Andrew Boyle             Palm Sunday                                                      1st April, 2007 

Isaiah 50. 4-9a   Philippians 2. 5-11   Luke 19. 28-40

It’s appropriate that Palm Sunday coincides with April Fools’ Day because what Jesus does as he enters Jerusalem is something of an April Fool’s joke; a bit of street-theatre designed to gather the crowds and make an entirely unexpected point. A king being lauded and welcomed into Jerusalem but riding on a donkey; that strange animal with really little appeal about it; which struggles to exude any cuteness; stubborn, good as a beast of burden but without any apparent nobility. The transport of choice for clowns.

Yet the symbolism in this entry to Jerusalem for Luke and the other gospel writers is of the utmost gravity. This anointed one of God, Israel’s longed-for Messiah, makes his way through the city gates to conquer the hearts and minds of the people of the City of David; in fact for tens of thousands of Jews. Because up to 100,000 people often gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover; and as thousands of additional Roman troops are deployed in the city in case of rebellion this itinerant preacher stages an anti-victory parade, making his way down into the valley from the Mount of Olives and up the other side to the city gate. The Pharisees are appalled and insist that he stop and order his disciples to be silent.

But as he and his disciples return to Jerusalem, as they have come maybe many times before for Passover, to retell and hear that story of liberation from slavery in Egypt, surely hopes are high that once again a liberation like the exodus from Egypt will be realised; this time from the occupying Roman army. The air is surely charged with hope and anticipation.

And Jesus coming to Jerusalem for Passover echoes that coming to Jerusalem for Passover which he made as a child with his parents when he disappears for three days; spending it in conversation and debate with the religious teachers, when all were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And the cries of his followers as he processes into the city echo the cries of the angels announcing the birth of the Christ child to the bewildered shepherds: Blessed is the king
    who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
    and glory in the highest heaven!’

Everything is coming together in this moment.

I wonder what was going through Jesus mind as he made this entry into Jerusalem; because he has been telling his disciples that their will be a confrontation here between himself and the authorities and that he will be killed; he enters this place willingly, knowingly. But he accepts the crowds adulation; at the same time seeming to know they it will probably be like later in the week. In reality the disciples still don’t know what he is on about, as the events of the week display.

In some ways Jesus seems to taunt the crowds by engaging in this piece of street theatre; egging the crowd on in their hope that he will be the king to liberate and return things to former peace and prosperity. Maybe he  could have mustered enough support; mobilising the anger and exasperation with the Romans; but this is not his calling; this would not be to fulfil what he has been teaching. What he has been doing and saying leads him elsewhere. His path must be another path; one of submission which confronts the principalities and powers, not by their means of bringing peace, but in a way whereby he is crushed, and seemingly destroyed.

Palm Sunday is a strange festival in the church year; we know what is to come in the days following; we know that although there will be crucifixion in a few days, there will also be resurrection. Maybe the knowledge of what lies ahead makes it difficult for us to enter into the paradox of this day. Longed for king coming riding on a donkey; hoped-for liberator proclaiming I am king, just not the one you are looking for.

It is the same so often for us; that we hope Jesus will be a saviour of our own imagining and making; to fulfil our dreams; to fight our battles; to defeat our demons, and save us from the cost of actually carrying our own cross. It is the challenge for us on this day of the church’s year. Where do we want to go from this moment; are we willing to go from here to the horror of Good Friday, or do we want to go straight to the brilliance of Easter Day, overlooking the agony which is to come. We could say that this entry into Jerusalem is about the kingship of Jesus which is to come, after Easter Day; certainly it is. But it is also a moment full of paradox; because it is a moment which leads to Jesus’ death. And it must; lead to death, otherwise the whole thing is meaningless.

It is the same for our lives if we are take the true path to life; that we must take the path to our Calvary if we are to find life. That there can’t be some easy bypassing of the agony and dying to the false self, the false king. The path to spiritual maturity, to spiritual wholeness is one which is costly but is the only one which ultimately leads to life. It’s a path which usually means that we have to press on in spite of those around us. Some will imagine, like the crowds that we are on about something entirely different and some will try and prevent us from doing what we know we need  to do. The path to life is usually to a death of some part of ourselves in order that we gain life. And it is, too, a path which leads us into conflict with those ways of being which are life denying and lead to a living death.

Our willingness to enter into the events of this week is somehow a sign of our willingness  to enter into an observance by which we will come to know what in ourselves must go to the cross. To follow Jesus in full knowledge of who he is and what he calls us to is costly; but it is a path which ultimately leads through death to life. I hope in taking it you might find the resurrection life in him.