My plan today is to preach mostly a small thing; the palm Sunday story in Mark. A good salesman avoids contradiction. If you were making a religion this is where you would might end, Palm Sunday. A triumphal arrival. In Mark what we primarily have a picture of Jesus as a servant. Something interesting in this story; we see Jesus knows things at a distance. Spooky action at a distance some have called it. Our savior is entangled and entwined in the things of our everyday life.
Jesus had a human network of people, but this information of the colt didn't come from them. The other Palm Sunday stories tell things a bit different and the same. None are long so I will read:
Mark 11:1-11 from the Amplified Bible
The Triumphal Entry
11 When they were nearing Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the [a]village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a [donkey’s] [b]colt tied, which has never been ridden by anyone; untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it’; and immediately he will send it here.” 4 So they went away [to the village] and found a colt tied outside at a gate in the street, and they untied it. 5 Some of the people who were standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They replied to them just as Jesus had directed, and they allowed them to go. 7 They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many [of the people] spread their coats on the road [as an act of tribute and homage before a new king], and others [scattered a layer of] leafy branches which they had cut from the fields [honoring Him as Messiah]. 9 Those who went in front and those who were following [Him] were shouting [in joy and praise],
“Hosanna ([c]Save, I pray)!
Blessed (praised, glorified) is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
10
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in the highest [heaven]!”
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple [enclosure]; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve [disciples], because it was already late [in the day].
This another great story we love. Imagine those people putting their good clothes in the mud. This was a happening town people were in town for a festival. Jesus rocked it.
Mathew tells the same story but Luke adds something that speaks to the message all three stories we are told talk less about: the divinity of Christ.
In Luke 19:39-40 Amplified Bible we hear:
39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples [for shouting these Messianic praises].” 40 Jesus replied, “I tell you, if these [people] keep silent, the stones will cry out [in praise]!”
Luke is the best researched we are told and his mission certainly seems to be to show the realness of Jesus. The reality of the situation. This other small thing, the large made small for our minds to comprehend. If the people had not done as all the other Gospels reported Jesus remarked, the stones will cry out. This is not like the temple he would soon rebuild in three days. This was for the Pharisees the ones who had the most interest there. What a sight that would have been to see. Even those there missed out on the true glory of our Lord. We haven't missed anything yet. Wasn't in the least about who was there. This was no finish line.
You don't have to look far to see contradictions in this world. Many of you have seen the viral video that has made the news about thee NCAA weight rooms at the final four for men and women. One large area filled with every piece of equipment desired vs a travel size set of weights for the women.
There are checks and balances in this world and something that was best in this world was this woman speaking truth not only to power but catching the imagination of the country. Even on the morning show the host chuckles at the end of the story and says, "oh gosh darn it is that way."
We created empowerment but we got to keep on working. I said last time it has taken all God's love to get us here and I think we are finally empowered to really begin. The story is already fading. The women got a very nice weight room quickly. The system responded very quickly. Not to the reality of the issues but to the appearance. In the end it is up to us to respond to the root causes.
Women in this country make less money and we have basically given up on finding out the real reason why. They say we have come to a chicken and egg problem. When she filmed her weigh room she didn't think about all the money male athletes generate because life isn't about money. That is what we taught her, that is what she showed us. But the life of the world is entangled and entwinded with money. I would ask you to think of your special Easter tithe right now for our history project.
I have sold a few bottles of kombucha but still researching the revised code, updates soon. Our green space update is planned for next week. The future is green and God or it is extinction.
The difference or contradiction or otherness. We don't do well with otherness. The otherness of John down plays the divinity of Christ in his story of Palm Sunday. Jesus found a colt the beloved disciple tells us. John had spent most of his time with these I am statements.
“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51)
“I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12)
“I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9)
“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14)
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
“I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5)
You know them well and speak perhaps best to the divinity of Christ. Here in our reading in Mark, and also in Mathew and Luke we have a whisper a still small voice of the omnipresence of our creator. For the beloved they already knew. Jesus just found a colt.
In John we read:
14 And Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; just as it is written [in Scripture], 15 “Do not fear, Daughter of Zion; Behold, Your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
In every case our King is coming.
Right after this in John we have that wonderful verse Pastor Wilma mused on last week.
Greeks Seek Jesus - We Seek Jesus. People were in town from everywhere. The streets were abuzz, huh.
20 Now there were some Greeks (Gentiles) among those who were going up to worship at the feast; 21 these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
We wish to see Jesus, you and I, but the collective we sometimes loses our way. Not all our fault cause it all our fault. Something later. I'll add an equation to the appendix.
Yuval Noah Harari in his book Homo Deus put it this way "As individuals, scientists and priest may give immense importance to the truth, but as collective institutions, science and religion prefer order and power over truth. They therefore make good bedfellows. The uncompromising quest for truth is a spiritual journey which can seldom remain within the confines of either religious or scientific establishments."
Those interested in truth seek it out
A wise teacher finds it useful to inform
If there is no contradiction it is not religion
There is supposed contradictions in our Gospels. What people often see as weakness I see as strength. What people see as weak God often uses. It shouldn't be hard to get the last words right. My Grandfather described one supposed contradiction in the final words of Jesus.
"When we speak of the seven last words of Jesus from the cross the number seven is accidental for only one of the sayings appears in as many as two Gospels, and no Gospel gives more than three of the last words.
The first word "Father forgive them for they know not what they do", is found in Luke 23:34. It was spoken early during the crucifixion, perhaps while Jesus prone on the ground, His hands being nailed to the cross.
The second word "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise", is also found in Luke chapter 23, verse 43. This word was spoken directly to one of the felons who was being crucified with Jesus on a cross, the one who had said in repentance, "Remember me when you come into kingly power." If Jesus is speaking of the immortality of the soul apart from the body in this instance then it is the first and only time he spoke of the soul thusly.
The third word "Woman behold thy Son," and to the disciple he loved, "behold thy mother". This word is found in John 19:26-27. It is very noticeable that Jesus never referred to his mother by name, but in commending her to the care of the disciple whom he loved Jesus refers to Mary as "woman."
The fourth word is found in Matthew 27:46 and in Mark 15:34. When Jesus is reported to have cried out "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me". These words are a quotation from Ps. 22:1, this psalm describes the agony of a man innocent of sin. This thought of innocence would naturally be in Jesus mind as he was dying there on the cross.
The theological implications of this statement presents a difficult problem. T.R. Glover in his book, The Jesus History has finely observed that there never was an utterance that reveals more amazingly the distance between actual feeling and fact. Jesus felt the horror of sin so deeply that for a short space of time the closeness of his communion with the Father was obscured."
Recently I was watching a historical documentary about Jesus. The lead investigator had been a fervent Christian by his own description. He said that his faith had been partially destroyed by the supposed great contradictions in the last words of Jesus. I find myself still in disbelief. His message was something great was destroyed by something great. To me it was something small destroyed by something small. The rest of the documentary was less personal and enjoyable. The historical Jesus shines through like few things in history.
There is a difficulty in translation no language adequate. My grandfather especially liked the fifth word:
""I Thirst", he cried, and thereby asked for some relief from his suffering. It is truly a moving cry to come from someone who claimed, "He who believes in me shall never thirst", but that the living water which he shall give will be a perpetual ever flowing fountain that can never run dry.
That living water he does give. But to secure it for us he himself had to pass through a dry and thirsty land.
When Jesus cried out "I Thirst", one of the soldiers put a sponge upon a reed and dipping it in vinegar or sour wine placed it to the parched lips of Jesus. Apparently such wine was supplied for the use of the crucified to help them bear their agony. The soldier then was kind to Jesus Christ the Son of God when he was dying on the cross.
Each of us if we would think about it would covet to have this chance to be of service in this way to our Lord, but really we don't need to envy this soldier his act of kindness. For so touched is Jesus with the needs of his people that he accounts anything done to aid the most insignificant of them as done unto him, and feels the same gratitude to those who so help as he does to all eternity to that rough soldier."
The King will answer and say to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it for Me.’
Our religion doesn't end with Palm Sunday and the Triumphal Entry. Fake is not creative. Fake does not contradict itself. Fake is Doomed like those interests of ours we talked about last month. Lent isn't quite done with us yet. God for sure is not done with us. How do I know? I see contradiction.
Let Us Pray
Our heavenly Father, who by thy love hast made us, and through thy love hast kept us, and in thy love wouldst make us perfect: we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and we have not loved one another as Christ hath loved us. Thy life is within our souls, but our selfishness hath hindered thee. We have not lived by faith. We have resisted thy Spirit. We have neglected thine inspirations.
Forgive what we have been; help us to amend what we are; and in thy Spirit direct what shall be; that thou mayest come into the full glory of thy creation, in us and in all men; through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen
Benediction
Psalm 22 : 23-26
23 You who fear the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence], praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him.
Fear Him [with submissive wonder], all you descendants of Israel.
24 For He has not despised nor detested the suffering of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He listened.
25 My praise will be of You in the great assembly.
I will pay my vows [made in the time of trouble] before those who [reverently] fear Him.
26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who [diligently] seek Him and require Him [as their greatest need] will praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!
In Jesus Name Amen
Mostly 3/28/2021 some 1967 Nottingham UMC
appendix
(e)^0=(mc^2)^0
1=1
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