“Palm Sunday – A Great Day for a Parade” Mt. 21:1-11; John 1:1, 14; I John 2:1, 2 Park Boulevard Presbyterian, Oakland, Ca. (www.pbpc.org) Dr. George Gilchrist, Interim/Transitional Pastor Palm Sunday – April 1, 2012

Can April Fools’ Day and Palm Sunday co-exist?

What a coincidence! Today is April Fools’ Day as well as Palm Sunday. The last time that these dates came together was in 2007! How did April Fools’ Day find its way to our calendar?

Long ago…in 1582, Pope Gregory ordered a new calendar. It’s not a surprise that it became known as the “Gregorian calendar,” replacing the old Julian calendar, and moving New Year’s Day from April 1 to January 1st.

But, the problem arose because much of the population either did not learn about the change or simply refused to accept Jan. 1 as the new date for the beginning of the year instead of the original New Year's date of April 1st.

Thus, April Fools’ Day came to be because those who made the shift to a January 1st New Year viewed those who refused to change as “outmoded traditionalists.” Soon, they began sending “fool’s messages” to the “outmoded traditionalists” to trick them into believing something false or persuading them to go on a “fools errand” for things that did not exist.

1 “Palm Sunday - a Great Day for a Parade” “Fool” or “foolish” are loaded – unless you are a comedian!

April Fools’ Day reminds us that our worst nightmare is that we might look “foolish,” “make a fool of ourselves” or is called “a fool.” Recently, a friend and I were enjoying lunch in a Berkeley restaurant, when the waiter, carrying a big load of dishes made a foux pas and the dishes crashed to the floor. The customers applauded. He felt really foolish.

Being the fool or acting foolish is OK – if you are a comedian.

There are exceptions to the fool, foolish question – if you are a comedian! If so, you are paid “big bucks” to look foolish. For example, the popular sitcom, Seinfeld, features four crazy, foolish characters – Kramer, Jerry, George and Elaine.

Consider Kramer! His weird, frizzy hairstyle, outdated clothing and predictable way of entering Jerry’s apartment readily qualify him as a "fool.” Equally foolish is George – a hopeless, pathetic character whose lack of relational skills prevents him from getting a job or maintaining a relationship with a woman beyond the first date.

My experience with foolish and comedy occurred as our Alongside Ministry summer project with collegians was designed to assist French Algerians with outreach at their New Church Development in Roubaix, France. One of our projects during the two weeks together was to go in teams of three to the beautiful nearby parks to give out invitations for an up- coming outreach concert. Our outreach groups had two French Algerians and one American.

My team agreed that as we approached French people in the park, I, the American, would start talking to folks first. I would say…Excusez moi. Je m’appelle George de California. Je voudrais practiqez ma français avec vous. C’est possible?” My accent always caused them to laugh, which lowered their defenses. Then, the fluent French speakers picked up the conversation. I enjoyed making a fool of myself.

“Foolishness” of Palm Sunday (Mt. 21:1-11)

In our time, we have made Palm Sunday a festive, “normal” event. It involves Palm Sunday worship and special treats for the children and maybe a family dinner in the afternoon. Then, life goes on as usual.

But, that was not the case on the first Palm Sunday. The magnitude of Jesus’ entrance to the city was based on three compulsory festivals for Jews – the Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. Wherever a Jew may have lived, it was his ambition to observe at least one Passover in Jerusalem. The noted 1st century historian, Josephus, states that about 2 ½ million folks were in Jerusalem on the day – Jesus came to town. That was a VERY BIG PARADE.

2 “Palm Sunday - a Great Day for a Parade” The Palm Sunday account in Matthew’s Gospel says, ”As Jesus and the disciples neared Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount Olives” (Mt. 21:1)

In Feb. ’99, Margie and I, along with about two dozen pastors and spouses from Yukon Presbytery of Alaska walked the same route that Jesus took from Bethpage, Bethany, past the Garden of Gethsemane, to the Mt. of Olives, across the Kidron Valley and into the ancient city. Why? We decided to spend our two weeks of Study Leave together in the Holy Land. We were also able to see where Jesus walked and talked through the eyes and of the four cultural groups of our Presbytery…  Koreans,  Inupiat Eskimos who live between the Artic Ocean and the Artic Circle;  Yupik Eskimos from Western Alaska near Russia and  Ourselves of European descent. What a stretching experience!!!

It was a very cold, rainy day that February ‘99, when we followed Jesus’ steps from the village of Bethany down the steep hill to the Garden of Gethsemane, across the Kidron Valley and up the hill to old Jerusalem. We were able to imagine Jesus entering the city on that first Palm Sunday – riding a donkey with the cheering multitudes lining the roads and street, waving palms and shouting their hosannas.

The foolishness of Palm Sunday

But, the central event is that Jesus came into the city on the back of a donkey. He must have looked very foolish! Jesus claimed that He was the Son of God – He was making a divine appointment with the human race. Because He came as King, we would expect Him to come as royalty -- in a chariot drawn by pure bread stallions and accompanied with a host of servants and attendants and housed in a “Five Star Hotel.” But, NO -- He came on a donkey – one of the “lowest” animals of the ancient world.

Could it be that God chose to look foolish so that no one – even in the lowest strata of society could say “I can’t connect with Jesus – He’s in a class far superior to me.”

3 “Palm Sunday - a Great Day for a Parade” Palm Sunday is about the foolishness” of the incarnation

Further foundations for Palm Sunday are found in today’s Scripture, “In the beginning, before the beginning began, God expressed Himself. That Word, was with God and was God and He existed with God from the beginning. Everything was created through Him and nothing – not one thing – came into being without Him.” (John 1:1).

John’s Gospel continues with…“And the Word – God’s expression – became a human – Jesus of Nazareth and moved into our neighborhood” (1:14). We call this major event, the incarnation – the event in which “the all-powerful, invisible, eternal God of the universe chose to reduce Himself to a human being like us.” And this “human being,” named Jesus of Nazareth took up residency on planet earth and even entered Jerusalem during Passover on a lowly donkey.

Incarnation. chile con carne – “chile with flesh” – God with flesh

Several weeks ago, Margie and I were with our son, Greg, daughter-in-law, Lynn and grandchildren, Bennett, 5 years, and Ashley, 3 years. Margie had some pictures of astronauts and trips to the moon, which held Bennett and Ashley’s attention for nearly an hour. At the end of the time, Bennett asked me the “simple question” – How big is the universe? I said, “Let me get back to you on that!” Later, Bennett’s mother, Lynn, said, “He’s also planning to ask you ‘How big is God?’ So…be prepared.”

The “foolishness of Good Friday” points to the truth that God, who is infinitely bigger than the universe chose to be totally humiliated -- was made to look foolish -- in order to connect with us and pay off our ‘sin debt.’

The first Epistle of John says, “I write this, my children, so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have Jesus, the righteous One, who pleads our case with the Father. Christ Himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven” (I John 2:1, 2).

The bottom line is….he/she’s no fool who follows Jesus!

4 “Palm Sunday - a Great Day for a Parade”