Garrett Vickrey Palm Woodland Baptist Church 3.20.16 San Antonio, TX “The Last Parable” Luke 19:28-40

St. was walking did the Lord’s prayer or the Good along a road once on a pilgrimage, Samaritan or the Prodigal Son. and he was singing. Someone But, Palm Sunday shows up in all asked him where he’s going. He four. The church is beginning to said, “I’m going to God.” They take shape around , even asked him where he’s coming before his death and resurrection. from, and he said, “I’m coming Even before we, his disciples, from God.” “And why do you sing?” betray and ignore him, he is they asked. Francis replied, “I sing teaching us how to walk. How to to keep from losing my way.” walk together. He’s teaching us That’s good reminder for us today? how easy it is to gloss over the Why do we celebrate Palm needs we encounter along the way Sunday? Is it just eve or is as we celebrate the one who came there something more? Palm to give us life. If we aren’t keeping Sunday is an active parable that our ears tuned and eyes open, if shows us the way to walk with we aren’t singing as we go we just Christ in this world without losing might lose our way. our way. So what does a church shaped by The parade of Jesus on Palm Palm Sunday look like? The Sunday mirrors the life of the central profession of Christian faith church. And the life of faith for is, “Jesus Christ is Lord”. Palm every — Peter, James, Sunday teaches us what kind of John, Mary, you and me. Christian Lord he is. It says something about faith is meant to set us on a the kind of kingdom he brings. journey, guide us along the way, Throughout his ministry Jesus and give meaning to each step we taught in parables, but towards the take. On Palm Sunday Jesus end we begin to see his actions as shows us how to walk that path. parables in themselves which teach us something about the Palm Sunday is included in all four kingdom of God. The word . didn’t even “parable” literally means to “throw make into all four gospels. Neither alongside”. Jesus used parables to 1 throw images of the kingdom of second servant earned a return of God alongside life in our world. His 500%. He was given authority over entry into is a highly 5 cities. Another servant came and symbolic act that begins to make unwrapped a scarf and gave the us think perhaps his whole life is a king his money. He said, “Here’s parable of God’s Kingdom. your money; I kept it safe. I was afraid of you because you are a The last parable Jesus tells before stern man. You withdraw what you entering Jerusalem (at first glance) haven’t deposited and you harvest appears to be a troubling parable what you haven’t planted.” of judgement. However, it’s a parable that is defined and The king said, “You are explained by that first Palm condemned by your own words, Sunday. you worthless servant.” The king said to his attendants, “Take his The gist of the story Jesus tells is money and give it to the one who this: a man born from a royal has ten times as much.” “But family went to a far away city to Master,” they said, “he already has receive his kingdom and then ten times as much!’ He replied, ‘I return. He called together ten say to you that everyone who has servants and gave each of them will be given more, but from those money worth four months’ wages. who have nothing, even what they He said, ‘Do business with this have will be taken away. As for my until I return.’ The citizens of his enemies who don’t want me as domain hated this man and sent their king, bring them here and their own representatives to this far slaughter them before me.” away city to stop him from becoming king over them. Yet, the Is Jesus describing himself here? man became king anyway. When That king doesn’t sound anything he returned he called the servants like Jesus; but, it does sound like to find out how much they had Herod. Remember him? Herod earned him. The first earned him a went to Rome to be made ruler return of 1,000%. The king replied, over Galilee. Herod was known to ‘Excellent! You are a good servant. slaughter those he thought posed Because you have been faithful in a threat to him. Maybe this isn’t a a small matter, you will have parable of judgement as much as it authority over ten cities.’ The is a parable of the way things are 2 under Herod’s rule. This isn’t a Although, I believe they didn’t have parable of God’s kingdom as much cascarones in those days. And no as it is the reality against which one at this parade on Palm Jesus proclaim’s God’s kingdom. Sunday asked to see the disciples’ In Herod’s world you either work shoes. for the king or are slaughtered by the king to keep the peace. In As you know from Fiesta and the God’s kingdom peace comes Rodeo, in citywide celebrations through Christ, the prince of there needs to be a special peace. Both of these version’s of presence of authority to keep peace involve death. The peace of things orderly. was no Rome—pax Romana— as it is different. So it’s likely that on the called comes by killing off the same day Jesus makes his opposition. The peace of Christ into the city, there is comes by dying to the self. Jesus another procession on the other tells this parable just before the side of the city. A Roman imperial march to Jerusalem where he procession of troops and cavalry becomes the last parable. Jesus likely entered the city from the wanted to remind them once again west, headed by Pilate. Their of the nature of God’s kingdom. purpose was to reinforce the And so he picked a colt, a donkey, Roman presence near the temple as his transportation of choice. for Passover, when tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims filled Rome must not have been very the city.1 There procession was a concerned about this new king. It show of power. Strong horses. must have been a hilarious sight, Men with swords. Crests this peasant parade. This was just emblazoned with the emperor’s one of many parades and face. No smiles. Just tough-guy festivities going on through out the faces. They were there for city. Remember, it’s almost time for business. the Passover. And pilgrims from all over the region would be making Meanwhile, Jesus rides a young their way to the holy city. The place donkey; perhaps, his feet even where they believed heaven and dragged on the ground as he rode earth met. The city of God’s peace, that donkey into the holy city. It’s Jerusalem. It must have been like no accident that Jesus chose the San Antonio during fiesta. donkey for this day. I think there’s 3 a reason, and once again we must the humble. And so after these look at the context. great works of power— healing the blind man and bringing the rich Remember this parade had been man Zacchaeus through the eye of building up for days. It stormed a needle— Jesus makes sure we through Jericho on it’s way toward don’t lose our way in the Jerusalem. But, Jesus stopped celebration and wander off the along the way. On the road outside path into celebrating our own Jericho he heard a blind man by power (by proximity). Perhaps, the side of the road call out to him. that’s why he chose the lowly The man was shouting and the donkey over a mighty horse. He’s disciples at the front of the line showing us how to not get lost on sternly ordered him to be quiet. the way. That’s eerily similar to the request of some pharisees on the first A Palm Sunday church recognizes Palm Sunday. But, Jesus stopped the inherent danger of Christian and went to the man and asked faith, yet is led by Christ’s peace. how he could help. The destination we celebrate ultimately is a . The parade Next, Jesus enters Jericho and leads through a graveyard. From looks up in a tree. And I think you the Mount of where Jesus know what he saw. A wee little sets off on the donkey to man up in that tree. “Zacchaeus, Jerusalem— that path leads right come down,” he said. It’s as much through an ancient Jewish a theological statement as it was graveyard. Thousands of physical. Come down where your gravestones fill that area from the neighbors are and look them in the Mount of Olives to the eastern gate eye. Let’s have lunch today. This of the Temple. It was believed that parade is bringing transformation. that’s the place where the messiah The blind see. The greedy are would come and so everyone generous. That’s the kingdom of wanted to be buried their so that God. they would be ready to rise and follow the messiah into the holy The expectations are building up. city on that final “gettin-up” And Jesus wants to give his morning. When some pharisees disciples another lesson… this asked Jesus to restrain his jubilant time on power. It’s best used by disciples, Jesus tells them if they 4 were silent then the stones would By the time the British stopped cry out. Maybe he was alluding to laughing and realized the threat those grave stones along his path. Gandhi posed, it was too late. He Christians need not direct their had already captured the hearts lives by the fear of death. The path and minds of the people. Perhaps, we walk is in faith behind the One Gandhi learned a little something we believe is fundamental to from Palm Sunday. Where Jesus, human flourishing. Christ is the through the peace he brings, had one who shows us the way of already captured the hearts of his abundant life. And redeems the people before Rome or the dead and lost. That’s why we lose religious leaders in Jerusalem ourselves in celebration. knew what to do. By the time they fought him, the seeds of his new The Palm Sunday church creation had already been sown. celebrates the way, and isn’t driven And three days after they fought by results. We are impractical him the seeds of God’s kingdom people, and we should celebrate sprouted into victory over death. that. When we (the church) get too caught up in the ends we The seeds of God’s new creation compromise the means. That’s lie hidden in obscurity among the dangerous. How we get weak and outcast… proud eyes somewhere is just as important as are blind to them. In our weakness the destination. That's why we (like these seeds are planted in us. Just Jesus) must always choose the as the seeds of resurrection sown donkey over the high horse. in the Godforsaken cross of Christ sprout into an . So too Mahatma Gandhi was the our glory comes in weakness. preeminent leader of the Indian Maybe that’s what Jesus is trying independence movement against teach us as he rides that donkey. British-ruled India last century. Gandhi based many of his The Palm Sunday Church methods on the person and recognizes the balance in it’s activities of Jesus. Of this method identity. We play a critical role in he said, "First they laugh at you, God’s work on earth, but the world then they fight you, then you win.” doesn’t rest on our shoulders. There’s an old spiritual practice that Rabbis used to teach this idea 5 to their students. They would have snow and ice, 27,000 feet up the them carry 2 slips of paper; one for mountain, just 2000 feet from the each pocket. On one would be peak. He never gave up. His body written, “You are made in the was found face down on a rocky image of God.” And on the other, slope, head toward the summit. “From dust you came and to dust His arms were extended high over you shall return.” Self esteem is a his head. His toes were pointed fine line to walk in this world. We into the mountain; his fingers dug are made in God’s image; we are into the loose rock, refusing to let dust. We are great and small. We go even as he drew his last breath. are sinner-saints. The more we lay A short length of cotton rope – aside our own greatness, the broken – was looped around his greater we are. The more we take waist. ourselves lightly the more God is able to use us seriously. We can When those who had set up camp be bigger, we can be a part of for Mallory further down the something bigger than ourselves mountain returned to England a when we walk the path of humble banquet was held for them. It’s glory Jesus teaches us on Palm said that the leader of the group Sunday. stood to be applauded, and with tears streaming down his face, George Mallory was the famed turned and looked at a huge mountain climber who may have picture of Mt Everest that stood been the first person ever to reach behind the banquet table. And he the top of Mount Everest. In the said, “I speak to you, Mt Everest, early 1920’s he led a number of in the name of all brave [people] attempts to scale the mountain. living and those yet unborn… you However, he died on his third defeated us once; you defeated us attempt in 1924. Before that last twice; you defeated us three times. and fatal attempt he had said “I But Mt Everest, we shall someday can’t see myself coming down defeat you, because you can’t get defeated.” any bigger but we can.”

Mallory was an extraordinary In 1953 two climbers, Sir Edmund climber, and nothing would force Hillary and Tenzig Norgay, reached him to give up. His body was found the top. in 1999, well preserved by the 6 The way of Christ, the way of Palm Sunday, teaches us we can be bigger… by making ourselves smaller. There’s incredible power in humility and sacrifice that the Pilates and Herods of this world know nothing about. They scoff at the simplicity of this way— that loving your neighbor might lead to transformation of the neighborhood — they mock the peace of Christ.

But this day as much as any other reminds us that we are great and small. We are sinner-saints on the road following the jester of peace. And we get bigger by making ourselves smaller. We find new life through a device of death. That’s Jesus’ last parable— throwing his life alongside ours.

7 1 Marcus Borg, “: Two Different Meanings”, May 7, 2011, http://www.marcusjborg.com/2011/05/07/holy-week- two-different-meanings/

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