Thoughts that may or may not end up being part of a sermon


The sermon can be listened to hear

This year I am using John’s version of the Palm Sunday story. It has a different feel to the other three gospels. They have a much more cheery triumphal thing going on – as seen in nearly every video on YouTube. Everyone is happy, even Jesus and the disciples. It all goes pear shape afterwards.

But John is different. It’s already pear shape. Danger and death lurk at the edges from the time Jesus decides to return for Lazarus – when Thomas the courageous declares that they will go with him and die with him. After Lazarus is raised from the dead the leaders are really none too happy, and put a reward on Jesus head. Jesus response to this is to ride a donkey into Jerusalem – taking no effort to hide. If I was a disciple in John’s version of the story, I would really anxious; wondering what was going to happen next. What would the crowd do? What would the Judean leaders do? What would the Romans do? And why is he riding this stupid donkey (they work that one out way later – John tells us that).

This is a march in defiance of the status quo and those who seek to keep things as they are. And it is a hails a king who will not meet their expectations and hopes. People had tried to make Jesus their king before in John. And each time he had avoided their grasp and gone to take time in the wilderness; to remind himself of who he was in God. This time he rides into and through the crowd and all their hopes; and then he hides away with his disciples. Their shouts and palms gave voice to their deep desire for a king who would rescue them from these high priests, from would be kings, and Rome. They looked for a saviour on a white charger. But Jesus refuses to live out this model of king. He rides a donkey honouring another tradition found in Zechariah. It seems none got it on the day.

So here are we, this Sunday, waving palms, singing songs of insurrection (Hosanna in the highest). What do we hope for in this Jesus? And what do we need to set down if we are to meet this Christ who rides of donkey?

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