Sunday, April 13, 2014

Palm Sunday--the witness to the Kingdom

Palm Sunday is the last Sunday before Easter, when the church recognizes and reflects on Jesus' "triumphant entry" into Jerusalem.  This story is told in all four Gospels: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19 and John 12.  As is typical, each Gospel author tells the story with slightly different emphases, which helps our work as we interpret Jesus' actions on that fateful day as he last entered the city of Jerusalem.  According to the story, Jesus instructs his disciples to enter the next village (presumably a village on the way to Jerusalem, such as a "suburb" for us today) and find him a colt tied up with his mother donkey, and bring it to him to use.  This colt, as Mark and Luke point out, must be a colt that "has never been ridden" (NRSV).  Then, upon this colt Jesus rides into Jerusalem, as people in the city place cloaks and tree branches over the road (palm branches are mentioned specifically in John), crying "Hosanna!".  In Matthew the evangelist informs us that Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on the back of a colt, the foal of a donkey, is tied to Zechariah 9:9, a prophecy about the arrival of the Messiah.  

Let's look more closely at Zechariah.  This is one of the minor prophets of the Old Testament, located at the end of the Old Testament according to traditional Christian canon.  Sure enough, in verse 9 we see the following prophecy: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!  Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!  Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."  The second half of this verse is cited in Matthew 21, but what caught my attention was that in Mark and Luke, we are told that this colt must be one which "has never been ridden", although the prophecy doesn't mention anything about this.  Why must this colt never be ridden?  What is Jesus trying to say or do here?  Just as with much of Scripture, we need to be attune to the subtler details of the Word in order to grasp its fuller depths and its message for us today.

Now Jesus' fulfillment of prophecy in Zechariah is certainly important; but perhaps what would have been more striking and relevant to the Jews who watched as Jesus entered would be the fact that he was riding upon a donkey.  Why would this matter?  Think back to that one Sunday school class where your instructor left you bored out of your mind discussing the laws of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and you discussed the principle of "clean" and "unclean" in Jewish law.  The Book of Leviticus is extremely helpful, and Leviticus 11 gives us exactly what we need.  I recommend you read the entire chapter for its context, but in summary, let us consider Leviticus 11:26 to guide our understanding: "Every animal that has divided hoofs but is not cleft-footed or does not chew the cud is unclean for you; everyone who touches one of them shall be unclean."  In case you are like me and you have no idea if donkeys chew cud, if you look up the answer online, the answer is no!  Donkeys are in the category in Jewish law of "unclean" animals, which has serious bearing on our story for Jesus' triumphant entry.

Now whether or not Jews typically thought of merely riding donkeys as "unclean" is not within the boundaries of our discussion today; the fact is that the promised Messiah is riding in on an animal whose flesh is considered "unclean"!  To those who did not take Zechariah seriously, or were not aware of his prophecy, would likely have found it unusual for any kind of leader to be riding a colt around town.  Imagine if the President of the US or any other country were to show up to Inaugeration Day on a young donkey!  You get the idea.

But a colt wasn't all that Christ asked for--it had to be a colt that had never been ridden before.  Some commentators suggest that the donkey had to be "new" or "clean" for Christ to ride, as he was the Son of God, but not only does that not fit the picture of Jesus we know through Scripture, it's simply not possible for an "unclean" animal to be redeemed of its condition!  Leviticus has a series of laws for cleanliness in human beings, for people with skin lesions or other biological issues, which makes one "unclean", to undergo specific rituals and cleanings to be declared "clean" once again.  But there is no such possibility for animals--once unclean, always unclean.  They cannot escape their uncleanliness, no matter how "new" or "fresh" they may be.

That sounds a lot like Paul's description of sin in Romans 7.  If you read this epistle closely, you will find, especially in 7:14-25, that Paul describes sin as a situation of "slavery".  Sin is not something which we can escape on our own, nor is it something we have power over.  In fact, verse 19 suggests that sin is virtually autonomous within us, a separate agent or force which acts despite our knowledge of right and wrong: "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do."  Even more important for our discussion today is how Paul describes, in verse 18, the connection between this sin and the body: "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh."  The word choice of "flesh" here is probably very intentional, for Paul was a Pharisee, highly skilled and knowledgeable in the Law.  And this is the word used in Leviticus 11:8 to directly describe the connection between flesh and uncleanliness we have already described: "Of their [unclean animals] flesh you shall not touch; they are unclean for you."

The problem with the colt is deep within his members--it's within his very flesh.  The flesh of this creature is unclean, and this is not something that can easily be wiped away.  A cloak on his back surely does not cover his uncleanliness, nor does it do away with the scandal of Jesus Christ's "triumphant" entry into Jerusalem on the back of this second-rate beast of burden.  But Christ still calls this foal out to be his ride, to carry his burden into town.  Christ, in asking for this particular colt, calls attention to his desire for this colt to have carried no other burden or yoke apart from Jesus.  And upon this colt, this unclean creature, Christ will enter into Jerusalem, making a profound statement, confounding all who witnessed.

This story is not about waving palm branches to mark Jesus' emminent victory.  Like much of Jesus' ministry, this story is a parable, not one that he spoke with his words, but one he enacted through his life and ministry.  In this parable, like in any other, we find ourselves wondering where we fit into the story, as Christ's parables function in a manner that allows us to be part of the action, even though it was so far in the past.  Typically, we find ourselves on the sidelines waving Christ into town, crying "Hosanna!"  But we are not Jews; we are gentiles, at least most of us are.  Sometimes we fancy ourselves to be Jesus' disciples in such stories, but again, we are not among his people; we are gentiles, unclean people, who have been invited into the story only after we made any sense of it.  No, in this story, we are not waving palm branches, and we are not his disciples--we are the donkey.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus, who is proclaiming truth in the cities, declares to all: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Even though the colt is unclean and cannot escape the flesh that he bears which makes him unclean, Jesus chooses this colt, aware of his presence even before arriving to his village.  He calls that colt out and chooses this colt to bear his yoke as he processes into town.  And it will be on the back of this animal--not by himself--that Jesus will enter Jerusalem and begin the final week of his mission on earth.  Jesus does not choose a clean animal, but he does emphasize the importance that this animal bear Jesus' yoke, and his yoke alone.  

Likewise, we are called out by Jesus as gentiles to bear his yoke, which is light and easy, rather than bearing the heavy yoke of our sins.  Even though we are unclean, Jesus is not afraid to touch us--he is not afraid of being close to us--he is not even afraid of what his Jewish brothers and sisters will make of it.  He insists that we, even in our sinful flesh, will be the ones who bear the weight of Christ into Jerusalem, the epicenter of his own culture and faith.  And we are the ones who will march around the city streets for all to see that Christ Jesus has arrived to set the people free.  It is on the back of sinners that Christ has chosen to be made visible in this world; he does not choose to be made visible without their presence.

While the original Holy Week is long gone, we continue to live out Christ's ministry and witness on earth, every day.  It is essential that we understand our role in proclaiming Jesus Christ to others.  To be sure, Christ is fully God while he came "in the likeness of the flesh"; I suppose if he desired, he would be able to reveal himself wherever he pleased at any time.  But Christ chooses for us to witness to his message rather than go above our heads and do it without us.  Think about it--God loved the world so much that he sent Jesus Christ to be alongside us, not apart from us, to commune with us, and to lift our burdens from us in solidarity with those who had the least to hope for.  What part of Christ's witness leads us to believe that he wants anything but a full and robust relationship with each and every one of us?

As we continue our lives day by day, it is essential that we put Christ on display, front and center stage, in all that we do, everywhere we go.  Sure, we may think that everyone in America knows Christ, but all too often, they know about a very different Jesus, one who is oppressive, one who hates people who are poor or poor in spirit, one who only selects a few righteous people to be around him.  This is not the Christ of Scripture, it is not the Christ that we know, and it is not the Christ who wants to be in community with all of his brothers and sisters on earth.  Now perhaps more than ever, as God's people we need to make clear the yoke that we carry, for it is one which is delightful, easy and light!  And Palm Sunday is an excellent time to open up this conversation, and emphasize the radical, scandalous love that God has for you, and everyone else.  

This Palm Sunday, let us consider what it means for us to be the donkey in this scenario.  How might we change our Holy Week activities with this newfound understanding?  How might we have our ideas of witness and mission transformed by this new perspective?  What does it tell us about God's love, or how we are supposed to love those in our community who are "unclean" by American standards?  I hope that by considering Jesus' parable in the story of his triumphant entry that you are inspired to pray deeply and discern how God is calling you into a different kind of lifestyle.  Change is hard to do, and takes time, effort and discernment.  But don't worry about making an ass of yourself--if you get out there, bearing the yoke of Christ Jesus, parading his truth for all to see in the streets, you will likely be called a fool by many.  But just maybe, you'll find those who are willing to throw you a few palm branches as well, making your path smoother, easier and to help guide you on your journey to the cross.

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