Sermon – It’s Carnival Time! Rev. Sandy Lacey Palm Sunday 041325
I do not know how many of you are familiar with carnivals, but they can be really fun, especially when you are young. They have everything from special thrill rides that turn your stomach inside out, to odd sights that you would not see anywhere else, to terrific food that is absolutely horrible for you. If we close our eyes most of us can imagine the wonderful smells associated with carnival foods and see the lights and hear the screams from passengers as they ride scary rides. In the deep south there is a whole season of Carnival right before the season of Lent in which people are encouraged to act crazy, drink to excess, eat all the wrong things, bake and eat cakes with little plastic babies in them (for good luck), and go to parade after parade after parade collecting trinkets thrown from the floats. It might be fun and interesting to participate in Carnival, but one must also remember that carnivals have hidden meanings and shadow sides. Nothing is at all what it seems. Today’s passage reminds me of a house of mirrors at a carnival. Jesus, thoroughly familiar with Scripture, would have known of the Zechariah 9:9 prediction of a king arriving in Jerusalem, humbly riding on a young donkey. And so, he gathers his disciples and followers, secures a donkey, so that he might ride into the politically charged atmosphere in the manner of a future king – sorta. Yes, it is in the manner of what Zechariah predicts; however, Jesus uses what amounts to be a bit of smoke and mirrors to surprise his audience. As we know from his ministry to this point, he had no intention to militarily or politically overthrow the Roman kingdom and set up his own kingdom that would result in reuniting the 12 tribes of Israel. Instead, he has a different idea in mind. I have heard it said that there were likely other parades going on in different parts of the city that same special feast day, probably with leaders astride great white steeds, brandishing weapons and stirring up the crowds. So, Jesus picked the right day to demonstrate an alternative message. Politically, Jesus did the exact opposite of what a Roman leader would do in a parade. They would ride on a large horse, bedecked with finery, wielding a strong weapon of war, and insist people bow to them as they passed in their parade. To show signs of honor to kings and great leaders, the people were accustomed to lining themselves along the parade route, bowing with their green branches, and throwing their cloaks down for the horse to walk over. Jesus, however, rode into the great city of Jerusalem on a young (probably small) donkey, not wielding a sword or any weapon at all. He made the arrangements for this ahead of time and had a few of his followers lead the way with the familiar expression of “God saves!” and “Long live the King!” (Hosanna! and Hosanna in the highest!) But what kind of triumphal entry is this? It must have seemed strange to most people in the crowd and probably had them buzzing with questions. I suspect, however, the religious leaders in the crowd got it. They knew exactly what Jesus was doing. They knew he was placing himself in line with the prediction of Zechariah and other prophets who longed for, wished for, and predicted a future king who would bring the Hebrew people peace. They knew what he was claiming for himself. He was claiming to be the Messiah! Use your imagination to see them standing along the parade route whispering to each other, casting worried glances as the crowd became more and more stirred up. Not only did he upset their carefully woven theologies, but he has also become political. He is threatening the religious leaders’ delicate balance between collusion with the Roman powers, on one hand; and critiquing them on the other hand, depending upon the audience. The religious elite had long learned to walk that delicate balance between collusion and critique (and they planned to continue to do so) until the opportune time and opportune leader arrived to defeat the Romans. Newsflash: this guy is not it: he would never be that kind of king. But he sure was popular with the masses of people – he had been healing them, teaching them, giving them permission to speak out, giving them hope that their voice mattered. (It was even rumored that he brought someone back from the dead.) It was a crazy and enraging time for the religious elite of Jesus’ day. It is no wonder that their plans for getting rid of him begin to coalesce on this day. while the crowd is oblivious, simply enjoying the parade and hoping for a deliverer. Plots had to be hatched, talk must happen in the shadows, and the crowds must be turned in a different direction. After all, crowds are easily swayed one way or another. All it takes is a couple of well-placed people in a crowd to question something, suggest something; and then before you know it, you’ve got them right where you want them. An odd day indeed is this Palm Sunday. On the one hand, the Messiah fulfills Scripture and rides into Jerusalem, evoking hope and promise to a people who are desperate. And on the other hand, he is riding to his certain death because those who hold the power will not allow that kind of hope. If you look closely, you see the violence threatening in the background. One must be careful in Carnival atmospheres because things are not always what they seem. So, we are left with a question on this Palm Sunday. Why did Jesus orchestrate this carnival like parade? I think, for sure, that one reason was to further solidify his identity as the Messiah, the Son of God as Peter had said several days before the parade. He is following the prophet Isaiah’s prediction that the new king, the new leader of Israel will be a servant of the people, not one who rules with an iron fist and not one who wields a sword, but one who beats swords into farm implements. His choice to ride into Jerusalem on a young donkey, humble and quiet, speaks to his unique identity as a king. Or maybe, Jesus did this because he wanted to further solidify his independence and differentiation from the Roman authorities. He did ride into Jerusalem in a parade in which the masses honor him by waving palm branches and throwing garments down (all in the manner of honoring a king); however, he did so in an ironic, almost comical way. He did not ride in as their leaders do – on a big steed and wielding a sword. It’s almost as if he was making fun of them. That, combined with the large crowd following him, makes the Roman leadership nervous. Can this be a treasonous act, they wonder. Could he be leading a revolution? But what kind of revolution would it be without any weapons of battle? Or lastly, could Jesus have been demonstrating that change and real peace is accomplished through different means than violence and the usual trappings of power? He is in line with the prophet’s predictions of a Messiah that would bring peace and harmony to the Israelites again, but he is doing it in such an unfamiliar way. The myth of redemptive violence (that you can successfully combat violence with more violence) is not only strong for us in our day; it was strong for the people in Jesus’ day too. They thought, and we think, the only way to fight violence and oppression is to have a bigger sword, a bigger gun, and get them before they get us. Alas, Jesus is not interested in that kind of power. We may begin the week with curious scenes of a quiet man astride a donkey, but we know that things will change dramatically very soon. Some of the Gospel accounts say he goes to the Temple and throws out the money changers. Some of the accounts mention he goes to the town of Bethany and has supper with his friends and disciples at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. There, some Gospel accounts mention that Mary anoints his head or his feet with very expensive perfume in preparation for his burial to come. He will curse a fig tree for its lack of fruit. He will do more teaching that will further inspire plots to kill him. On Thursday he will gather with his disciples to celebrate the Passover meal, and he will predict that one of them will betray him to his enemies. He will take a few of them out to pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemene on Thursday night and he will express frustration with them over their apparent lack of desire to keep alert. And then he will be arrested/betrayed by one of his own, beaten, tortured, and questioned by the Romans. The religious elite will stir up the crowds against him, the same crowds who shouted, “Hosanna!” at the beginning of the week. Now, however, they will say, “Crucify him!” and demand his execution. He will die on what we call, “Good Friday”, and his body will be taken down and buried soon after. It will be a busy and traumatic week for this man who began it riding on a donkey into Jerusalem, amidst shouts of Hosanna. Today, we are at the beginning of Holy Week. And as we watch and imagine our children waving palm branches, and as we sing Hosannas; we are reminded of the God we worship. We worship a God who comes to us in human form so that we might understand God more fully. We worship a God who pokes fun at the religious establishment then and probably even now. We worship a God who supersedes the politics of that day and the politics of our day in order to usher in a blueprint for peace and justice that is truly redemptive. It is a blueprint for all people. Not violent, not coercive, but more powerful than anything we can imagine – God’s blueprint for God’s new kingdom is peace and wellness for all – tattoos or not. Can we fathom such a thing or will we, like them, be seduced from shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!” to “Crucify Him!” within the span of only one week?
I do not know how many of you are familiar with carnivals, but they can be really fun, especially when you are young. They have everything from special thrill rides that turn your stomach inside out, to odd sights that you would not see anywhere else, to terrific food that is absolutely horrible for you. If we close our eyes most of us can imagine the wonderful smells associated with carnival foods and see the lights and hear the screams from passengers as they ride scary rides. In the deep south there is a whole season of Carnival right before the season of Lent in which people are encouraged to act crazy, drink to excess, eat all the wrong things, bake and eat cakes with little plastic babies in them (for good luck), and go to parade after parade after parade collecting trinkets thrown from the floats. It might be fun and interesting to participate in Carnival, but one must also remember that carnivals have hidden meanings and shadow sides. Nothing is at all what it seems. Today’s passage reminds me of a house of mirrors at a carnival. Jesus, thoroughly familiar with Scripture, would have known of the Zechariah 9:9 prediction of a king arriving in Jerusalem, humbly riding on a young donkey. And so, he gathers his disciples and followers, secures a donkey, so that he might ride into the politically charged atmosphere in the manner of a future king – sorta. Yes, it is in the manner of what Zechariah predicts; however, Jesus uses what amounts to be a bit of smoke and mirrors to surprise his audience. As we know from his ministry to this point, he had no intention to militarily or politically overthrow the Roman kingdom and set up his own kingdom that would result in reuniting the 12 tribes of Israel. Instead, he has a different idea in mind. I have heard it said that there were likely other parades going on in different parts of the city that same special feast day, probably with leaders astride great white steeds, brandishing weapons and stirring up the crowds. So, Jesus picked the right day to demonstrate an alternative message. Politically, Jesus did the exact opposite of what a Roman leader would do in a parade. They would ride on a large horse, bedecked with finery, wielding a strong weapon of war, and insist people bow to them as they passed in their parade. To show signs of honor to kings and great leaders, the people were accustomed to lining themselves along the parade route, bowing with their green branches, and throwing their cloaks down for the horse to walk over. Jesus, however, rode into the great city of Jerusalem on a young (probably small) donkey, not wielding a sword or any weapon at all. He made the arrangements for this ahead of time and had a few of his followers lead the way with the familiar expression of “God saves!” and “Long live the King!” (Hosanna! and Hosanna in the highest!) But what kind of triumphal entry is this? It must have seemed strange to most people in the crowd and probably had them buzzing with questions. I suspect, however, the religious leaders in the crowd got it. They knew exactly what Jesus was doing. They knew he was placing himself in line with the prediction of Zechariah and other prophets who longed for, wished for, and predicted a future king who would bring the Hebrew people peace. They knew what he was claiming for himself. He was claiming to be the Messiah! Use your imagination to see them standing along the parade route whispering to each other, casting worried glances as the crowd became more and more stirred up. Not only did he upset their carefully woven theologies, but he has also become political. He is threatening the religious leaders’ delicate balance between collusion with the Roman powers, on one hand; and critiquing them on the other hand, depending upon the audience. The religious elite had long learned to walk that delicate balance between collusion and critique (and they planned to continue to do so) until the opportune time and opportune leader arrived to defeat the Romans. Newsflash: this guy is not it: he would never be that kind of king. But he sure was popular with the masses of people – he had been healing them, teaching them, giving them permission to speak out, giving them hope that their voice mattered. (It was even rumored that he brought someone back from the dead.) It was a crazy and enraging time for the religious elite of Jesus’ day. It is no wonder that their plans for getting rid of him begin to coalesce on this day. while the crowd is oblivious, simply enjoying the parade and hoping for a deliverer. Plots had to be hatched, talk must happen in the shadows, and the crowds must be turned in a different direction. After all, crowds are easily swayed one way or another. All it takes is a couple of well-placed people in a crowd to question something, suggest something; and then before you know it, you’ve got them right where you want them. An odd day indeed is this Palm Sunday. On the one hand, the Messiah fulfills Scripture and rides into Jerusalem, evoking hope and promise to a people who are desperate. And on the other hand, he is riding to his certain death because those who hold the power will not allow that kind of hope. If you look closely, you see the violence threatening in the background. One must be careful in Carnival atmospheres because things are not always what they seem. So, we are left with a question on this Palm Sunday. Why did Jesus orchestrate this carnival like parade? I think, for sure, that one reason was to further solidify his identity as the Messiah, the Son of God as Peter had said several days before the parade. He is following the prophet Isaiah’s prediction that the new king, the new leader of Israel will be a servant of the people, not one who rules with an iron fist and not one who wields a sword, but one who beats swords into farm implements. His choice to ride into Jerusalem on a young donkey, humble and quiet, speaks to his unique identity as a king. Or maybe, Jesus did this because he wanted to further solidify his independence and differentiation from the Roman authorities. He did ride into Jerusalem in a parade in which the masses honor him by waving palm branches and throwing garments down (all in the manner of honoring a king); however, he did so in an ironic, almost comical way. He did not ride in as their leaders do – on a big steed and wielding a sword. It’s almost as if he was making fun of them. That, combined with the large crowd following him, makes the Roman leadership nervous. Can this be a treasonous act, they wonder. Could he be leading a revolution? But what kind of revolution would it be without any weapons of battle? Or lastly, could Jesus have been demonstrating that change and real peace is accomplished through different means than violence and the usual trappings of power? He is in line with the prophet’s predictions of a Messiah that would bring peace and harmony to the Israelites again, but he is doing it in such an unfamiliar way. The myth of redemptive violence (that you can successfully combat violence with more violence) is not only strong for us in our day; it was strong for the people in Jesus’ day too. They thought, and we think, the only way to fight violence and oppression is to have a bigger sword, a bigger gun, and get them before they get us. Alas, Jesus is not interested in that kind of power. We may begin the week with curious scenes of a quiet man astride a donkey, but we know that things will change dramatically very soon. Some of the Gospel accounts say he goes to the Temple and throws out the money changers. Some of the accounts mention he goes to the town of Bethany and has supper with his friends and disciples at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. There, some Gospel accounts mention that Mary anoints his head or his feet with very expensive perfume in preparation for his burial to come. He will curse a fig tree for its lack of fruit. He will do more teaching that will further inspire plots to kill him. On Thursday he will gather with his disciples to celebrate the Passover meal, and he will predict that one of them will betray him to his enemies. He will take a few of them out to pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemene on Thursday night and he will express frustration with them over their apparent lack of desire to keep alert. And then he will be arrested/betrayed by one of his own, beaten, tortured, and questioned by the Romans. The religious elite will stir up the crowds against him, the same crowds who shouted, “Hosanna!” at the beginning of the week. Now, however, they will say, “Crucify him!” and demand his execution. He will die on what we call, “Good Friday”, and his body will be taken down and buried soon after. It will be a busy and traumatic week for this man who began it riding on a donkey into Jerusalem, amidst shouts of Hosanna. Today, we are at the beginning of Holy Week. And as we watch and imagine our children waving palm branches, and as we sing Hosannas; we are reminded of the God we worship. We worship a God who comes to us in human form so that we might understand God more fully. We worship a God who pokes fun at the religious establishment then and probably even now. We worship a God who supersedes the politics of that day and the politics of our day in order to usher in a blueprint for peace and justice that is truly redemptive. It is a blueprint for all people. Not violent, not coercive, but more powerful than anything we can imagine – God’s blueprint for God’s new kingdom is peace and wellness for all – tattoos or not. Can we fathom such a thing or will we, like them, be seduced from shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest!” to “Crucify Him!” within the span of only one week?