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“TheStonesareShouting”

Rev.DavidGregory

April14,2019PalmSunday

FirstreadingMarcusBorginTheLastWeek

JesusenteredJerusalemfromtheeastinaprocessionridingonadonkeycheeredbyhisfollowers.Atthesametime,aRomanimperialprocessionoftroopsandcavalryenteredthecityfromthewest,headedbyPilate.TheirpurposewastoreinforcetheRomangarrisonstationednearthetemplefortheseasonofPassover,whentens(hundreds?)ofthousandsofJewishpilgrimsfilledthecity.ThecontrastbetweenJesus’entryandtheimperialentrysoundsthecentralconflictthatunfoldsduringtherestoftheweek.Jesus’modeofentrywassymbolic,signifyingthatthekingdomofwhichhespokewasakingdomofpeace.AccordingtotheprophetZechariah,thekingenteringJerusalemonadonkeywastobanishtheweaponsofwarfromthelandandspeakpeacetothenations.ThekingdomofRomeontheotherhandwasbasedonviolenceandthethreatofviolence.ItisclearJesuspre-arrangedthiswayofenteringthecity.Inmodernlanguage,itwasaplannedpoliticaldemonstration.

SecondreadingLuke19:29-40,fromtheCommonEnglishBible

AsJesuscametoBethphageandBethanyontheMountofOlives,hegavetwodisciplesatask.Hesaid,“Gointothevillageoverthere.Whenyouenterit,youwillfindtiedupthereacoltthatnoonehaseverridden.Untieitandbringithere.Ifanyoneasks,‘Whyareyouuntyingit?’justsay,‘Itsmasterneedsit.’”

Thosewhohadbeensentfounditexactlyashehadsaid.Astheywereuntyingthecolt,itsownerssaidtothem,“Whyareyouuntyingthecolt?”Theyreplied,“Itsmasterneedsit.”TheybroughtittoJesus,threwtheirclothesonthecolt,andliftedJesusontoit.AsJesusrodealong,theyspreadtheirclothesontheroad.

AsJesusapproachedtheroadleadingdownfromtheMountofOlives,thewholethrongofhisdisciplesbeganrejoicing.TheypraisedGodwithaloudvoicebecauseofallthemightythingstheyhadseen.Theysaid,

“BlessingsonthekingwhocomesinthenameoftheLord. Peaceinheavenandgloryinthehighestheavens.”

SomeofthePhariseesfromthecrowdsaidtoJesus,“Teacher,scoldyourdisciples!Tellthemtostop!”Heanswered“Itellyou,iftheyweresilent,thestoneswouldshout.”

Christ’sEntryIntoJerusalemJeanHippolyteFlandrin

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Theysaythatpracticemakesperfect.Wherespiritualityisconcerned,Iwouldshyawayfromtheword“perfect,”butduringthelastsixweeks,we’vecertainlybeenpracticing.We’vebeenfindingourground,securingourfoundations,andthenbuildinguponthem.It’snotthatthesethingsdon’thappenatanyothertimeoftheyear,butintherootsofourtraditiontherearetimeslikeAdventandLent,whicharethefinetuning.Rememberfinetuning?Forthoseofyoutooyoungtoremember,finetuningsortofwentoutwiththerotarytelephone.Televisionsoncehaddialswithnumbersrepresentingtwelveorthirteenchannels.ThreeorfourofthemwouldleadyoutoanactualTVstation,andiftheantennaonyourTVoronthetopofyourhousewasn’taimedexactlyright,thepicturecouldbesnowy.Ontheoutsideofthisdialtherewasanotherdial,allowingyoutofinetunethefrequency,andhopefullygetaclearer,lessobstructedpicture.We’vebeenonajourneytogetheroffinetuning,andasweenterthisholyweek,itismyhopethatthingsaremuchclearerforusthantheywerewhenwestarted.

ThestoryofJesusandhisso-calledtriumphalentryintoJerusalemhasoftenbeendramatizedforus,occasionallyinthemovies,butmoreoftenbychildrenwavingpalmbranchesontheSundaybeforeEaster.Itisanepisodethatappearsinallfourgospelportraits.ThismorningwehaveitastoldbyLuke,whodoesn’tmentionanypalmbranchesatall.Hejusttalksaboutallofthecloaksthatwerestrewninthepath.IfweonlyhadLuke,thenIguesswe’dcallthisCloakSunday,whichwouldchangethetoneofitentirely.Throwingourjacketsonthefloorseemsalotlessexciting,somehow.

Oneofthemostimportantfeaturesofthisstoryisn’tfoundintheBibleatall,butitcomestousfromothersources,whichtellusmoreaboutPontiusPilate,theRomanprefectrulingoverJudeaforaten-yearperiod,includingthepublicministryandexecutionofJesusofNazareth.EveryyearleadingintoPassover,PilatewouldrideintothewesterngateofthecityofJerusaleminashowofmilitarypower.TheRomanssawthisparadeasareminderforthethousandsofJewscongregatingforPassover,thattheyshouldn’thaveanybrightideasaboutcreatinganuprising.ThisshowofrawRomanpowerwasmeanttoquellanyunrestthatmighthappen,andtherewereplentyoftheJewishelitewhowerereadyandwillingtoassisttheRomansinkeepingthepeace.Jesusandhisfollowerswerenotpartofthatelite.Theirswasapoorpeople’scampaignacrossthecountryside,agatheringstormofdesperatepeoplelookingforsomeonetotakeuptheircause.ItwasbecomingincreasinglycleartothemthatJesuscouldbetheirMessiah.(InLukewedon’thearthecriesof“Hosanna”thatwehearinothergospels,but“Hosanna”simplymeans“Saveusnow,andmakeitsnappy”(myparaphrase).)

TheHebrewprophetZechariahhadsaidthatakingwouldenterJerusalemridingonadonkeytobanishtheweaponsofwarandestablishakingdomofpeace.ThekingdomofRome,ontheotherhand,wasruledbythreats,intimidation,andviolence.Thecontrastcouldnotbeclearer:Pilatecominginfromthewestwithpowerandpageantry,threateningretaliationforillbehavior,andJesusridinginfromtheeastonadonkey,steppingonacarpetofwhateverpeoplecouldfindtothrowdownthere,andincitingtheexactillbehaviorPilatewastryingtocheck.SoonafterenteringJerusalem,Jesusdidtheunthinkable.Hemadehiswayintothetemplecourtswheresacrificialanimalswerebeingboughtandsold,andwentintoanangrytirade,lettinganimalslooseandoverturningallofthecashierstations,creatingmayhemandastonishment.Onecanimaginethetemplepriestsbeinghorrifiedatthescene.TheRomansarejustoutsidethedoorwaitingtoseeanyhintofuprising,andJesusiscreatingonerightbeforetheireyes.It’salmostlikeitwasplannedorsomething….

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ThisiswhyMarcusBorgandJohnCrosson,alongwithmanyotherscholarshavesaidthatthiswasnorandomevent.Itwasaplannedpoliticaldemonstration,ablatantprovocationonthepartofJesustotriggertheJewsandpossiblytheRomans,intoseeingthatthisinsurgencywasreal,thatthesituationhadbecomeintolerable,andthatapeaceablekingdomwasworthstrugglingfor.AnditisverypossiblethatthisonceobscurerabbifromthehillsofGalileewouldneverhavebeenkilledwithoutthisdirectprovocation.Duringthetrial,itwasPilatehimselfwhocouldfindnorealthreatorfaultinthisman.Eventhatwasnotenoughtostophiscrucifixionfromhappening.This,then,isthecentralconflictthatbuildstoaclimaxeveryyearatthistime,whenwerecountandrecreatethescenewiththeonewhomadeascene.Nomorehiding,nomoresecrecy,nomorelimitationsonthepublic’srighttoknow.

ThePhariseesareatthescenebeggingJesustotellhisfollowerstostopandbequiet.TheyremindmeofmysonBrian,whousedtobeoverheardsayingtohisyoungerbrotherBen,“Shutup!You’regoingtogetusintrouble.”Interestingly,oncethePhariseesexpressthisfinalfearfulthought,theyarenotheardfromagain.Itistheirlastactbeforebecomingirrelevant.Jesusturnstothemandsays,“Ifmyfriendsbecomequiet,thestonesalongtheroadwillcryout.”Thisishowdesperatethesepeoplereallyare.Theyaresoconnectedwiththeirgroundthatthestonesarefeelingtheirpain.Andsomethinghastogive.

Theparallelswithourowntimeareunmistakable,andthat’sbecausetheevolutionofhumanityisnotwithoutitsperiodicsetbacks.InmylifetimeIhaveseengreatstridestowardpeace,justice,andequalitythathavebeenpushedbackbywars,assassinations,andthepoliticsofdemonization.Onceinawhile,likewhentheBerlinWallcamedown,orwhenNeilArmstrongsethisfootuponthemoon,itfeelsasthoughwearereallygettingsomewhere…untilthepushbackshowsup,anditalwaysdoes.

Theevolutionaryspiralisnotalwayseasytosee,butitisreal.We’repartofitherethismorning.Wearelookingfor,weareplanningfor,wearestrivingforadifferentworld—oneinwhichthenationsoftheworldarecommittedtopeacewithoneanother,wherejusticereigns,andlovewins.Wearestrivingforaworldcharacterizedbyhumandignity,wherediversityisrespectedandloved,andwherethebestidealsofallreligionsarehonoredandprotected,andwheretheiradherentsarenevermadetobethedreaded“other.”Thereisstillakingdomofpeacewaitinginthewings.Itisalwaysthere.Thereisstillakingdomofpowerandviolence,anditisalwayspushingback.Andthatiswhywe’reherethisweek,onceagaintellingthesamestory.Thestoryofthisholyweekisoneofcrucifixionandresurrection.Itisoneofsadnessandunbridledjoy.Itisoneoflightandshadow,loveandfear.Lifeisallofthosethings.Letusneverlosesightofwhereitisweareactuallygoing.Itmaynotalwaysbeplainorevident,butweshallovercome,someday.

evolutionaryspiral