The Triumphant Ride - Full Sermon
Those of us who have been in church for a while know how the story today goes. Jesus has a triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the shouts of acclamation and the spreading of palms and clothes on the road. The people want Jesus to be the Messiah. They believe that he is. Yet, we also know the harsh turn the story takes. Within less than a week, Jesus is crucified and buried. What happened?
This is a story of disappointed expectations, of what happens when someone you admire refuses to be who you think they should be. The people want a hero. The poor are suffering under Roman oppression. There are zealots who want to overtake Rome by force. Even the well-off are living a limited life, allowed to succeed and flourish only within the confines of a foreign culture and its values. There is no room for the chosen people of God to know who they are. They are not sure of what kind of change they need.
They want Jesus to be a king and to set up a political and religious kingdom on earth. They want him to slash and burn everything that is bad for them and make life for them easy right away. They want quick fixes. In many ways we are no different today. We want quick answers and simple fixes to many issues in our country and world. We want world peace. We need our faith in God to be stronger than ever.
In reality, there are no quick fixes, and Jesus did not provide a slash and burn policy either. In our scripture today from Mark 11:1–11, we should have known this when we consider that Jesus rode in on a colt (or donkey). It was to fulfill the scripture in Zechariah 9:9, and it was in the habit of Israel’s kings to ride in on a colt, the offspring of a donkey. But Jesus was special. Of all the glamorous stallion-type animals Jesus could have ridden, he chose a colt which was young and inexperienced. He chose to ride in on a level with the people and not above them.
Jesus shows us that he expects his followers to do the work of the kingdom on earth. The good news, as exemplified by the colt which is young and inexperienced, is that all—not just the seasoned—have a role in his kingdom.
In Philippians 2:5–11, Paul writes about the incarnation of Jesus Christ, in which Jesus, a divine person, takes on human form and comes to live among the people. Jesus has to humble himself so he can take on human characteristics. Paul exhorts the Philippians to have the mind of Christ. What is clear from this passage is that Jesus was humble. He was both divine and human. He did not, though, exploit his divine status. He always remained obedient to God. Contrast his attitude with that of Adam, who wanted to be “like God” and ended up disobeying God. Contrast Jesus’ attitude with Lucifer, who wanted to be “like God” and ended up leading a rebellion against God.
Christ emptied himself to become human. Paul writes that Jesus became like a slave. He was not an actual slave, but when he took on human form he became like a slave. Being a slave in the Roman world was very humbling.
As part of his humility, Jesus was obedient to God and suffered death on a cross. This was the lowest possible status he could have. Crucifixion was reserved for disobedient slaves and those who were considered as enemies of the empire. One could not get any lower on the status scale.
Jesus’ obedience to God’s will was not easy. In Luke 22:42 he said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, not my will but yours be done.” Although he still acknowledged God’s will, he still wanted out if possible. He went forward, but the scriptures read that an angel was sent to give him strength.
Crucifixion was a terrible death. I have made a piece of art, a crucifix. It is done in a modern art style. Many of you have seen this piece of art. My thought was to portray the anguish of Jesus. When you look at his face you can feel the pain he suffered. The way the wood is put together is meant to show the brokenness of his body.
This piece of art is imperfect. This is meant to contrast with the perfection of Christ. It is also meant to stand for the imperfections of the world. This crucifix was made from wood scraps in a friend’s workshop. The scraps are what nobody wants. This stresses the humility of Jesus.
So, what does this mean for you? Jesus provides a pattern of behavior for Christians today. We need to be humble. We must also be obedient to God’s will in our lives.
We are in need of humility as we learn to deal with changes in our lives and the issues we face. We need to focus on the humility exhibited by Jesus Christ. Overconfidence and cockiness are not the answer. Humility, a trait of good leadership, is the key to our getting through this struggle.
I recently read a book called Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a well-known historian. She examines the leadership qualities of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. What is interesting is that all four of these men, each destined for greatness as Presidents, went through periods of depression in their lives that could have derailed their ambitions. But each made it through the rough times in their lives. The common denominator in their character which helped push them forward was their humility.
It would take too long to go over all these stories, but two things stood out for me which are relevant for our lesson today. When Abe Lincoln was practicing law, the lawyers, judges, bailiffs, and witnesses all traveled together on the circuit for eight weeks every spring and fall. They would come to a county seat and take it over for a week. They would settle into an overcrowded tavern for the night, always forced to share rooms and often beds.
When the courtroom closed, the lawyers who had fought each other all day would come together as friends and would sit at the same long table with the judge. The seating arrangements of the tavern table reflected the hierarchy of the court. The judge would preside, surrounded by the lawyers at the head of the table. On one occasion when Mr. Lincoln had settled himself at the foot among the common clientele, the landlord told him: “You’re in the wrong place, Mr. Lincoln, come up here.” Lincoln queried: “Have you something better to eat up there, Joe? If not, I’ll stay here.” Lincoln treated everyone, high or low, with the same tenderhearted patience and the same helpful and generous kindness.
I then relate how Teddy Roosevelt formed the Rough Riders, a voluntary regiment that served during the Spanish-American War. Teddy was from the New York elite and he brought in Ivy League football players and those from Wall Street and the Knickerbocker Club and policemen from their beats in New York City. He also brought in hunters and woodsmen from his hunting activities in Maine as well as those he met while ranching and riding in the Badlands of North Dakota. How did he pull these disparate men from all regions and social strata together? To stimulate the “fellow feeling” he believed essential to the success of the mission, he deliberately arranged the tents of the training ground in San Antonio in such a manner that cowboys and wranglers slept side by side with scions of financiers. He made people from all walks of life do daily chores of washing laundry and digging and filling in latrines. Sleeping together with someone and cleaning toilets together does bring a level of humility!
The great thing Jesus did for us was to humble himself and take on human form as John relates in John 1:14. Jesus took on the human experiences of love, hate, sacrifice, suffering, and ultimately death. Only through his humility and obedience could humans experience the grace of God.
We need to have the mind of Christ and be obedient to God’s will in our lives. We are to do the work of the kingdom on earth. As Jesus tells the disciples as he gets ready to ascend into heaven in Matthew 28, “Go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” This is how we as Christians sing Hosanna when Christ is in our lives.
