Palm Sunday

Richard Davenport April 2, 2023 - Palm Sunday Matthew 21:1-11 Celebrities in our society are kind of an odd thing, when you think about it. We have celebrities for all sorts of things. Musicians, movie stars, and athletes are all ones that quickly come to mind, though many other areas of culture have celebrities as well. Being a celebrity in one of these areas is often the goal of people who pursue those kinds of careers. If your name and face is known around the country, it's a sign you've achieved the pinnacle of the field. Perhaps it's because you're one of the best at your chosen craft, or because people really, really liked something you did. With that celebrity status comes, well, a lot of things. Usually you'll make more money than the average actor, musician, artist, or whatever your profession is. You can command more. You're an expert in the field, or at least people think so. You're probably famous too. People involved with the kinds of things you do probably know your name and your face. Generally speaking, that means you get a little more respect from people who follow your craft. People are more interested in what you're doing than others in your field. Your work automatically gets more notice than what others might. People will check up on what you're doing and what to see everything new you've produced. All of that, to a certain extent, is understandable. If you're a budding artist, musician, author, or what have you, there are probably certain people who you look up to, whose work inspires you. As you practice your craft, you'll probably start by mimicking them. If they are doing something that you enjoyed and appreciated, then maybe you can make it work for you too. If those people have advice and guidance, you'll listen, because they know what they're talking about. Those big name celebrities are also in high demand. So if you want them to come around, you'll have to compete with others who are vying for their time as well. That generally means paying more. Those who are truly famous make quite a lot of money for their work and people are willing to pay it just to see them. Another feature of celebrity life is endorsements. Big name athletes are well known for giving endorsements of various products, equipment related to their sport, different food or health products and that sort of thing. You see their names and faces on boxes of cereal, shoes, and just about anything else that might somehow be related to sports. Movie stars and musicians will do ads on tv for just about anything you can think of, cars, credit cards, vacation spots, restaurants, anything at all that might benefit from being connected to a celebrity. Celebrity chefs will put their name on pans, knives, lines of seasoning and other things they prefer to use in their line of work. On and on it goes. Here on Palm Sunday we find the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. For his part, Jesus doesn't really do a whole lot. He's just there riding into town. It isn't a very long scene, but even there it's a bit unusual. Jesus doesn't really say much. He gives some directions to his disciples and that's it. Usually Jesus is preaching and teaching, pronouncing forgiveness and so forth wherever he goes, but that's all we get. Obviously, this event is still very significant in Christ's life. He's been headed this way for a while now. A few weeks ago in our readings he knew the time had come and he set out for Jerusalem. He didn't run straight there. He stopped and helped people and tended their needs along the way, but he no longer wandered to and fro through the countryside. He had an appointment with the cross and he was going to keep it. Now he has arrived, precisely when he planned. He rides into town like his distant ancestor, Solomon, did centuries before. The crowds gather to cheer him on, waving their palm branches in greeting. We, as readers of the Gospel, know what awaits Jesus just a few days from now. Jesus also knows what's coming. That's why he's here. The disciples have been told, even though they generally refuse to accept his statements on the subject. For the moment I want to set all of those aside and think about the crowds. What's going on in their minds right now? Jesus is quite the celebrity. Crowds gather around him wherever he goes and that's been happening for quite a while now. They didn't have radio or television ads back then. No billboards with your face all over them. Everything was word of mouth. So if the crowds are gathering, it's because a bunch of people thought this was an important enough person they needed to tell others about. Those people told others and so on. It gets to the point where people will start wandering over just to see what all of the excitement is about. For a backwater province like Judea, Jesus is the biggest name in town. The priests and Pharisees have had a long standing feud with him. They don't like being knocked out of the number 1 spot of the top ten most important people in Judea list. But, again, I'm not really talking about the priests, Pharisees, and other religious leaders. I'm talking about the Joe Average Jewish guy or gal who is right now standing on the side of the road waving a palm branch cheering Jesus on. How does someone who is waving a palm branch here on a Sunday go to calling for his crucifixion just a few days later? There's no doubt Satan has a hand in all of this. He wants nothing more than to see the Son of God crushed. He is happy to work with the Pharisees, stoke their rage to get them to rouse the crowds to violent action. Still though, the Pharisees are easy targets for Satan. They've already got a grudge against Jesus. It doesn't take much to encourage them to do something they've already been plotting for a while. What about the rest of them, though? Why are all of these people who were out there waving palm branches suddenly calling for his death? Can people's minds change just that quickly? Well, yes, people can change their minds that quickly, but I think there's more to it than that. The more important question here is, who do these people think Jesus is? There are a lot of competing ideas circulating about who Jesus is and what he's all about. Is he a prophet? Is he a teacher? Is he the messiah? Is he the king of Israel? Even if you think he's the savior, what is it you think he's saving you from? There are more than a few times Jesus criticizes people who think he's just here to deal with present problems and they aren't really interested about what he's doing in the future. He's entertainment. He's a curiosity. He's someone to follow just to see what kind of crazy things he'll do. He's a celebrity, and, as we see all the time, if a celebrity gets the right people mad at him, he can turn into an outcast and a pariah overnight. Earlier in his ministry, Jesus' disciples wrestle with who Jesus is. They point out how some say he's a prophet, some even say he's Elijah. Jesus asks them the question, "Who do you say that I am?" How would you answer? Is Jesus a celebrity? He's certainly famous. He does nice things for people. He attracts a following. He says helpful and uplifting things. He does charitable things that help people. It should earn him at least a little good will, and it generally it does. But a celebrity is only meaningful to me if I want him to be. He is only an authority figure if I choose to look up to him. He's only famous if I pay attention to him. Without the adoration of the masses, a celebrity is just like anyone else. He might be kind and compassionate. He might be the top of his field. He might have profound words of wisdom, but if no one wants to listen, then he's still a nobody. When the Pharisees and priests come to Pilates tribunal and stir up the crowds, there might have been some hesitation there. "Wasn't this Jesus a good guy? I thought we liked Jesus." I'm sure many in the crowds thought well of him. As we see on a regular basis these days, it doesn't take much for a celebrity to fall from grace, to become a pariah. Some rumors, some innuendo, a few reminders of what the Roman empire will do if it thinks Jesus is stirring up trouble. Suddenly the one admired and respected by the masses is persona non grata. He's a blight on society. He's a disturber of the peace. Get rid of him before he causes more trouble. If a celebrity says something you don't like, don't listen to him. If his actions aren't something you want to deal with, you shun him and ostracize him. If his words offend you or make you uncomfortable, you ridicule and belittle him. You throw him out. Is that who Jesus is? If he makes you uncomfortable, can you shut him out? If he says things that offend you, can you ignore him? If he accuses you of some kind of wrong doing, can you insult or belittle him? Can you pick and choose the part of him you think are acceptable? Is he someone who is only important if you say he's important? You get to decide what impact he has on your life. You get to say when he is worth listening to. If Jesus is a celebrity, then you can determine his worth to you in any way you choose. Palm Sunday shows us that Jesus isn't a celebrity. He isn't someone you can dismiss whenever you like. He isn't someone you can choose to ignore. He is the king, the king of all creation. His very words have power. He speaks with authority. Whether you like it or not, you can't ignore him. You can't throw him out. His actions show that this world and everything in it is subject to him. Trying to reject him will leave you very disappointed. Christ comes into the world to rule. He may live as a servant, but he is still a king. He cannot be made to serve. He serves because he chooses to. He comes to establish his kingdom and claim you for it. He comes to rule over your life, over you, over every part of you and over everything you do, all of it. There are times things he says leave us uncomfortable. They make us think maybe we don't want him around, maybe we should be rid of him. If he claims every part of our lives, that means we aren't in charge, we aren't calling the shots. We don't get to decide who's in or out. He does. Jesus as king is too much for many in Jerusalem to bear. Many think they're going to show him who's boss. They think they're going to get rid of him. They're wrong. Jesus is the king of everything, even his own life. What the priests and Pharisees didn't count on was that if Jesus is the king of life, he's also the king of death. Even death has to listen to him. Even death is ruled by him. Jesus goes to death willingly, because no one else has the power to take his life. But even there in death, he reigns as king. He dies when he chooses and then he takes up his life again when he chooses. Is he a celebrity for you, or is he a king? A celebrity can talk and offer opinions. A celebrity can do some amazing things, but he has no actual power over you or anyone else. A king can command and order. A king can make binding pronouncements. This king can declare you guilty or he can declare you innocent. This king can demand death release its hold on you. This king can save you from everything, even yourself. This king comes here just like he came to Jerusalem. We don't look to celebrity who is powerless to help us, but to a king who invites and welcomes, a king who rules here in the midst of his temple and pronounces forgiveness to those who seek his mercy. He pronounces life to those who know death awaits them. He comes to you, this just and righteous king and tells us not to fear him, not to fear his authority or his power, because he wants to use it on your behalf. He wants to save you. He wants to give you life. Welcome this king and everything he says and does, for it is all for your good, to keep your life safely in his kingdom where there is abundant mercy and life. We are here at the beginning of Holy Week. Death will soon come for Christ, our king, but we will see his power in action. Even death will be subject to him. He shows you what he is capable of and what he wants for you.