All
the Deeds of Power
A
Palm Sunday sermon by Brent J. Eelman
Luke
19:28-40
After
he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany,
at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying,
"Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied
there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone
asks you, "Why are you untying it?' just say this, "The Lord needs
it.' "So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners
asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord
needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks
on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he
rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from
the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God
joyfully with a loud voice for all
the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the
king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the
highest heaven!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him,
"Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell
you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."
Forbes Magazine annually
prints its listing of the most powerful people alive today. Ten years ago, it began the article by
stating: “Power has been called many things. The ultimate aphrodisiac. An
absolute corrupter. A mistress. A musical instrument. But its true nature
remains elusive.” It then went on to
list four attributes of those individuals who wield power in our world. 1. They have influence over a large group of
people. 2. They control large financial
resources. 3. They are powerful in
multiple spheres. And 4. They exercise the power that they have.
Do
those four categories reflect your understanding of power?
Who
would you put on your list?
One
of the primary themes of Palm Sunday is power.
When Jesus approached the gate of Jerusalem he was greeted by followers.
Luke wrote: the whole multitude of the
disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen. There are
a number of references in the Gospels that associate Jesus with power, but Palm
Sunday contrasts Christ’s power with all other power. Today, on this Palm Sunday when we remember and
celebrate Jesus’ entry into the city of Jerusalem, we need to examine the
concept of power. First in the context
of the original Palm Sunday. Second, The
gospel’s radical redefinition of power.
And Third, Power today, in our world and in our lives.
I
Let’s
consider the first Palm Sunday. There
was a great deal of power concentrated in the city of Jerusalem. There was the power of the Roman occupation
troops. Rome had the most powerful army
in the world. They were fierce, brutal
and efficient. Their presence and the
fear they engendered amongst the populace assured that order would be kept… If
not, there would be deadly consequences.
What was the source of their power?
Was it not their ability to inflict harm and ultimately death? What symbolized this power? The sword and the spear.
But
the military was not the only power in the city. Pontius Pilate was also present. What was the source of his power? First he had control over the army. But his power went beyond the sword. He had administrative power. He was able to control the area he governed
through administrative skills, Roman wealth, and of course his army. He also had the ability to levy taxes and
thus was able to insure that money and resources would be funneled to
Rome. What symbolized Pilate’s
power? The coin, the chariot, and the
stallion. All are symbols of conquering
political power.
Finally,
there was the Sanhedrin, the Jewish governing council. Rome, for all its brutality, was reasonably
enlightened about local rule throughout its empire. Rome was primarily interested in exploiting
the resources of its colonies.
Consequently it allowed a measure of local rule, if the local rulers
cooperated fully with Rome. They
permitted a king: Herod. There was a
court or assembly that directed the daily lives of the people, the
Sanhedrin. The group that controlled
this assembly was the Sadducees. The
source of their power was their ability to cut deals and survive in an occupied
country. Their hold on power was tenuous
and they knew it. One wrong move and
they would be gone. Ironically for all
their power, they were frightened people; constantly guarding their position
and authority; undercutting any person or group who was a threat. The symbol of their power was the Temple and
the organized religion of the day.
Jesus
entered the city just prior to Passover, the big season with lots of
tourists! Jewish pilgrims were coming
from all over the ancient world to offer sacrifices in the temple. Tens of thousands of animals would be bought
and slaughtered during this bloody ritual.
Money could be made selling the animals, but also exchanging foreign
currency so that visitor could make purchases.
These money changers were set up in the Temple Court – all for the
convenience of the Passover pilgrims… but all to benefit the power and
authority of the Sanhedrin.
If Forbes Magazine had a “Jerusalem Issue”
when Jesus entered the city, its list of the powerful would be headed by
Pilate, the military, and the chief priests of the Sanhedrin. Jesus was entering the center of power in the
ancient Middle-East.
II
How did Jesus redefine power?
We
need to understand Jesus’ entry into the city as a satire on the power of the
day. It was political satire and theater
at its best! A number of contemporary
comedians are using satire to make statements about our society and its
politics. Often satire is so sharp and
pointed that people don’t realize that it is satire, and take it at face value.
Likewise, many Christians fail to see the satire and the point that Jesus made
with humor and drama.
Jesus
playfully poked at the pompous pageantry of power. Kings and conquerors would
ride on Stallions and chariots. They
would parade in front of the throngs who cheered the conqueror, often motivated
by fear. They would be surrounded by
armed soldiers in their best armor, shiny and lethal. In direct contrast, Jesus entry into the city
was on a colt… not even a full grown horse!
Another gospel has him riding a donkey… a silly looking, humble
animal.
His
entrance was comparable to a dandelion float in the Tournement of Roses Parade! He was exposing
the conventions of power… and in his own way, speaking truth to that power!
Yet
we have the statement about his followers praising God for all the acts of
power that they had seen.
· What acts of power?
· What countries did Jesus conquer?
· Whom had he subdued?
· How much money and economic power did he have?
Jesus’
triumphant entry was pure political theater and I am sure that it brought a
smile and laugh to many who witnessed it.
A
penniless king, without an army, mounted on a donkey….
Was
this a triumphal entry? YES!
Jesus
used satire to point out the absurdity of the conventional view of power.
· Power was not the ability to amass money and
influence. It was found in emptying
oneself.
· Power was not found in pomp and circumstance, not in flags
and armor. It was manifest in humility… the humility of a colt or donkey, a
simple beast of burden.
· Power was not found in political processes and backroom
deals. It was by its very nature sacred.
· Power was not manifest in the ability to inflict harm and
death… NO, power was found in suffering and dying.
This
is the irony of that first Palm Sunday. Jesus
redefined power.
III
We
need to talk about power, because it still enters our cities and our
lives. What is power and who are the
powerful in our world?
A
number of years ago, we were visiting our daughter, who worked in Washington,
D.C. at the time. While walking to her
condo, the quiet of the evening was interrupted by sirens. Suddenly there were police and lights, all
around us. The streets were literally
blocked off by police cars and we were instructed not to cross into the
street.
“This
can mean only one thing,” our daughter told us.
Sure
enough, the presidential motorcade drove by… There were three limo’s exactly
the same, so that we would not know which one contained the president and his
family. There were a dozen other cars
weaving back and forth with the limos, thus providing a difficult target for
any would-be assailant. We looked on as
Forbes’ most powerful person in the world drove into our capitol city. Power still enters our cities.
A few weeks ago, many viewed the Academy Awards. We saw the celebrities entering the theater in lavish dress as the red carpet was rolled out for them. Celebrity power is the ability to influence and change behavior by modifying culture. Power still enters our cities and our living rooms.
But
in light of Palm Sunday, the pathos of the power of politics and the power of
celebrity is revealed.
Jesus
entry into Jerusalem exposed all power for what it is and for what it
lacks. Jesus invites us to participate
in his power. What is the power of
Christ in our world?
1. It is not the power to harm or hurt… it is
the power to heal… to bind the wounds of humanity rather than to inflict more. The deeds of
power that the disciples witnessed were healings and miracles of hope.
In 1865, William Booth reflected on the great military
power that England held in the world…. The sun never set on the British Empire,
nor its army. In the spirit of Christ,
Booth created an army that would not subjugate, conquer and kill. This was an
army that would heal, feed and give hope… a Salvation Army. He understood the irony of Palm Sunday.
2. Christ’s power is
moral power. This is not the power that comes from the
blade of a sword or the barrel of a gun.. It comes from doing the right
thing.
3. Christ’s power is the
power of truth. Pontius Pilate queried Jesus, “What is
truth?” The question was met with the
stony silence of the Christ standing before him… the one who proclaimed, “I am
the way, the truth, and the light.”
4. Christ’s power is not
the ability to subjugate and exploit. The power of Jesus is the power of service. In
Christ’s words: the one who wishes to be
first of all, must be servant of all. A service animal.. A donkey carried him… not a
war-horse.
5. Christ’s power does
not grab more power and amass wealth. It empties itself, giving and sacrificing for
others.
6. Christ’s power
ultimately is the power of love.
·
Love that heals and
gives hope.
·
Love that binds the
wounds of the world.
·
Love that serves the
world.
·
Love that does not
exploit or enslave but rather frees and supports.
·
Love that does the
right thing, not because it is expedient, not because it is easy, not fearing
the consequences, but because it is right and good.
Christ’s power is the power of sacrifice. It is the power
of the cross that he would face only five days later.
Power
still enters our lives and is displayed before us. We are confronted with the challenge of
choice:
· What kind of power will we employ?
· What type of power will we recognize as ultimate?
· What power do we worship?
Palm Sunday exhibits the ultimate contrast
between the way of Christ and the rest of the world.
Which
way will you travel?
What
power will we hallow in our lives, in our churches, in our cities, in our
nation and in the world?
· The power of Pilate and Caesar?
· The power of Institutions, religious or otherwise?
· The power of armies and weapons?
· The power of wealth, celebrity and prestige?
Or
the power of the Cross?
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