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The Simple Surprising Truth That Saves Rev. Julie G. Olmsted We have so much to read in the lectionary this week. I urge all of you to read all of the readings; at least do that to commemorate holy week. If you read with your imagination engaged, you will find that the story that we celebrate each year is so moving and rich. There is much to decipher and to try on, in terms of historical as well as metaphorical meaning and application. The Easter story is your story and my story. It is the story of humankind and its saving grace offered by God. This morning I would like to look at with you a very simply image. The image is that of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Now the people of Israel were very excited that Jesus has been named their “king.” But they had not had a king for a very long time. They imagined that a new king for them would be a mighty general of military and political genius. They very much wished for a dynamic and charismatic leader who would make way for the return of the Jewish people to the former days of glory with king David and his son Solomon. Perhaps some of the people knew who Jesus really was; what he was really all about. Perhaps the apostles knew. But really, there was a lot of confusion about who he was. They had heard of his miracles, his teaching, and his magnetism. It was natural that they would call him king and have all of the accompanying expectations of a king.
Jesus’ appearance on a donkey was a fulfillment of prophecy. It was prophesied in Zechariah that the king would “come to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Hosanna is a Hebrew word, meaning “save,” so the people were looking for salvation, the kind a mighty king might provide. But, as you and I know, the kind of salvation that Jesus offered was not necessarily salvation of this world, although it certainly could include that. Jesus was aware of the suffering of his people; he did not overlook the inequities of the times that he lived in, and he was certainly all about justice, if he was about anything. But he offered people a kind of salvation that turned the status quo upside down. It was not a bullying sort of power that dominated or conquered in a political, military or physical sense. It was a mighty power that took a surprising and puzzling turn: the power of God, which manifested as harmlessness. Think about the image. Think about donkeys. Even the name evokes a humble, almost humorous feeling. Think about the image of a man riding on that donkey. It’s an image of humility, of gentleness, and of good will: certainly not an image of a warrior or a conqueror in a worldly sense. From his birth to his death, Jesus communicated surprise, challenge, humility, joy and wisdom. He did not follow the mandates of the world and what it takes in order to “make it.” Jesus was unconcerned about worldly success. He did not subscribe to the maze of complicated steps or political posturing in order to get what he wanted. Because what he wanted was to serve God. And, as his entrance into Jerusalem showed us that day, that was not a complicated undertaking at all. In fact it was very simple; simple but not always easy. It’s a simple thing to ride into town on a donkey. It’s a simple thing to say I’m sorry. It’s a simple gesture to help a neighbor or a friend, to put your arm around someone and say, “great job.” It’s such a simple thing to listen and not judge. When Jesus taught it was often in the simplest of circumstances. His birth, as well as his ministry all took place in humble and ordinary environments. He told us not to be fooled by the trappings, by the complications, and by the struggles set before us in the world. At every turn, he demonstrated that we do not need to be cunning in order to get ahead. We just need to love God and show fierce loyalty to that love and a fierce commitment to expressing that love to others, despite all their shortcomings, despite all their trickery, yes even despite their fickleness and untrustworthy natures: Love God, love others. Wow, can it really be that simple? Where would the entertainment industry be if we all committed ourselves totally to the living out of these surprisingly simple truths? Where would the diet industry be if we just said, “let’s feed the hungry in the world and just eat what God would have us eat in order to be healthy and strong?” Where would the fashion industry be, the whole world, actually, in terms of economics, if we simply decided to follow the man on the donkey? We complicate everything, though, don’t we? Hey, where would religions be, in truth, if we merely decided to live humbly and simply, not proving that our religion was better or our denomination was smarter, but we just hunkered down in our RELATIONSHIP to the man on the donkey, committing ourselves to becoming like him in spirit and in truth? I wonder. Think about the donkey. Think about the simple salvation of being someone harmless and loving, but fiercely dedicated to following the great commandment: Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; love your neighbor as you love yourself. That means saying no to a lot. That means letting go of pettiness, worry, self-centeredness, envy, regret and revenge. That means getting out of our comfort zones, taking some risks and daring to love in a way that shows action and not caring what people think. That means loving the unlovable as well as the lovable. Simple I said, not easy! And what do we do when we commit ourselves to this simple truth? We do not sit on top of a cloud or in an air-tight room, waiting to be whisked off to heaven! When we commit ourselves to the simple path that the man on the donkey took, we actually serve one another with all our hearts. We are harmless and we are dedicated to showing our love as well as talking about it. Can it really be that simple? Yes, says the man on the donkey. It’s that simple. Test it. Try it out. Spend the next seven days in service to others. Die this week to your old self. See what happens next Sunday.
Make this holy week holy. Give up an old thought, call up an old friend, attend ALL of your church services. Feed someone who is hungry. Love yourself enough to stop criticizing yourself for a day. Read your Bible. Love in Christ, Pastor Julie |
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