Matthew 21:1-10
In the US, demonstrations happen all the time. They have happened since
the earliest days of our country. Some of them are remembered and celebrated as
acts of patriotism, others are recognized as illegal actions. Some are both.
·
The
Boston Tea Party was a demonstration against taxation on tea.
·
John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry was an
attempt to start a revolution against slavery.
·
Rosa Parks' refusal to stand up from her bus seat
was in defiance of a local law giving preference to white people.
·
The Pride parades that occur in most cities and
towns around the country began as a protest and now are also a celebration of
the increased freedom and rights of the LGBT community.
·
The months of demonstrations in Hong Kong
reflect their insistence on a more democratic form of governance than Beijing
officials intend for them to have.
·
I suspect that when we are free of the COVID-19
virus, there will be a significant number of demonstrations in celebration that
a virus can’t conquer us.
Just so, it was a demonstration that Jesus
orchestrated in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Especially in Matthew, Jesus is seen
as the new Moses, the new King David. So, Jesus puts together a parade that was
intended to show him as the Son of David.
I especially like the way one commentary put it: … 2,000 years ago
the city of Jerusalem was overcrowded with people celebrating the Passover when
a protest demonstration was held just inside the city gate near the suburb of
Bethany. In an obvious parody of the emperor, a local itinerant preacher and
healer is said to have ridden a jackass into town, where he was greeted with
shouts of “Hosanna” as though he was a conquering general.
People
were reportedly seen waving palm branches and throwing their cloaks on the road
before the mock emperor. The crowd dispersed before authorities could arrive. Sources
inside the temple guard said that “a certain Nazarene” had been identified as a
person of interest. A spokesperson for Roman governor Pontius Pilate would
neither confirm nor deny the allegation.
Just what is Jesus up to here?
It looks like he is claiming his right to
the throne of Israel. But, this is some parade, some demonstration. A
true king or emperor would have hundreds of people gathered along the parade
route, while Jesus may have had 20 or 30, maybe 50. A true king would ride a
magnificent, powerful steed, not some little donkey. A true king would have
professional flags and banners, maybe a red carpet, not just a few branches and
some coats to cover the dust on the road.
Expectations were high for Jesus’ disciples and supporters. Mostly, they
were expecting Jesus to be the new King David, who would gather an army and
defeat the Romans. They wanted to return to the “real” Israel, or actually, the
real Judea as it was then called.
However, Jesus has something quite different in mind. Jesus has in mind giving
up his crown. Jesus knew that as God’s Son, he is going to be humbled. He is a
slave, not a king, having left behind his royal, divine self when he became
human. He has become human in order to live as a human, experience humanity,
and in the end, be killed. His message is contradictory to the message the powerful
give.
I have been reading a book called Resistance Women, by Jennifer
Chiaverini. It is about "white" and Jewish women and men resisting Hitler in the
1930s and 40s in Germany. They risked their lives writing, speaking, and
organizing in a movement to end Hitler’s reign and its consequences. In the
end, they are exposed, and face death or imprisonment in Nazi death camps
because of their work against the Reich. Legally, they are traitors.
Legally, Jesus is a traitor. He is arrested, tried, and crucified because
the message he gives is against the law in the eyes of the Jews and the Romans.
Yet he willingly gives up his life, because his message is so important for us
to hear.
Jesus’ message is
life-saving for us, when we believe in him and in God’s love and mercy. His
crown is not of gold and jewels. It is made of thorns. Because that is what was
best for us. That is how God speaks to us. That is how God shows how beloved we
are, that God is willing to come and live and die for us.
For today, wave your palms. Enjoy the excitement of Jesus’ triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. But, be prepared for Jesus to begin to push the boundaries.
Be prepared also, to weep as he gives himself up. For us.
Amen
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