Responsive Reading: Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29 Gospel Lesson: Mark 11: 1-11 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
“Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things– and the things that are not– to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”-1st Corinthians 1:26b-29. “Jesus plus nothing equals everything; everything minus Jesus equals nothing[1].”–Tullian Tchividjian Shortly after graduating from Seminary I worked as a substitute teacher. One day I was filling in for 9th Grade math class. On this day, there was one kid who I’ll call Alfred that was short and small with red hair and freckles who proceeded to interrupt me at every opportunity. So I sent Alfred out in the hall. As soon as I did this the other kids were aghast; they couldn’t believe I would be so foolish to do such a thing. The kids explained that Alfred had a really bad habit, whenever he was out in the hall. Alfred would always run his mouth to passing seniors. Alfred’s mouth would get him in trouble to the point where fights would quickly break out. As I pictured Alfred, I couldn’t believe the other kids. Alfred was giving away several inches of height, all sorts of weight, and probably a good deal of muscle to the average senior at North Branch High School. Ten minutes, later I hear a ruckus brewing in the highway. Open the door, and there is Alfred surrounded by a group of senior boys with unfriendly intentions, because his pride just couldn’t help itself. Now I want to tell you a similar story that ties into our Palm Sunday Gospel lesson. Wayne Rice tells the following story[2]. Once upon a time, there was a donkey. The donkey woke up the day after Palm Sunday. The donkey had given a ride to a man they call Jesus. The donkey for the first time in its life felt the cheers of an adoring crowd. Never before had the donkey felt such pleasure. So the donkey figures Monday morning is going to be the same. So the donkey wanders into town, sees a group of people by the well. “I’ll show myself to them,” he thought. The people see the donkey and just mind their own business. The donkey gets mad. “Throw your garments down, don’t you know who I am.” The people are dumbfounded by the lip on this donkey. Someone slaps him on the tail and tells him to move along. The donkey stormed away angry. “Miserable heathens, I’ll just go to the market where the good people are. They will remember me[3].” The scene is just the same at the market. The donkey strutted around like he owned the place, only to be ignored, again. The donkey gets mad at this point and begins to lash out. “The palm branches! Where are the palm branches!” “Yesterday, you threw palm branches down for me to walk on[4]!” The donkey’s feelings were really hurt at this point. The donkey walks home to see his mother. The donkey describes what happened and how foolish the people were. The donkey’s mother finally sought to set him straight. “Foolish child, don’t you realize that without Him (Jesus), you are just an ordinary donkey[5]? So if the donkey isn’t at the center of our story, how does the donkey fit? For years and years, the people of Judea where Jesus walked on Palm Sunday were awaiting a conquering hero, a larger than life figure to drive the Romans off the land[6]. The Romans were known for their impressive war horses. You saw a Roman war horse; you knew you were coming face to face with an imposing solider. Donkeys were just like Alfred, short, small, and slow seemingly unable to match Roman might. If Jesus wanted to make a dramatic entrance, he’d find a war horse. Instead, he found a donkey. You see donkeys were the symbol of servanthood. Rich people owned horses; poor people owned donkeys[7]. Kings certainly would never ride into town on a donkey, especially a young one. Centuries before Jesus marched on Palm Sunday the prophet Zechariah had predicted the following: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey[8]!” The donkey would serve as a reminder to the people that Jesus over the course of Holy Week was about to turn the whole world upside down. Donkeys triumphing over stallions would seem ridiculous. The seemingly wise would look foolish and the seemingly foolish look wise. David Letterman was born in Indianapolis in 1947. Letterman soon rose to fame as one of the most famous television stars in the country. Letterman also was known for being one of the most difficult T.V. Stars around a man whose fame like the silly donkey easily got to his head. Letterman though several years back was interviewing a reality T.V. Star regarding all the drama within her life. Letterman made the following observation. “For a long time, I thought ‘geez people are idiots.’ Then it occurred to me, ‘Is it possible that everybody’s an idiot? Maybe I’m the idiot, and it turns out that I am.[9]” For we are broken people in this world, left in continual search of answers about both sin and salvation, yet perhaps these answers always point in the same direction of a cross. To quote the Apostle Paul: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.- 1st Corinthians 2:2-3 Let me close with the following story to illustrate how one very wise King had learned differently from the Silly Donkey or David Letterman when it comes to knowing your place and the source of your hope within this world. King Canute of Denmark was one of the greatest kings of the Middle Ages sitting on the thrones of England, Denmark, and Norway all at the same time[10]. Canute was known for rebuilding English churches in the wake of previous Viking plunder, while he was king he oversaw the continual Christianization of his native Denmark. King Canute like Solomon was not a perfect man, yet he was a wise man! King Canute had an extensive court. The court would praise Canute at every opportunity[11]. “You are the greatest man that ever lived…You are the most powerful king of all…Your Highness, there is nothing you cannot do, nothing in this world dares disobey you.” Canute eventually grew tired of such foolish flattery, for he was a mere mortal. Canute decides to teach his court a lesson. “So you say I am the greatest man in the world?”- Canute said. “O king, there never has been anyone as mighty as you, and there never be anyone so great, ever again.” They cried. ‘And you say all things obey me?”- said, Canute “Yes, sire…“The world bows before you, and gives you honor.” “I see,”’ In that case, bring me my chair, and place it down by the water[12].” The servants go and get Canute’s royal chair and place it at the water's edge. Canute sits down and looks at the ocean before proclaiming “I notice the tide is coming in. Do you think it will stop if I give the command?” “Give the order, O great king, and it will obey,”- cried out his court. “Sea. I command you to come no further! Do not dare touch my feet.” Next thing you know, a wave touches Canute’s feet. “How dare you! Ocean, turn back now! I have ordered you to retreat before me, and now you must obey! Go back[13]!”- Canute cried out. Another wave touches Canute’s feet. Canute kept sitting on his throne all day, shouting at the sea, pretty soon Canute’s throne was completely soaked with water. Finally, Canute realizes his point has been made, Canute then turns the crowd and gives the following speech: “It seems I do not have quite so much power as you would have me believe. Perhaps now you will remember there is only one king who is all-powerful, and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. I suggest you reserve your praises for him[14].” Holy Week is coming, pretty soon all our foolish pride will be put to death. We will soon see that we are not quite as tough as our mouths make us be. No different than the silly donkey, our role in the salvation story is often inflated. As the very wise King Canute makes us know. A great king journeyed into Jerusalem on this day, the king may not have looked like much riding in on a slow, small donkey, yet this king is mighty enough to command the sea and soon to triumph over the grave. Holy Week reminds us as Our Lord is soon to be put to death, a new creation shall soon emerge. A world of forgiveness and hope. A world that will shout “Hosanna!” in the very direction of the one who deserves it. Amen [1] Stier, Leon. “A Foolish Donkey.” Email Mediatations. 21. May.2017. Web. Mar.19.2018. [2] Rice, Wayne. Illustrations for Youth Talks. Youth Specialities. 1994. Print. page.138. Taken from Leon Stier “A Foolish Donkey.” on Mar.19.2018. [3] Rice, Wayne. Illustrations for Youth Talks. Page.138. [4] Rice, Wayne. Illustrations for Youth Talks. Page.138. [5] Rice, Wayne. Illustrations for Youth Talks. Page.138. [6] Dale, Martin. “Palm Sunday and the Donkey.” Sermon Central. 29. Mar.2007. Web. Mar.18.2018. [7] Dale, Martin. “Palm Sunday and the Donkey.” [8] Zechariah 9:9. [9] Duke, Annie. Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts. Portfolio/Penguin Publshing. New York. 2018. Print.p.120. [10] “Cnut the Great.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 2.Mar.2018. Web. Mar.18.2018. [11] Higgins, Scott. “King Canute.” Stories for Preaching. Web. Mar.18.2018. [12] Higgins, Scott. “King Canute.” [13] Higgins, Scott. “King Canute.” [14] Higgins, Scott. “King Canute.” Comments are closed.
|
Categories
All
|