Sit Up

John 12:12-16, CEB

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!     Blessings on the king of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 Don’t be afraid, Daughter Zion. Look! Your king is coming,  sitting on a donkey’s colt. 16 His disciples didn’t understand these things at first. After he was glorified, they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

INTRO

This Lent, we are invited and challenged to ask ourselves what’s up with our souls as we examine our call to get up to something good over these 40 days. In our “What R U Up 2?” Sermon series, we examine this call to be up to something good as a means of living out a holy Lent. We began by examining our call to wade into the troubled waters of life as God stirs us up so that we may Come Up better than before, empowered for the work ahead. Then, we explored our call to discipleship by examining what we are called to let go and what we are called to take on so that we can take up our cross and follow after Jesus. Next, we examined what we are called to lay aside and what we are called to take on so that we may Raise Up the body of Christ in new and different ways. After that, we explored our call to Light up so that we might spread the Light of God into the dark corners of our hearts and through our lives to the dark corners of the whole world. Last week, we talked about allowing God’s love to work us that we are lifted up and that we might be strengthened and empowered to Lift Up others. This week, we continue our journey exploring ways we are called to be up to something good.

For many of us, Palm Sunday has been a time for celebration. We have been looking forward waving our Palm branches with much enthusiasm. We remember the times when the church was filled with Children who processed into the sanctuary waving Palm Branches along the way. As we move straight into these acts of celebration, we are tempted to focus on the parade. We want to skip everything else so that we can join the people praising King Jesus; we long to praise the King who died for our sins. Yet, by moving straight to the act of celebrating, of waving our palm branches and singing “Hosanna Loud Hosanna,” we run the risk of missing what’s happening.

You see, there were two parades on that Palm Sunday long ago. On the same day, or perhaps a little earlier, Pontius Pilate entered into Jerusalem. It was his custom to come to Jerusalem on high holy days in the Jewish Calendar. This was not out of respect for the people, but out of a fear of rebellion. The people were more likely to keep their heads down if the leader was in town. So Pontius Pilate enters town in a military processional celebrating his entry into the area.

In the 11th Chapter of John’s, Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead. For so many this was the miracle of miracles. Not only does this foreshadow Jesus’ own rising from the dead, it shows Jesus’ power over death. Word begins to spread of how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. In fact, just before out text, many Jews came to Jesus at Lazarus’s home because they had heard of the miracle. As word of this spread, the plot to kill Jesus became more clear. As verse 11 reports, “It was because of Lazarus that many of the Jews had deserted them and come to believe in Jesus.”

And so in stark contrast to Pilate’s parade, Jesus prepares to enter Jerusalem. With great anticipation people gathered waving Palm Branches, shouting “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the king of Israel!” Hosanna is a shout often heard at a Royal parade in part because Hosanna translated means “Save us please!” Further, Palm Branches were used as signs of victory. So, as he heard the crowd crying out Jesus prepares to enter. He doesn’t find a chariot and ride in with soldiers. He doesn’t work to show his might in whatever way possible. In John’s gospel Jesus doesn’t even send the disciples to find a donkey. Rather Jesus finds a young donkey himself, sits up on the donkey, and rides it in to Jerusalem. This king is one of peace and lowliness.

This king is still about victory; it’s just a different victory than the rulers of this world. You see, at the heart of John’s message is the idea that Jesus has victory over death. Drawn by the healing of Lazarus, asking for Jesus to save them, the crowds are drawn in by that victory. Yet sure as ever, Jesus does what he must do to continue his journey to the cross. Even if the disciples don’t understand, Jesus knows what he must do to fulfill the Father’s plan.

So often, the temptation in this short text is to get caught up in the crowd. After all, we know the end to the story! We have the benefit of hindsight that the disciples did not. In fact, we would much rather proclaim Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord and skip straight to “Christ is Risen!” And yet, much like Jesus sat up on a donkey and road into Jerusalem, we are called to sit up too.

When I think of sitting up, there is literally sitting up, just like we picture Jesus doing on the donkey. But there is also sitting up like one does when they are on the edge of their seat. You know what I’m talking about. When something gets your attention, so you immediately sit up. You focus in on what is in front of your eyes. If we sit up and look at Jesus’ parade, we would see that Christ is more powerful than the rulers of this world. Thus, our call this morning, is to sit up, step back, and examine what is unfolding before our eyes in our Gospel lesson this morning.

Because the truth is, we have been caught up in the crowds. We have focused on Jesus without sitting up and stepping back. As one theologian reminds us, “We are no different from the people to whom Zechariah prophesied or those for whom Jesus gave symbolic expression to his authority, by his kingly entry into Jerusalem. We may pray to live in a world under his rule, but the kingdom of his dominion is not what the Israelites who sought peace in Zechariah’s day anticipated. The kingdom of his dominion is not what Jesus’ followers two thousand years ago sought. The kingdom of his dominion is not what we expect. We still exalt the forms of kingship, not the content of his reign. We focus on the outline of the concept without perceiving its substance. We look for a crown, while we have been given a cross. We still do not understand that his is not a kingdom of fame and achievement. His is a realm of service and sacrifice. His is not a political victory. It is a promise of victorious, abundant life now. His action is less a claim concerning himself than it is a sign of the presence of God’s kingdom.”

So often, when we proclaim that the kingdom of God has come near, it is because our unchecked vision of God’s kingdom is here. Our Jesus believes like us, likes the people we like, excludes the people we want to exclude, and always agrees with us. Our Jesus always puts our country first, and embraces our political party. And yet, if we believe this is the kingdom of God, we will miss who our savior is. We will miss the Word made flesh dwelling among us. For int he kingdom of God there is no war. There is no fear of losing power of control. In a kingdom truly devoted to God we are no longer worried about labels. It’s why Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, CEB). When we sit up and truly look at our savior, we will see how Jesus sees. We will see the value and the worth and the uniqueness of God in others.

If we are honest about why we do this, it is because we would rather control our own destiny. Sometimes it’s hard to trust God. This is especially true when facing difficult situations. So, to protect ourselves, we choose ourselves over others. We work to avoid pain and suffering even when it comes at the expense of someone else. But the truth of what we are doing, is denying death. If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes we fear death, and so we do all in our power to fight it rather than trusting God.

As we prepare to enter into Holy Week, we are called to sit up and step back as we look on this week with fresh eyes. Because, as one theologian reminds us, “It is into that denial of suffering and death, that reality of the human condition, that Jesus comes. The passion of Jesus brings tragedy and triumph, the past and the future, crashing in on the present. Lazarus stood as a witness to the truth of life out of death, but now the Lord of life conquers death by dying.” For it is in Christ’s passion that we are truly freed to live our lives in the way of God.

This week, may we courageously sit up that we might truly examine the passion of our Lord. In this week may we be strengthened to truly see the Savior of the world and live into God’s kingdom, not our own; into God’s ways, not our ways. Sit up. Look out. This week and every week. Truly Live that more and more of God’s kingdom may come here on earth. Hosanna!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.