Authenticity | What People Think

Our gospel this morning comes from Luke chapter 19 verses 28 through 40, which you can find on page 1278 in the pew Bibles. "After Jesus said this, he continued on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As Jesus came to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he gave two disciples a task. He said, "Go into the village over there. When you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, 'Why are you untying it?' just say, 'Its master needs it.' Those who had been sent found it exactly as he had said. As they were untying the colt, its owner said to them, 'Why are you untying the colt?' They replied, 'Its master needs it.' They brought it to Jesus, threw their clothes on the colt, and lifted Jesus onto it. As Jesus rode along, they spread their clothes on the road. As Jesus approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole throng of his disciples began rejoicing. They praised God with a loud voice because of all the mighty things they had seen. They said, 'Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens.' Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher, scold your disciples! Tell them to stop!' He answered, 'I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout.'" This is the Word of God for the People of God. You may be seated.

It's always fun when you get to a passage that you read every year. Because of course the task is: how do I make this new and interesting? How can I shed some new light on it? Us pastors are very fond of putting pressure on ourselves, but....

It is really interesting. This Luke passage in particular. Luke is my favorite gospel writer. That's probably not a surprise to most of you.

But it begins "After Jesus said this," which of course begs the question: What did Jesus just say?

So, just for context, in the last 10 chapters, Jesus has been slowly making his way through the countryside going up to Jerusalem and from the beginning, before he set out towards Jerusalem, Jesus knew he was going there to die. And then to be raised again on the third day. And in chapter 19 it begins with Jesus meeting Zacchaeus. You might know the children's song. "Zacchaeus was a wee little man." So, the tax collector, he climbed up the sycamore tree to see Jesus because he was too short. He couldn't see him by himself. And then after that encounter, Jesus tells a parable, the parable of the talents with the three servants who were entrusted with a portion of their master's estate. And two were faithful and were able to invest it and to get a return on the money, but the third said that he knew his master was harsh and he was afraid and so he chose to bury the money instead until the master returned. So that's the parable and that's what comes immediately before this. I don't know that it particularly sheds a lot of light on it, but that's the context.

Our passage this morning, this entry into Jerusalem, this Palm Sunday parade. It's an account that's given in all four Gospels. But all four gospels emphasize something different.

There, some of them are, you know, making clear references to the Old Testament to certain verses and stories that are within the Old Testament and their goal is to illustrate how Christ is fulfilling these prophecies.

But Luke is, Luke appears to be doing something a little different. For instance, did anybody notice what was not mentioned in the reading?

Palms. Luke is the only gospel writer who does not mention palm branches or branches of any kind. He also does not mention shouts of hosanna.

Remember last year I told you that hosanna means save us. Save us. So just as a reminder, at this time, the people of Israel are oppressed. The Romans are in power and they are keeping them down. They live in fear. Afraid that if they do anything they might lose what few privileges they had. But at the same time we know from history that there have been several failed revolts. Several failed attempts to overthrow the Romans and so the people of Israel at this time, they are hoping for a messiah who will come to deliver them from Rome. A messiah who will come and lead them in battle to overthrow Rome.

We know that's not what Jesus did.

And Luke seems to be highlighting this in particular because we also know that, from history, palm branches and shouts of hosanna had a particular kind of quality to it that, a nationalistic fervor, almost. These were the cries for the one who would come to lead them in battle. And so Luke seems to be wanting to distance this passage, to distance Christ from that narrative and to do something else. He makes it clear that Jesus is King. Because in the other gospels it says, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." John goes on to say the king of Israel. But Luke says, "Blessed is the king." And he also adds this line of "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens."

The historical context is especially important. How many of you have ever heard about Pilate during this time of year? Yeah. So Pilate would every year during this time -- I'm going to go ahead and read this quote from Amy Butler, a scholar. She said, "Pilate usually spent most of his time in a beautiful palace on the Mediterranean coast, but every year when Passover approached, the governor always came back to Jerusalem. It was just basic necessity. Pilate's annual show of power. Because of all the political undercurrents of Passover, it was always Pilate's aim to make sure the Jews didn't get ideas of liberation in their heads. And maybe even to get them to buy into the Roman illusion of peace. To vote against their own interests. And so every year Pilate would parade into Jerusalem with a show of military power. Cavalry on horses, columns of soldiers, leather armor, helmets, weapons, banners, drums.

As Jesus and his little band of protesters made their way from Galilee into Jerusalem from the north, right across town on the west entrance of the city Pilate was doing his best to make a show of force, to rile up a crowd and give them a political purpose. Going beyond words, Christ and his disciples, they are acting out the radical inward transformation of the Gospel. And Jesus is asking his disciples in this moment to step up -- to stand up with their cheers and their actions and their very lives to proclaim Jesus as king.

To step up and to speak out against the brutality and violence and oppression that's happening right on the other side of town."

So we have here a contrast. Two different parades.

One feeling the need to show his power, his military might,

to make the people afraid

and therefore willing to submit. And then you have Jesus

who chooses to ride in on a colt, one that was unridden, untrained.

Who chose to

be with his disciples, to encourage his disciples to shout, to proclaim him as king, but not in a way that was showy, not in a way that would make people afraid,

but rather in a way that would invite people to see that Christ is Lord.

But that Christ is a gentle Lord.

Christ is a savior, not a conqueror.

There's something really beautiful about that contrast.

Throughout Lent we've been doing a series called Cultivating and Letting Go." We focused on different things that we are called to cultivate within ourselves and other things that we have to let go to be able to make it happen. And so this morning we're focusing on cultivating authenticity and letting go of what people think. This passage ends with a couple of Pharisees who are afraid. And who tell Jesus, "Make them be quiet!"

And Jesus's response that, if they were quiet, the stones would cry out. It's a way of saying that you cannot stop God. God's message will be heard. God's message will be lived out through the lives of these disciples, through their words, their actions. God's message will be lived out in the crucifixion of Christ.

In this moment where it seems that the Roman Empire has won.

But then, three days later, we come to know that not even death can stop Christ.

So then, in the long run, Christ is the one with power.

And unlike most of our human rulers who, when they when they get power, their focus is on not losing it.

And Christ is able to, he doesn't need this power because he knows

that the only reason to use violence is if you're trying to get something you want. Because when it comes to following the call of God, love is enough to get the job done.

Humility is enough.

Living our lives in service to God, not forcing anyone to, even to listen to us, but just to show them by example, to lead by example.

That in Christ there is a peace that the world cannot offer.

The world tells us that we have to be a certain way. We have to be thin or, or pretty. Or talented.

We have to always seem as though we have our act together.

We can't appear to be weak or vulnerable because then we would get taken advantage of.

So we put on a mask. We hide who we are from the world. We try to fit in so that we can belong. But here's the thing.

If people don't know the real you, they're not loving the real you. They can't. You haven't shown it to them. You haven't shown who you are.

God knows who we are. God loves us as we are. God calls us to be the best version of ourselves, but God does not call us to be someone we are not.

God says, "Trust in me. Trust in what Christ has done for you. Trust in the promise and allow me to help you transform, to be who you really are."

The Hebrew word "shalom," most of us know the meaning that it means peace, but it also means wholeness. When I [hear] the word shalom, I think of how wonderful it would be to be authentic, to be able to be the same person in public that I am when I'm by myself.

To feel confident in the love that God has for me and to know that whatever the world throws at me,

whatever stickers they try to put on me, be they gold stars or gray dots, my prayer is that they will not stick. [See Max Lucado's book "You Are Special."]

My hope is just to follow the call that God has put on my heart

to be a pastor, to walk alongside each of you. It is a privilege to be able to stand up here and to share the Word of God as best as I understand it, to speak the truth as I see it.

But again, I am human as well.

And so my understanding of truth may not be your understanding of truth and that's okay.

We don't have to force each other to believe what we believe.

We can exist in relationship with one another because we all love God. Amen?