Cloaks & Branches
Notes
Transcript
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying 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. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
“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.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The 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!”
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Whenever I read this text about the crowd spreading “their cloaks on the road,” I tend to picture a man taking off his coat and covering a puddle that his date is about to walk on. I really have never understood the gesture of putting the coat over a puddle, it is not like the coat will keep the date from getting her shoes wet. In fact, it is more likely to ruin the coat than anything else.
I understand that people will say it is a sign of chivalry but how is that the case. I mean have you ever seen anyone do this outside of TV shows or movies. I know I haven’t. I wondered where it all started and if it was a cinematic idea or a real life idea. Based on short research, nobody has really ever seen it done. There is a story, which started the idea, when Sir Walter Raleigh laid his jacket across a puddle for Queen Elizabeth to walk across. This story has never been confirmed and only reported some years after the encounter and historians believe it was a fable.
While these people are laying out their cloaks and waving branches, there is another procession on the other side of town happening. This is a very different procession/parade than that of Jesus. This is one is more of what we would expect. This procession is Pontius Pilate coming to Jerusalem. Pilate is coming into town with his full Roman army and all those who travel with him. There are chariots, horses, gleaming armor, weapons, and other expensive looking items. All those traveling in this party are dressed nicely in clean clothes. There are no palms or cloaks involved.
Then comes the second procession into Jerusalem. This is a very different procession/parade than that of Jesus. This is one is more of what we would expect. This procession is Pontius Pilate coming to Jerusalem. Pilate is coming into town with his full Roman army and all those who travel with him. There are chariots, horses, gleaming armor, weapons, and other expensive looking items. All those traveling in this party are dressed nicely in clean clothes. There are no palms or cloaks involved.
The idea of Pilate entering Jerusalem made me think of a way we would recognize the procession or parade. The closest thing we have to this is the Presidential motorcade. Now, I must say sometime my sermon titles tie to the theme of the sermon while others just come about from what the scripture reminds me of. This title is more of the latter. Because I when I first think of Pilate’s procession, I envision the Presidential Motorcades rolling through town. Multiple clean and new vehicles with police escorts and secret service officers everywhere. Roads are shut down for these processions and they move quickly into and through town. Both Pilate’s procession and the president’s are a sign of force, power, and prestige.
Pilate is coming to Jerusalem with his Roman forces in order to keep peace. The reason he is there to keep peace is because of the number of people gathering in Jerusalem. Think of all the Jewish people that would have gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover and worship at the Temple. It is believed that part of the reason for Pilate’s arrival is because of the movement that Jesus had started. The Roman Empire was worried that the Jewish followers of Jesus were enough to revolt against the empire and wanted a deterrent in Jerusalem.
But why are the Jews gathered in Jerusalem? What is this thing called Passover that they are celebrating? Well, they gather because it is part of their religious law to gather and celebrate Passover. And what is Passover? It is a celebration of remembrance, remembering when God’s Spirit passed over the Israelites who were in Egypt and did not harm their first-born sons but the Spirit killed the first born sons of the Egyptians. I would say that is something worth celebrating and remembering.
But, that is not where the idea of the Exodus of the Israelites stops in our scripture today. Instead of leaving town we have the King of the Jews entering town from one direction and the opposing army, the new Egyptian army, entering the other side. The Egyptian army out to kill God’s people and Roman Empire will be used in quit a different way. Both used to show the power and might of God!
I’m also sure the response to the entrances were completely different. For me, there is no proof of this, but I envision Pontius Pilate’s procession as being viewed by people who just want to see all the stuff and people he is traveling with. I am pretty sure they are not cheering for him and I know they are not laying out cloaks for him to cross over. While Jesus enters with a crowd and then the crowd starts singing praises. I could almost guarantee Pilate’s entrance to the city did not have songs of praises.
Then the Pharisees that were there to see Jesus’ entrance tell him to tell his followers to stop praising God. Wait, what? These religious leaders wanted people to not praise the God they all worshipped. That seems really odd. Could it be these religious leaders were worried about the Roman Empire’s view of the praises? The Pharisees did not want any trouble from the Roman Empire and did not want the Empire’s officials to think there was problems among the Jewish people in the region.
But, what does this have to do with us? Why is this important to us today? Jesus’ journey into Jerusalem is of great importance to us because it fulfills prophecy. Plus, his entrance into Jerusalem sets the stage for what is to come this week. To understand what this has to do with us then we have to look at our Lenten journey as a whole because Jesus’ arrival is a sign of a changing of the power within the world.
Looking back on this journey we talked about how Jesus wants us to follow him out of love and not fear. This is complete opposite of how the Roman Empire ruled as seen by the full army arriving in Jerusalem to keep order. Then we talked about the promises God has made to each of us and how God will fulfill them. Look at what is happening in our scripture, God is fulfilling promises. Then we talked about where to find security. There is only one place to find security and that is through God. Last week we talked about Patching the world. We have a mission to reconcile the world. We are to patch the world and by showing all of humanity the love of God.
Now, we are coming to what leads up to Good Friday and then Easter. We hear the Pharisees basically say, “Silence them.” Jesus’ response is even if you were to silence them God would make these stones shout. This is a reference to Abraham’s descendants being raised up from the rocks. But that is where we come in. This is where this story fully applies to us today. And what our entrance to worship missed.
We should be shouting hosanna’s so loud that everyone can hear us as they pass by. Jesus’ followers were not quiet as they entered the city. They were so loud that the religious leaders worried about upsetting the Roman officials. When we praise God, our praises are a sign that we love God and serve God out of love and not fear. We praise God we are reminded that God will follow through with the promises made. When we praise God, we tend to feel the security that is offered us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. When we praise God, we are letting the whole world hear about the love that God has offered each and every human on earth.
Friends, just because God can make stones shout doesn’t mean we should not praise him. The disciples knew this and yet they were Rowdy and Proud about their worship of the Almighty. What are we afraid of? Why is it that we tend to only sing the songs we know and then it is at a low volume? Are you worried about what others will think? Are you worried about offending the Roman officials?
I challenge you this week, forget week the rest of this year, follow the example of the disciples walking with Jesus into Jerusalem. Follow their example and sing praises to God loud enough that all can hear. Sing praises loud enough that our neighbors wonder what is going on. Sing praises so that all may know your love and God’s love. But don’t just sing them here, tell the world of your praising so that all may know!