Even before the palm branches are swept from the parade route, Palm Sunday makes a  hard pivot into Holy Week The crowds come singing loud Hosannas, lifting up Hallelujahs and praises to Christ our Lord as Jesus rides towards the Temple with the other Passover Pilgrims who walk upward to Zion.  Some of the people took off their coats and laid them on the road making an impromptu red carpet or royal welcome.  But then as abruptly as Pastor Kate read the lesson, closed the Bible, and carried it out, the scene quickly pivots from Palm Sunday’s crowd singing Hosannas to Good Friday’s crowd shouting angrily to crucify Jesus.  Pilot, the Governor, who is more committed to order than justice, weakly askes Jesus’ accusers “Why, what has Jesus done wrong?”  Holy week holds many questions.  

Today, we lift our praises to Jesus, our Redeemer King, the Christ, Prince of Peace, Fully God- Fully Human, Glue of the Universe, The resurrection and Life, The Word Made Flesh, The Light of the World, Living Water, the Way-Truth & Life, Messiah, Savior, Lord, healer, Friend, teacher,  Hope of Glory, All Forgiveness, and Perfect Love.  We wave our palm branches as we lift our hearts. And yet Holy Week brings questions for us to unpack.   We might ask “why did the crowd shout “Hosanna! (God save us)  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”? 

Why would they long for a king like King David?  Why do we at times believe that God could come through our preferred candidate or king?  Why do we forget the words of the prophet Samuel to a nation longing for a king: “The king will reign over you and take your lands, take your sons as soldiers, take your daughters as perfumers and cooks and bakers. The King will take your flocks and even make you slaves.”  And despite the prophetic warning, the people call out, “No, give us a king to fight our battles for us ” (1 Sam 8)  And when the kings began to rule with oppression, Isaiah spoke out “Your princes are the companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and pursues graft. They don’t defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause never reaches them. (Isaiah 1)”  And yet despite the history pilgrims the crowds long for David’s kingdom.  

Jesus comes riding on that little donkey, not a grand warhorse, his feet dragging as he rides up from the Mount of Olives towards the Temple. Christ’s Triumphal Entry reverses King David’s hasty retreat as David fled in tears from his own son, prince Absalom and the nation plunged into civil war.  Perhaps the Palm Sunday crowd forgot how King David betrayed his troops and committed Adultery with Bathsheba. Maybe the noisy crowd forgot how Solomon murdered his brother to become king and built the magnificent Temple in Jerusalem by enslaving around about 100,000 people. Did they want a king like Solomon who wined and dined every queen and imported race horses and Egyptian Lamborghini chariots while the people suffered? (1 Kings 1-6, 2 Chronicles 2 & 8) 

Mark’s Palm Sunday crowd dreamed of Jesus fighting their battles, doing their bidding, and kicking out the Romans with cries of “Make Israel great again.”  Maybe they had forgotten the exploitation, economic inequality and racism that King David and Solomon propagated from high places.  Friends, Christian, or any kind of fervent nationalism, usually ends in oppression, evil, and injustice.  Pride of place may be normal and healthy but nationalism usually blinds us to our own sins and those of our forefathers.  

Interestingly, in Luke and Matthew,  the Pharisees voice concerns over the crowd’s chants. Luke’s summary does not mention the crowd calling for David’s kingdom. In Luke they cry out for peace… “Blessings on the king who comes in the name of Lord, Peace in heaven”   and yes, in a long parade or in protest some parts of the crowd might chant different things. Still, neither Matthew nor Mark tell us that Jesus tried to correct the crowd’s nationalistic fervor for the good old days of David’s rule. In Luke Jesus replies to the pharisees questions, “If they were to be silent the stones would shout out”   Luke goes on to tell us that  when Jesus enters the city, Jesus begins to weep over the city ”Jerusalem, if you could only know the things that make for peace… but you just can’t seem to recognize the moment of grace.”  I think God receives our prayers and praise, even when we long for misguided notions and worship God remade in our own images.  Jesus tells us God graciously looks more at our hearts than our words.  (Luke 16 and 1 Sam 16)

So there is the crowd, singing loud “hosannas”, marching with palm branches, some surrendering coats as a royal welcome mat. They are fully engaged in worship, and the danger may be that “they think they know who Jesus is and what Jesus is doing.” (James Ernest: ‘Feasting on the Word, preaching the Revised Common Lectionary’)   However, Christ’s kingdom on earth is nothing like David or Solomon’s or even (insert the name of your favorite) _____ President.

Let’s not be too hard on that crowd or other crowds, because we are that crowd too. We have misunderstood Jesus. At times we have fashioned our Jesus in our own image fitting his words to our own comfort. We too have hitched our hopes to false idols and maybe we will foolishly do so again.  Jesus warns us again and again to not be too sure in our proclamations. Jesus cautions that many believers will get the creeds right saying “Lord, Lord” but never but never live into Jesus’ teachings.  (Matt 7 & Luke 6) In John 9 Jesus remarks that when “we say, ‘We see clearly,” we show that some sinful detritus is still clouding our vision.  Maybe Palm Sunday is a call to check our certainness in speaking for God. Yes, pour out your hearts, wave your palm branches, freely release your lament and longings, don’t worry about getting them all cleaned up… but then humbly step back and confess that “we know in part” and preach with partial knowledge. ( 1 Cor. 13)  So let’s not be too hard on that crowd or other crowds who see the world differently than we do. Love rejoices with those who are rejoicing and weeps with those weeping. (Rom 12) Love rejoices when others pour out their hearts to God, even if we might use other words or do worship differently. 

Mark’s line that “when Jesus entered the Temple, he looked around at everything.” is a great pivot and reminder to look around- to be still even in the holiest spaces. Every year of his life, Jesus had made 3 pilgrims each year to the Temple.  At age 12, Jesus had amazed the teachers of the law and rabbis.  Jesus knew the Temple connected to Herod’s palace with walls and courtyards. Jesus knew the Temple banned all roman coins, with their images of pagan Gods and rulers. Jesus knew people got ripped off exchanging their hard earned roman dollars for worthless temple bucks. In Matthew and Luke, Jesus begins shutting down the temple on Palm Sunday. Jesus flips over the money changers tables and maybe freed the doves. It must have been a well organized and people powered protest because the Temple guards and palace soldiers let the temple protests shut down religious business all day long.  I do not know about you but I have never seen a saint glass of Jesus flipping over the temple tables.  Some year maybe we can give our children a sack of coins to fling onto the floor and little tables to turn over.  This week we will celebrate Maundy Thursday and remember Jesus washing the disciples’ dirty feet. Foot washing only appears in John’s gospel- Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us of Jesus’ Holy week protest. Maybe Holy week needs table flipping Tuesday to remind us that Christ’s kingdom is not just a matter of personal faith and relationship, but intentional resistance to systemic evil, injustice and oppression. 

But again, let’s not be too hard on the crowd or even the church for lifting up foot washing and giving us no Money Changers Monday to address systemic injustice.  Jesus often defies our expectations, but the Bible is a story of God who does not give up on us, bringing resurrection when we do our worst and hope when it seems everything is lost.  

So let’s not be too hard on the crowd because honestly at times we struggle to believe the good news Jesus came to bring. At times it is easier to believe in kings, thrones, warhorses, legislators, violence, power and war than to believe in message Jesus preached:

The poor in spirit will receive the kingdom of heaven.

Those mourning will be comforted.

The meek (the humble) when it is all said and done will inherit the earth.

Those hungering for righteousness will be filled.

The merciful will be shown mercy.

The pure in heart will see God.

The world will rise up and the peacemakers as the very children of God.

The persecuted for consciousness sake will bask in God’s glory.

 There is a blessing when people insult or persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because you take (Christ’s path of  grace, mercy, goodness, decency, justice and love.) 

 Rejoice and be glad, because even when the crowd gets it so very wrong, even when we get it wrong, God’s great mercy is greater than our missteps, great is our reward in heaven. (Adapted Matthew 5)

So today, do not let this sermon tap down your loud “hosannas”, no worship the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, make your best effort at it… but remember loving your neighbor is a better test of your praise.  And lighten up, go easy on the misguided crowds, love them as yourself- Jesus will pray forgiveness upon those crucifying him. (Luke 23) Be merciful, humble, pure in heart, weep over Jerusalem, march for a better day, flip over a table, wash someone’s feet, make peace along the way and do not forget: Easter is coming. Resurrection is coming. Love wins, as soon as and whenever we deploy it.  Sing loud Hosannas, God save us, blessed is the coming kingdom of Christ our peace, our Lord, our Hope. Amen.