it about the amazing things that often happened whenever he was present.  The natural order of the world gave way when he was around.  That’s what they’d heard.  Blind people suddenly saw again.   Thousands of people were fed with tiny provisions.  Storms were quieted.   Demons jumped into pigs.   They’d heard about these things, and so don’t you suppose there were some who were there, just to see this fellow?  Maybe he’d pull a trick or two today—who knows.   If he did, it would be a shame to miss it.   Look…there he is….see anything?

        Others in the crowd had heard the talk that this fellow on the donkey and its colt was the Messiah.  The real deal.  For a lifetime now, Roman soldiers have been patrolling the streets of Jerusalem.   The Romans had never been too kind for the Jews, but now…now it was worse than ever.   Revolt after revolt, uprising after uprising had given hope, but each time, the rebellion was put down by the powerful Roman army, and the Emperor made sure people were in place to make life even worse.   Taxation had never been heavier.   Jews now ridiculed for their peculiar eating habits and their lifestyle, all based upon the commandments of God.  Any threat, of any kind, was quickly suppressed, and criminals and traitors to the Emperor were routinely hung on crosses as a deterrent for any further conspiracy.   But if this fellow on the donkey is the Messiah, the David King for whom they had waited so long….then it wouldn’t be long before God would deliver them.   Use the mighty anointed warrior to defeat the Romans and run them out of town.   It would be easier to believe if he were in a chariot, or on an enormous white steed, but then…if he’s the Messiah.  They cut branches from the Palm Trees and wave them in the air.   Just in case.   “Hosannah!”   “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”  

Look…there he is….see anything?

Ah, there’s others in the crowd who are looking, one could almost say staring intently at the man as he comes into Jerusalem.  They’ve heard things too.   This is the Rabbi who is leading his followers in opposition to the law of Moses.   He eats with sinners.   He gathers grain on the Sabbath.   He disrespects the elders of the Synagogue, the Pharisees, the Scribes, the Priests.   Lord, the things they have heard about his mouth.  These are the ones in the crowd with the frowns, the looks of disdain as he rides into town.   Listening to the people chant and cry out as if he were of God.   God’s favor hasn’t been too bountiful lately—the Roman occupation is no doubt punishment for how far the people have strayed from God.   That’s always how it has been.   When the people turn from God, God turns from the people.  The only way back is complete adherence to the Law.   This Rabbi doesn’t get that…talking as if God is his own daddy, as if he knows what God wants.  Some of the people in the crowd, they know what God wants, its plain in God’s word, God’s law.  And if this teacher leads people farther and farther away from God’s law with his heresy, there’s no telling what will happen to God’s people.    With piercing stares they watch…look, there he is.   See anything?

And there’s some others in the crowd who see a threat.   The people certainly get stirred up when he’s around.  “Hosanna, Hosanna to the King,” they cry.  There are some in the crowd who want to know just what sort of King is this?   Riding on a couple of donkeys.  People are putting down a carpet of their own cloaks for him to ride on, as if he were royalty.  Is this another rebellion?   Is this the beginnings of an uprising?   There are some in the crowd who have seen riots and coups before.  There have been dozens in the past few years.   And they always end the same…tragically for the Jew.   Each time, the crackdown is severe, and punishing.   If this is a threat riding into town, sure to tell there will be more bodies on the crosses just outside of town.  With fear and trembling, these in the crowd watch and wonder…is this it?   Look, there he is.   See anything?

Meanwhile the Roman soldiers are there too.   If it is a threat, they’ll know just what to do.   Nip it in the bud.   Whips in hand, they are ready.   Watching for any cue, any misstep that will tell them it’s time to arrest another conspirator.   Watch him…watch him…keep watching…   See anything?

They all are there.  Those who see a symbol of hope.   Those who see a sign of power.   Those who fear he’s trouble.  Those who are curious, and are there in case something happens.   Those who just know…this man’s a threat.  And they are watching him.

Put your own face in the crowd.   What do you see?   When Jesus comes…do you see hope?   Do you see threat?   Do you see a challenge to the religious order?     Is Jesus a threat?   And if so, what does Jesus threaten for you?  Your lifestyle?  Your time?   Your possession?   Your allegiances?   Or, have you simply heard a little bit about him, and you’re curious?   There in case anything spectacular happens. 

We gather here together, we’re not so great a crowd as the one gathered in Jerusalem, but we’re of a significant number.   Why have we come?   What are we looking for?  

How many of us have taken the time to really get to know the person.   Sign or symbol—its easy to make quick judgments.  Curious onlookers will quickly get bored and go on their way to the next hot thing that interests them.

But some might desire to know who this Jesus really is…will take the time to begin a relationship.  This Rabbi is more than sign or symbol.   More than interesting curiosity.   More than great hope or great threat. 

He’s invited us to remain close, we who have followed him all the way…from Galilee to Jerusalem.   He’s invited us to get to know him.   This week, there will be more opportunity, URGENT opportunity in fact.   Thursday, we are invited to gather with him for one final moment, to eat, to drink.   He wants us to be close.   There’s more to see.   Friday will be difficult, but if we follow, we will bear witness to the greatest sacrifice of love the world has ever known.   But even then…there’s more.   There’s more to see.  If we keep following our Lord, our Jesus.

Thanks for dropping by:  Guest #