"Digging in Dirt, Growing in Faith"

One afternoon this past week, I hitched up the mule team to the plow and headed down to the lower forty to work the dirt for our summer planting. As the acres stretched out before me, I could almost see the crops ready for harvest. I could almost reach out and touch the growing plants. I could just about taste the fresh food on the table. The care that goes into growing the produce, the sweat that it takes to gather the vegetables, and the work that gets it cleaned, prepared, canned and cooked. I love the transformation from dirt to seed to plants to food. It’s like a kind of renewal.
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Ok, maybe I don’t actually have mules and a plow or acres of farmland, but I do have a husband with a tiller and a little spot in my backyard that’s perfect for a few plants. And late Friday afternoon, I really did put in three plants for summer squash. This week I hope to add some cucumbers and tomatoes. The point is two-fold: 1. I love digging in the dirt, and 2. the transformation from nothing to harvest is an amazing time of renewal!

According to Luke, it was the late afternoon of that first Easter – those first moments of renewal.  Remember what’s going on here:  Jesus’ body was missing this morning, and some of the followers had seen him alive!  What a crazy day it had turned out to be.

Later that same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem, so it would have taken them a couple of hours to walk there. And as they walked along, they were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened today.

Now we are told that one of the two walkers is Cleopas – ancient writings mention that as the name of Joseph’s brother so this could be Jesus’ uncle.  And we aren’t told who the other is – although we can rule out the main disciples because these two return to the eleven later in the story.  Some scholars wonder if it might even have been Cleopas’ wife walking along with him.  We just don’t know – but what we do know is that they are re-hashing the events of the day. 

Perhaps these two took off to put some distance between themselves and the others because they were afraid of what the Jews would do when they found them all together.  Maybe they are experiencing a little of that disbelief we talked about with Thomas last week. 

This is bound to be some scary stuff.  And now that they’ve put a little distance behind them, maybe they are feeling like they can have an open conversation between the two of them.  One version I have says they were actually arguing – which, now that I think about it, just might give some credibility to the premise that this was husband and wife. 

Maybe, whoever these two are, they’ve felt they had to be hushed all day, and they’re just out maybe even walking toward home where it will be safer and calmer and they can clear their heads and maybe make some sense out of this day.  I can’t imagine there is anything else they are going to talk about. 

And in the middle of their talk and questions, they are joined by a stranger who doesn’t seem to know anything at all about what’s been going on today.  These two very sad, very confused people begin to share a little of their story. 

I love the parallel here for us.  What a comfort to know that when we take the time to wrestle with our faith and our understanding, when we take the time to talk it over with others, that Jesus will walk right along with us.  What a blessing that we can run into Jesus at any time!

And as these three walk and discuss, they talk to the stranger about Jesus of Nazareth, the man of God, a prophet, dynamic in his work and his word, blessed by both God and all the people. They tell him how their very own high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. They share how their hopes are dashed because they had believed that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. They had faith that this was the Messiah they had been waiting for. 

It’s three days after we saw him die, they say – how confusing for folks who were completely believing Jesus is the One to bring Israel back to its full glory – how disappointing for those thinking the Messiah is restoring Israel, saving Israel, redeeming Israel.  The women have thrown a kink in everything! they say.  Those women have gone off to his tomb and couldn’t find his body – they came back talking about seeing angels – and Mary’s saying that she’s seen Jesus himself!  We need to get outside and mow through this a little. 

Can’t you just see Jesus shake his head and maybe grin a little as he says to them, "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer, and only then enter into his glory?"

Then Jesus starts at the beginning, with the Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), and he goes on through all the Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos, and on and on), pointing out everything in the Scriptures that refer to him.

Before long, they are almost to Emmaus.  Almost where they are going, and he starts to keep moving on down the road, but they press him: "Stay and have supper with us. It's almost dark, and we can talk some more." So he goes in with them, sits at table with them, takes the bread, blesses and breaks it, and gives it to them.  Now THAT’s familiar.  And in that familiarity, at that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognize him. And he’s gone – he disappears.

Back and forth they talked. "Didn't we feel on fire as he talked with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?"

Good grief!  Jesus may have been right when he called them thick-headed – the King James Version calls them fools.  Could they just not see who he was?
 
One day, a few years ago, I sat across the table from a man for an hour-long meeting.  We were eyeball to eyeball for a whole hour and after the meeting we spent another hour in conversation.  And the very next morning, I stopped by the gas station he owns to fill up my car and he had no idea who I was.  Didn’t even look familiar to him until I told him who I was. 

You see, I was just out of place.  He had me connected with the meeting not out in the community buying gas.  I certainly can’t think of him as a fool – especially since I’ve done that so many times myself – not recognized someone because they weren’t who I expected to see.  People I’ve known for years will come up to me in a store, and I’ll have no idea who they are.  They just aren’t supposed to be in the store – they are supposed to be in the place I have them in my mind.  I have seen my dry cleaner in the donut shop, and didn’t know who that was for a long time after I left.

People see me in the grocery – and since I’m not in the pulpit in my robe – they cannot place where they’ve seen me before.  I have, on more than one occasion, said the words:  “It’s nice to see you.  I’m your pastor.” 
So I completely understand that the man from the meeting didn’t recognize me – but these disciples, these followers, didn’t just see Jesus occasionally in the dry cleaners or for an hour meeting.  Some of these folks spent every waking hour for three years in the company of Jesus.  They ate with him, they talked with him, they studied with him, they did everything together – how can they not know who is talking to them? 
 
Well, maybe I would have the same trouble – maybe if I knew you were dead this morning and then had a conversation with you this afternoon, maybe my eyes wouldn’t let me see either.  I think not recognizing him was only part of the problem, though – and maybe not actually the worst part. 

Jesus asked them a question that I never want to be asked:  Why can’t you just believe?  Now Jesus isn’t chastising them for not recognizing him; he’s not blaming them for questioning what the women saw.  Jesus is wanting to know why they can’t simply believe all that the prophets said?  “You’ve been told over and over – but you still don’t see what’s going on.  Don't you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?  We’ve been over this!”
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If they had given consideration to the prophets – if they had taken the time to believe in the primacy of Scripture, the authority of Scripture – it they had simply believed what was given to them plain and simple – they would have no need to dig through this because that work would have been done.  They would have been prepared and expecting this to happen just this way. Prepared for the harvest time, if you will. They would have known that the Messiah was going to suffer and die and rise again.  They would have understood that this is HOW Israel is going to be redeemed. 

Jesus had told them what was going to happen.  The Scriptures told them what to expect – had they never read Daniel? Had they never studied Isaiah?  Christ HAD to suffer.  The prophets are clear about this.  The Savior cannot be the Savior without the suffering and the glory that follows.  Jesus’ suffering didn’t take away from his being the Messiah – it actually proved who he was! 

Jesus is saying:  isn’t this just exactly what is SUPPOSED to happen?  Isn’t this exactly what should happen to the One God sends?  Isn’t this exactly right if Israel is really going to be set free?  There are no more sacrifices that have to be made to free God’s people from oppression.  The Messiah has taken away that need.  In Jesus, the promise of the Messiah is fulfilled.  His sacrifice for our sins has saved us – has set us free from sin.  God has provided for us – has taken the initiative to act on our behalf – us, we who are powerless to act on our own behalf.  God has identified with us, come to live among us, taken on all our troubles, and secured our future… all through Jesus Christ, his living, suffering, dying and now his LIVING again! 

And Jesus is explaining to them what all this means – what the Scriptures mean – and that it all makes sense – but they just can’t see it.  They aren’t looking with their eyes of faith, and they just can’t grasp it. 

Augustine said:  Understanding is the reward of faith.  So don’t try to understand so that you can believe, but believe so that you can understand. 
Believe so that you can understand!  Believe so that your eyes are opened and then you can see!  It takes faith – TRUST that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world – ONLY then, will we begin to understand, and the pieces will begin to fall into place.  And all of them may not ever fall into place for us – that’s why it’s called faith, that’s why it’s called the mystery of faith. 

The mystery of faith is something we proclaim each time we have Holy Communion:  Christ has died.  Christ is RISEN.  Christ WILL come again! It’s powerful!

Don’t you see:  Jesus – the risen, living Savior – through his resurrection, has returned to us.  He is here with us.  Alive.  The resurrection isn’t something we want or something that comes from inside of us… the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a gift given TO us by our loving and living God.  Being a Christian and having faith means we get that.  And we get it to the point where we are lifelong learners… people who HAVE to immerse ourselves in the pursuit of relationship with Jesus. 

When we do move toward the kind of faith that allows our eyes to be opened – nothing can come between us and our Savior.  We are able to see a clear path cut for us, just like that tilling of the dirt in the spring.  We’ve been kind of ragged and weedy for so long during the winter months of our lives, but we are growing with deep lush understanding and new growth.  With transformed faith, we are able to see the growth, and taste the freshnesss, and enjoy a renewed relationship with our Lord.  We are claiming what happens next!  We are resurrection people! 
 
God of grace and glory, we thank you that you judge us not by the perfection of our actions, but by our readiness to live boldly by faith. Help us to trust you and follow where you lead, that in Christ, your name may be glorified in the newness of all the earth. Amen.

"With Great Power"

So that very night – remember, Mary just went to the tomb this morning, just ran and told everyone this morning, talked to Jesus in the garden this morning – and tonight, the disciples are gathered together, and they have locked themselves in because they are afraid the Jews will be coming after them next. 

What they have witnessed has been brutal.  These are dangerous times – you can’t trust just anyone. 

Can you imagine the chatter?  Can you imagine all the talk about Jesus’ death and what has happened to them in the past few days and what in the world is going on now with his body missing?  Could it really be that he is alive?  They’d seen him die.  They saw him wrapped for burial and placed into the tomb.  But sure enough that stone was pushed out of the way, and he wasn’t in there this morning.  And Mary says she TALKED to him.  Can this really be happening just as he had told them it would happen? 

And then all of a sudden, inside that locked room with them, there he is.  Standing right there with them saying to them “Peace be with you.”  Oh, when I think about the turmoil these folks have lived through in the past week and all of a sudden there is Jesus saying those words:  “Peace be with you.”  The excitement is certainly undeniable – they are thrilled to see him – I think maybe they would have been relieved to even catch a glimpse of his lifeless body – but he is there ALIVE and offering them peace on top of that!  What a comfort to know that not even locked doors can keep Jesus Christ out of our midst.  Even when Christians have to stay at home, isolated from church gatherings, socially distanced from others – even when we have to meet through technology – the presence of Jesus Christ cannot be shut out. 

And there in that closed room – locked away from the rest of the world – he breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit.”  What a gift!  As if being alive weren’t gift enough.  And this gift keeps on giving!  When we gather – even through technology – when we gather as the community of faith in times of intentional holiness, the Spirit of God is breathed right into us.  But that’s a story for another time – that’s coming up in a few weeks, but for now...

For this morning, at this time, in this scripture, this story keeps going!  Jesus tells his friends that they have more power than they realize.  He explains that they have the power to forgive and that if they will use that power and forgive people, then sure enough people will be forgiven. Jesus then gives a warning that has echoed through generations.

In more recent years, we’ve heard this warning from a variety of sources. From the French National Convention in the 1700s, to British Parliament in the 1800s… from Winston Churchill in the 1900s, right down to SpiderMan in the 2000s.

Jesus warns the disciples that “with great power comes great responsibility.” Now Peter Parker may not have been talking about forgiveness, but the reasoning is the same. The disciples – and now that includes us today – we have great power. Power to forgive. If we truly forgive, then others receive the blessing of living free and clear of that burden. However, if followers of Jesus do not forgive others, then people will not be forgiven – and what would happen to them then? 

Now this power to forgive sins isn’t given so that disciples of Christ may be judgmental.  No, just the opposite is true.  The power of forgiveness is a mark by which we are identified.  We may be distinguished from non-Jesus-Christ-followers because we are the ones who are to be known by our willingness to forgive!  We are the ones who are to build up one another through our holy living, not tear one another down. We are the ones who are to find the good, the happy, the accepting way of living – we are to be accepting of one another even in our shortcomings.  When we sin, we have the power and responsibility to forgive one another. 

And there are no given degrees of forgiving here. When we sin – and Paul reminds us that we all do, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God – when we sin, when we fall, the mark of true Christians is that we forgive. Jesus is spelling it out for us here that we will eventually be judged by God based on this. This is big picture/end time stuff, coming from someone who is supposed to be very dead!
 
Now the big catch in all of this is that one disciple who is missing on this night, Thomas, has stepped out to run over to Sherry’s Bakery for a really good donut, and he isn’t with the rest of them to see Jesus. 
So he misses the big reveal, and when he comes back, they’re all trying to talk at the same time and tell him that Jesus was here! And Thomas says: “Nope, I already gave every part of me to this idea the first time. This time I need to see it before I make myself vulnerable again. My heart was broken just a couple of days ago.  I’m not going through that again. Not unless I can see that it is real.” 

Thomas didn’t have the proof, and it was hard for him to accept something just because someone said so. It wasn’t enough to hear Mary’s story. It wasn’t enough that the other disciples wanted him to believe. It wasn’t enough to know that the others had experienced the risen Christ. Thomas needed to see with his own eyes – needed to have the experience himself.  He was going to have to see Jesus on his own terms or not at all. 
 
And so… he waits… for an entire week… he waits. I don’t know about you, but for me is seems that Easter was more like a month ago, rather than a few days. And I’m not sitting around with a bunch of friends trying to change the very core of what I’m believing.

Thomas eats every meal with a bunch of people who can’t seem to talk about anything else.  He goes to bed each night, not understanding and not sure what he believes anymore.  A whole week of wondering and pondering and mourning – a whole week later thinking “what happens next?”  And then… Jesus accommodates Thomas – meets him where he is. 

Just as he showed his scars to the disciples the week before, he now shows them to Thomas.  They all knew what they were looking at.  They knew about crucifixion.  They knew how the Romans had driven nails through his hands – some of them had seen his side pierced with a spear.  Those actions would have left marks – scars.  And scars are proof, confirmation of wounds, in this case proof of injustice.  Horrible nasty proof of the sacrifice that was made. Thomas was face-to-face with the wounds and the scars, face to face with the risen Lord – Jesus, who doesn’t hide in his perfection but wears the scars of victory.

But those scars are also proof that death doesn’t win – it’s been exposed as a false victor.  It’s sting has been removed.  And Thomas is told to stop doubting and believe. 

Now we like to call him Doubting Thomas, but the Greek here doesn’t really translate as doubt.  The word for doubt is used in other places very plainly – remember Jesus saying something like:  “Peter, you silly sinking man.  You can’t walk on the water because you doubted – why did you doubt?”  The word used there is clearly doubt. 

The word here, though, is more about faith and believing.  “Thomas, stop disbelieving and believe.  Stop questioning your faith – you’ve gotten this right for the past three years that you’ve been with me.  You’ve followed, and obeyed, and done everything in a good and right, faithful, believing way.  Don’t let go of that now.”

And Thomas does something the others haven’t done.  He responds to Jesus’ calling him: "My Lord and my God!"  This is confessional, this is personal, this is relational.  Thomas is claiming Jesus as his own.  He doesn’t say “you are God” – he says “MY God.” 

And Jesus doesn’t correct him.  Jesus allows Thomas to recognize him as God, allows Thomas to make it personal – allows Thomas to worship him. 
And Jesus says “Good for you Thomas – you believe.  But blessed are those who believe without the proof.” 

And there it is – the focus leaves Thomas and the disciples who have seen, and moves to us – we who do not have the benefit of such a physical encounter.  It’s as if the spotlight on the disciples fades and the houselights come up – and here we sit in the theatre of life, the future of Christianity right here resting on us. 

We don’t have that hard-core physical proof.  We have the stories of the Bible, we have the witnesses who give us the details of their experiences, we read that Mary was there, we hear Thomas calling Jesus “God.” We have the information – but I can’t put my finger into the scars where the nails were.  I can’t place my hand into Jesus’ side where the spear was.  I can’t prove anything – but I believe. 

I believe that Jesus Christ did rise from the grave.  I believe that Jesus still meets us where we are.  I believe that the Good News is that Jesus lives!  I believe in the promise of the resurrection.  I believe that not even death can defeat our Lord. 

And because I believe, I see, without doubt, without question, that Jesus IS Lord.   I claim him as my own, and with this claim I have to tell others that Jesus is Lord.  And with your claim, you have to tell others that Jesus is Lord. 

We can all listen on Facebook or YouTube this week and then turn it off and wait for next week to come around. When the stay-at-home orders are ended, we can all come together and sit in a worship service week after week and then go home and wait to come back the next week – and we could let that be the end of it. But if you know in your heart that Jesus is Lord, then how can you keep that to yourself? 

People all around us need to know what happens next!  To know the powerful personal proof that only comes through faith and believing.And we are to tell the stories in the context of forgiveness and acceptance.

We have left the barren, reflective season of Lent behind us, and we are moving through the Easter season filled again with Alleluias!  We are marching through these forty days of Easter experiencing the Living Risen Savior, and we are looking ahead to his ascension into heaven where he waits for us now.  We have read the end of the book.  We know what happens next!  And whether we are together every day or separated for a time, it’s powerful.  And it’s personal.  And that’s our proof. 

SERMON – Clothed in Love
I remember in my growing up years, my brother and I would receive new clothes three times a year.  Once in the fall, we would have a day that my mother would call “school shopping.”  We took really good care of those clothes because they would have to last us an entire school year so we’d come home from school every day and Mom would say:  “Put on your play clothes” because school clothes were special.  

The second time we would get new clothes would be Christmas – but those clothes were usually things to replace the clothes we had worn out or outgrown since the school shopping.  At the very least, they would complement the special school shopping clothes, but still they were special.
But the time when the whole family would get new clothes, not just the children but the whole family – was Easter, and everybody would always get a new church outfit.   And that outfit was the most special thing I would get all year – a new Easter dress.  And every Easter Sunday morning, we’d all wake up and get to wear our special new clothes.
 
Why do we always get new clothes for Easter?  Well, it may go back to the early Church when newly baptized Christians came up out of the water and were wrapped in a new white robe and anointed with fragrant oil to represent their special new lives.  And the whole church celebrated the death to their old ways of living, and the whole church celebrated their new life in Jesus Christ.  It was a whole new life!  I have even read that they would wear their new white clothes all through that next week to symbolize that they had been cleansed from sin.  Other Christians would dress in new clothes too, to show that they had also risen to a whole new life in Christ. 

Now, this year may look a bit different to us. I certainly didn’t have an opportunity to shop for a new Easter outfit, and I’m not with my friends at church admiring their new Easter clothes… social distancing in the midst of a worldwide pandemic has created a season like nothing else in my lifetime.  

The Divine Street family is not gathered in our beautiful worship space with our stained glass windows and our glorious singing with choir anthems and organ music. Trumpets are not announcing the Risen Savior. We are not robed in celebratory reverence. The cross is not processing down the center aisle. This looks and feels different than any other Easter we can remember. And we don’t have to like it. We aren’t expected to like it. It’s not what we want… and yet… this morning isn’t about what we want.

Even a global crisis like this one cannot cancel our morning to celebrate whole and new life in Christ.  Look around you – around your yard and your neighborhood – the symbols of new life are everywhere!  The flowers, the flowering of the cross out on the sidewalk at our church, the church bells sounding out so gloriously this morning, people staying safe distances from one another but out and walking and waving to neighbors, and of course the butterflies that are beginning to be all around us.  All of it is to remind you of the Living Christ who has been resurrected from the dead!  It’s a whole new life and we are clothed in Love!

Mary Magdalene is reminded of new life on that first Easter morning – but not at first.  Not only will she not have a new outfit this morning, she also will not be living into the “whole new life” outlook. 

Mary comes from Magdala – a town looked down on by the religious righteous so the Jews don’t think much of her.  Strike one. 

Also, she was a woman – in this setting, she is a second class citizen. Strike two.

And Jesus has healed her of her demons – people would have seen those demons as a sign of God’s disapproval. Strike three.

So even though she has experienced her very own miracle, even though she has followed Jesus and worshipped him as the Messiah, Mary of Magdala has three strikes against her – and she was at the foot of the cross, stood right beside John and Jesus’ mother, and she saw Jesus die.  So to her thinking on this morning, there are no butterflies, no new shopping trips, no new outfits – and certainly no new life.  Mary is up early on this morning to ache and be miserable. 

As the women approach the tomb, they cling tightly to their spices. They’ve come to wrap Jesus’ dead body in the proper way.  Things happened too quickly just a couple of days earlier.  Jesus died and was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb, and these women need to mourn a bit and to care for his body – Mary of Magdala carries with her the spices needed to anoint the body of the dead.   

They go early in the morning while it is still dark – a lot like we might typically gather this morning before the sun comes up.  Now when we have a sunrise service, we gather in anticipation of the light.  Mary, however, is possibly approaching in darkness because that may be a little bit safer.  Everyone is still on edge, and those in charge have even placed guards at Jesus’ tomb.

And Mary carefully approaches the tomb probably gathering the words in her mind that she will use to persuade those soldiers to move that stone and let her in to care for Jesus’ lifeless body.  I think a part of her own life has died in these past days. 

But suddenly the earth begins to shake under their feet as God’s angel comes right up to them, and rolls back the stone and sits on it.  Lightning is blazing; his garments are shining.  The soldiers are so scared they can’t move.  And the angel begins to reassure the women.

 “Don’t be afraid.  I know why you’re here.  You’re looking for Jesus – the One they nailed to the cross.  He is not here.  He was raised just like he told you.  Come on in and look in here.  He’s not here, and he is not dead.  He has a whole new life!  Go tell everybody!”  And as she runs to tell the disciples, Mary runs right into Jesus himself.

Can you imagine this moment?! Think of it… Mary Magdalene is healed by Jesus and receives her own miracle, is completely dedicated to Jesus and worships and follows him, is there when he is crucified, is there when he dies standing right there by John, is there when he is buried, is the first to understand that Jesus has risen from the dead, is the first to realize that Jesus is alive, is the first to see him alive, and is the first to tell the others.  No wonder Augustine called her “The Apostle to the Apostles.” 

With all this floating around in her head, Mary understands that, even though she does not have new Easter clothes, she is dressed in the new garments of Jesus Christ, dressed for a whole new life – just as we are this morning! Not in new Easter outfits for our friends to see, but with hearts dressed as Resurrection People! It’s a whole new life!

Church, we are celebrating new life in Christ this morning!  As the sun rises every day, we are able to look around and see the symbols of new life are everywhere!  Yellow pollen is everywhere blowing off the pines. Annoying for our cars and our breathing – but it represents new life springing forth.  The flowers are blooming all over town.  Azaleas and dogwoods and Iris, oh my! Grass is looking green again; forsythia is blooming. And if you haven’t already, it won’t be long before you see butterflies everywhere. All of it reminds us of the Living Christ who has been resurrected from the dead! 

God looked down on this world of ours, generation after generation of us messing things up, and God said “After all this time, over and over working to get these people back to the life I intended for them in the first place… they just aren’t getting it. I’m going to have to go down there. I love them that much.” And God did just that. God came to earth in human form… as Jesus.
You know, there are always consequences to actions. There are penalties that have to be paid. And the only way to clean up the mess we had made, was for God (in the human form of Jesus) to take all our mistakes, all our burdens, all our shortcomings – take all our wrongs off our own shoulders, place all that weight squarely on his own shoulders, and then die and carry all our sins to the grave – fully paying our penalties. It’s done. But that wasn’t the end of the story. It isn’t even the best part!

After being completely dead for three days, Jesus – having already conquered sin – rose up from being dead – conquered death. Jesus lives again, will live forever, rules over everything, invites us to live forever with him, and is coming back for us!

We are facing a whole new life, but don’t be afraid.  We may not be able to physically meet Jesus like Mary did, but we can certainly meet him spiritually.  We can get to know him in our hearts.  We can find a whole new life through Jesus.  We can overcome our demons, our anxieties, our fears, our troubles.  We can lose our old selves, get rid of the past pain, and be dressed in the new garments of Jesus Christ – your new Easter outfit! 

All we have to do is accept that Jesus has given us this gift because we are loved by God. Once that acceptance is in place, then we respond from our hearts, loving God back and loving one another. It’s a whole new life and you are clothed in Love!  

CHATTY EXPECTATIONS
​What a beautiful, celebratory, victorious morning this is! Oh, it looks a little different than what we may be use to seeing on a Palm Sunday. There have been no chatty greetings among friends, no excited anticipation in the air. There have been no children running in the Sanctuary happy and waving and smiling, and the choir has not processed or led the glorious hymns. There are no trumpets. But none of that changes that this morning is beautiful, celebratory and victorious!

I can only imagine that even if we were able to be together waving palm branches and singing at the top of our lungs – I imagine that our best offerings and chatter and hype would pale in comparison to that day when Jesus entered into the gates of Jerusalem. 
 
This really is a sight to be seen.  Remember, Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead.  There’s all kinds of chatter and hype over that.  Huge crowds of people are gathering to prepare for the Passover feast so there’s all kinds of chatter and hype over that.  Jesus’ approval rating is definitely in double digits, and there’s all kinds of chatter and hype over that.  People are beside themselves with excitement and anticipation, and here he comes – entering into the city in the exact way the Messiah is expected. 

Now I do love a good parade, but this is better than the Fourth of July, the Rose Bowl parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade all rolled into one parade!  People are excited and chatty – they are laying down their coats and huge palm limbs to make a red carpet moment.  And they’ve been expecting this for generations!

You see, about 550 years earlier, the prophet Zechariah had said:  “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!  Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey...”  and Zechariah continues to prophesy:  “He will proclaim peace to the nations.  His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

The people are familiar with this prophecy – they know their scripture – they know the stories, know the prophecies – so when Jesus “comes righteous and victorious” (Remember Lazarus?  You don’t get much more righteous or victorious than raising someone from being dead.) when Jesus “comes lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey…” when Jesus enters the city this way, the people recognize the signs.

They recognize the prophecy coming alive before their eyes, and they understand the symbolism that is unfolding.  A great warrior king would have entered on a stallion.  Entering the gates on a donkey, and the colt of a donkey, not only fulfills the prophecy, it also indicates that Jesus is coming as a leader of peace. 
 
Now, I want to pause here for just a minute to kind of peel off some layers of this story.  If two men I didn’t know had approached me this morning in my driveway and said “hey, how about giving us the keys to your car because the preacher down the street needs it...”  Well, I’m not too confident that I would have handed over my keys – and I know the preacher down the street! But that’s my car, and I don’t know these guys. 

This donkey and her colt would have been valuable property – more than likely, they would have been a means of working, used for carrying and delivery.  But these guys say, “hey, the Lord needs them” and off they go. 
Actually in the Greek, it translates “the Lord of them has need” or “The Lord’s animals are needed.” 

That’s what I find remarkable about this part of the story. First:  “The Lord’s animals are needed” tells me that everything we have already belongs to God.  These are “the Lord’s animals” and God has work to do in this moment with God’s own possessions.  Second:  because these are work animals, Jesus is utilizing something that represents the people’s work to carry out his ministry and his mission.  Third:  Jesus’ authority is recognized when he isn’t even in sight. And finally: these animals have never been ridden so they represent a kind of purity, they are appropriate for holy work. 

So:  Everything belongs to Jesus in the first place.  Jesus uses people’s work for his purposes. His authority has no limits.  And purity is needed for holy purposes. 
 
To me, it sounds like nothing has changed even to this day.  I believe everything in creation belongs to the creator.  I believe we are the hands and feet of Jesus in the world today.  I believe Jesus is Lord – which gives him absolute authority.  I believe we are to approach our everyday living with a pureness of heart that glorifies God. 

So looking at Zechariah’s prophecy today, we also understand why the people are told to rejoice greatly and shout.  “See your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey.” And the people are responding with great rejoicing and certainly with shouting.  They are preparing the way for the savior of their world.  They are creating a pathway of honor buy laying down their very clothes.  They are laying palm branches on the street and waving them in the air in celebration.  This is the greatest parade ever!  This is the One – the One who will lead God’s people to peace – the chatter includes speculation that this man will reclaim the nation for God and lead the revolt against the Romans. 

The people are in a frenzy of emotion – you can feel it in the air – excitement and anticipation.  The people are shouting and singing and clapping along.  God is among God’s people! 
 
And remember how Jesus has always been moving his ministry toward Jerusalem.  And how he has always said he has more work to do so nobody is to talk about who he really is yet?  That’s not happening here.  Here, Jesus is arriving.  He is making his entry into Jerusalem as the Savior of the world.  Let’s go back to that last sentence in this morning’s scripture:  “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" And Jesus is letting them say it.  Here he is, taking his place, fulfilling his role – he is allowing everyone to say who he is.  The people have been expecting a messiah from the lineage of David.  Jesus is this Messiah! He is the Champion, the Liberator, the Leader, the Defender, the High Priest and Anointed One!

The whole city is in chaos!  If the children had been able to run in this morning and the youth had exploded on the scene and there had been music and drums and clapping and singing – it may have felt a little chaotic to you.  But you would have been expected to join in. 

Just as you are expected to join in the chaos of continuing Jesus’ work every day.  God calls you not only to watch the parade, but to join in the parade!  Not only to wave as the Messiah passes by, but to follow along and continue the work that has begun. 

Oh, it’s risky.  Jesus’ path led straight to the cross – we are going to explore that all week in things like our online Stations of the Cross and our Good Friday service.  But just as Jesus’ path led straight to the cross, we are to take up our own cross and continue to go wherever God leads us.  We are called to follow.  We are called to stand for justice and against oppression.  We are called to carry on the work and make changes in a world that (to this day) continues to need Jesus. 

Will you join the parade?  Will you wave your branch and throw down your coat and supply your donkey, your work force, to usher in the Love of Christ in a way that changes the world?  You know, at this time in our lives, it’s going to take some creativity and some courage to do this work. This is risky. Maybe we can’t be together in person right now, but we can have a presence in the lives of others. Are you willing to claim Jesus on your Facebook page and delete every negative thing you have ever posted? Are you willing to call someone and show the Love of Christ – even if you’ve argued, even if you disagree? How are you going to usher in the Love of Christ? Because even though it’s risky – even though it challenges us to put ourselves out there – we know that the story doesn’t end at the cross. 
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After we travel through this difficult week toward the cross, we get to have Easter!  We get to come out on the other side of the resurrection with the promise of eternal life.  As the psalmist reminded us just this morning: Thanks be to God whose steadfast love endures forever!