A Welcome for Christ 4/14/46
Scripture: Read Mark 11: 1-10
The desire of subject peoples for political liberation in our day is nothing new. It is as old as is organized greed for wealth and power.
The family of Jacob went to Egypt during drought and famine; stayed there; multiplied so that the Egyptians feared their numerical strength and contrived their economic enslavement. The Passover and the escape of the Hebrews across the Red Sea and into the wilderness only came generations after they had been enslaved. Many of their years had been bitter ones.
Back in a land of their own, the Hebrew folk prospered as long as they remained a vigorous, morally sound, and fairly united people. But a time came, generations later, when they neglected the laws of God, grew careless of their moral strength and were conquered by the armies of invaders.
And so 2,000 years ago found them under the heel of Rome, carrying Roman soldiers’ packs as forced laborers; paying Roman -imposed-and-collected taxes; and unwillinggly obeying Roman decrees. A main thoroughfare of the world of that day went down their coast. The Romans exploited that strategic passageway and incidentally exploited the people too.
Into that spot and that generation of woe, the Babe of Bethlehem had been born. One of Rome’s tyrants had ordered all the babes of that village destroyed in order to make sure there would be nothing to the talk of a “new king” coming from there. [Matthew 2: 16]. After the flight to Egypt, and the later return by round-about way to the family home at Nazareth in the northern province of Galilee, the child and his parents were settled in the normal life of a small town. At the age of 12, about the time when all boys of his faith should be initiated into the privileges and responsibilities of membership among the men of the synagogue, the boy was taken by his parents on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There they worshipped, while the boy asked questions of the learned doctors which astonished them because of the understanding shown in the seemingly simple lad. [Luke 2: 41-47]. The family returned to Nazareth and stayed there, without event, for 18 years, while the boy grew through youth to manhood and maturity.
Then began the three great years of ministry --- teaching, healing, comforting, inspiring ministry. Some disliked it. Many did like it and followed Jesus’ thought, and even his travels. A few became such close companions that they went with him wherever he went. But the three years were spent mostly in his own province of Galilee.
Word spread about, however, and all over the land a hope flamed up in the breasts of patriots, that freedom from Rome was near, and that the delivering leader, the Messiah, had appeared up north in Galilee. Jesus’ teaching appealed to all sincere folk, especially to the humble of spirit, whether high or low or outcasts in the social scale. Far too much, however, they pinned on him their hopes of political deliverance, which stuck there until only martyrdom freed his name from the violent thought.
Meanwhile, the “Quislings” who had managed to adjust themselves, profitably, to the will and expediencies of the conquerors, became disturbed at the popularity of the Galilean up north. They wanted no upsetting of their golden apple cart. The more that ordinary Jewish people spread about the fame of Jesus, the more the influential Jewish leaders determined to be rid of him.
So when, at the age of 33, and after 3 years of public ministry, Jesus determined - contrary to the anxious advice of his disciples - to go down to Jerusalem in Judea, he had decided on a course he knew to be dangerous but important and spiritually necessary.
The journey was made without haste. People learned, in advance, of his coming. And common folk around Jerusalem were considerably excited about it. It was nearly time for the annual observance of the Passover, so many more people were coming to the capital city and the temple than would ordinarily be found there. It promised to be a profitable time, indeed, for those Quislings. The foreign governor kept a watchful eye on the situation, and the holiday crowds were prepared to respond to whatever seemed exciting and hopeful.
The first reaction was one of great popular acclaim, as Jesus approached. Because of intimate acquaintance with Scriptural significance, he did allow a certain limited display of prominence as he came the last short distance to the city. At least he rode on a donkey, while most of the people kept to the usual mode of travel - their own two feet.
People saw him coming. Their enthusiasm mounted like that of a crowd watching an unusual parade. They began to sing; fresh green branches were laid on the way; others paved the trail with their coats and cloaks. People were honestly, sincerely joyful. Here comes their Messiah, their hoped-for deliverer! Why shouldn’t they shout in their happiness? The entry, through excited, expectant, happy throngs of acclaiming people, was enough to alarm still further the authorities of government and temple. Their countermoves were planned quickly. But there was no opportunity for them to do anything about it for five days, during which time some of the most vigorous action and effective teaching of Jesus’ entire ministry took place.
A noisy, greed-perverted commercialism was driven from the temple sanctuary, to the dismay of the merchants, and to the white-hot wrath of the smooth-palmed priests. Jesus spoke parables of warning; parried questions meant to trap him; openly denounced the perversion of so many scribes and Pharisees; brought back peoples’ attention from formal, detailed little lists of sins to the great ethical consciousness of wrong; wept over the proud and stubborn, morally doomed city of Jerusalem; sorrowfully predicted its downfall and the desolate scattering of its people, taught further spiritual truth in the parables of the ten virgins and of the talents. At night, he and his intimates retired outside the city walls for safety, until he was betrayed. It was a tremendously eventful week!
That triumphal entry was the kind of event that lives forever! It lives today, more than 1900 years later. Our own hearts are kindled with enthusiasm as we think of Jesus’ triumph, then and now. The triumph is silhouetted against a background of tragedy, however, now as then.
As a people, we created sons and daughters of the Most High, have not been ready for the message of His Son. We have still thought in terms of the sword, the iron hand, the power of substance and decree. A preacher exclaims, “You came too soon, O Christ!” and it was true in the sense that he was “ahead of his time.” It is still true today!
But praise God for all who, like His son, are ahead of their time. Our only hope is that we may swiftly enough catch up with their time.
Jesus was not accepted by many people 1925 or so years ago. Some listened to his sayings angrily, like the brother in his own family who grumbled about having a fanatic in the family. His own townspeople ran him out of his home synagogue and town. Common people heard his gladly, we hear, but some of the chief people did not accept his words. Even whole cities begged him to stay off their streets.
So Jesus gave more time to the choosing and teaching of a few intimate disciples. He told them that they were the custodians of great, divine mysteries; that they should accomplish more wonderful things than he had done. He taught, disciplined, and loved them. He washed their feet; and they misunderstood him and quarreled among themselves. Finally one betrayed him, and the rest ran away when he was taken and crucified.
A fine, influential young man in Judea came quietly to him as if to admit, “You have something - the answer I seek.” But he went away, unchanged, because he couldn’t make Jesus’ answer fit his idea of living.
They, and we, hear Jesus say, “He that would be greatest among you, let him be your servant.” [Matthew 20: 27]. It sounds pretty good after we have heard it repeated often enough. We even incorporate the idea of service, in a way, into many of our organizational aims. But so often we revolt before we really give it a trial. We decide that we are “temperamentally allergic to servitude.” Who wants to play second fiddle when the first violin gets all the solos? And a possible orchestra of humanity breaks up in the disharmony of our own self-interests.
“He that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.” [Mark 8: 35]. Jesus was not advocating just throwing away one’s life or having it taken from one in any cause that comes along. He commended spending ones life, without reservation, for his sake, in the cause of his true righteousness. How many of us are personally committed, without reservation, to such a way? And what political party, nation or even church will give its life for the right? Can very many people do it? Or does the Christ still ride into Jerusalem “before his time?” Do we want the kind of earth that is inherited by the meek?
Now and then someone goes all the way with the triumphant Christ. The Danish minister of 15 years ago who would not be silenced by the Nazi commands seems to be one. “Be cautious?” he says when pleading friends asked him to be careful. “Was Christ cautious? Were the martyrs cautious? I prefer Jesus Christ!” “Hypocrites” and “whited sepulchers!” That was what he called the political leaders of his country. “It is better that Denmark’s relations with Germany should deteriorate than her relations with the Lord Jesus!”
Where did that get the Rev. Kaj Munk? He was murdered one night, and his body thrown in a ditch. But so, remember was his Lord summarily put to death. The triumphal entry of the spirit led ahead through that - not away from it.
Christ rides into Jerusalem with a way for people to live together; the way of love. Do we understand it? Do we want it? He said that love should be central in all our relationships; that active good will would hold us all together in brotherhood. Do we believe it? Or do we make exceptions in the case of those whose color is different; whose religious views and traditions differ from ours; whose language is foreign gibberish in our ears? Do we believe that all people are human or are some people only beasts, or at best subhuman?
“Love your enemies.” Why, can we even do that in peace time? “Meet evil with good.” Aren’t we afraid that it won’t work? We think we know better. Perhaps we are not unselfish enough to know what is good. Or perhaps it seems risky.
And yet salvation is bought at risk. It was so with Jesus himself. And he did not himself escape suffering and even death. Ill will must be face with good will! Until it is, Christ has only come before his time.
Christ comes “before his time” into our personal lives. We talk of personal liberty. We don’t want to be regimented; and that is right. However, the true liberty is not personal license but voluntary self-discipline in cooperative and right living. “Straight is the gate and narrow is the way,” said Jesus. It looks cramped until we take that way by our own free will; then it is as wide as we need!
“Repent ye,” came his words. Who has sinned; I? What have I done who have at least tried to be respectable? And so Christ knocks at a door closed from the inside and to be opened only from within. So long as he stands there outside your heart and mine, he has “come before his time.”
But his triumphal entry was not early in God’s time! It is not early today! It is late - the hour of human need, and it may be, of human survival, is later than we think! Let every loyal heart take up the singing and follow him in his triumph wherever he leads, through whatever hardship or danger or difficulty.
Let his own bear his burdens with palms and a song! Let us be willing to go with Him through danger, and even crucifixion to resurrection. His way is great adventure. For the good that he taught and lived can never die!
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Dates and places delivered:
Wisconsin Rapids, April 14, 1946
Wisconsin Rapids, April 10, 1960