"Cheers, Jeers, and Tears" Sermon for Palm Sunday (Narrative Lectionary 3)

Cheers, Jeers, and Tears
Palm Sunday (NL3)
March 24, 2013
Luke 19.29-44

Finally, we are here. Jerusalem: the destination to which Jesus set us face, as we read on Ash Wednesday. Along the way, Jesus has been teaching his followers the way of the kingdom, preparing them for what is to come. Yet, like the lead-up to death through a long illness, we are never fully prepared for the agony that awaits us. Palm Sunday is a “hot fudge sundae” kind of day, where we feel hot and cold at the same time. However, today we have a third emotion added, as if we were eating the sundae at a dying one’s bedside. Our lesson today gives us the good, the bad, and the ugly of scripture all in one sitting.

Like a conquering hero, Jesus rides into Jerusalem astride a donkey, the limousine of kings. To the cheers of the crowds and his disciples, Jesus is celebrated as the coming king. For a people who have been under occupation by a foreign government, Jesus symbolizes hope. Perhaps the peace will finally come, that which was predicted by the angels at his birth: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to his people on earth.” We hope that this peace will be different, unlike the peace the Romans bring, the so-called Pax Romana, a peace born of conflict and violence. So, we get swept up in the celebration. All of our hopes are riding on Jesus, whether we know it or not.

Yet, our cheers are muted by the jeers of the Pharisees, who try to stifle the joy of our arrival. Just as Jesus was rejected by the Samaritan village at the beginning of his journey, he faces rejection here as well. Indeed, as Jesus continues his mission, the jeers of the Pharisees will be replaced by the animosity of the high priests and scribes. We jeer what we fear, and the religious leaders fear Jesus and his message that upsets their world. The crowds will also turn against Jesus, because the king we are expecting is not the king we get. There will be enormous pressure for us to hush up, denying the one who will never deny us.

Then, inexplicably, the cheers of the crowds and the jeers of the Pharisees turn to the tears of Jesus. It is amazing that in the midst of this wild celebration Jesus cries openly and loudly. Like another king, his ancestor, King David, Jesus weeps on the Mount of Olives. Unlike David, Jesus does not weep for himself; he laments the fate of Jerusalem, so promising a city and so great a disappointment. We get the nagging sense that there is more, that Jesus also weeps for us, for the brokenness that permeates our lives. If the tears amid the cheers sound jarring, we are reminded which of us have not come to church to worship and done so with a world of hurt in our hearts?

Yes, we have arrived at Jerusalem, but we know the most important journey is still ahead of us this week. Today, Jesus has been lifted onto a donkey, but we know that soon he will be lifted onto a cross. Like those who accompanied Jesus 2,000 years ago, we are cheered by the hope he brings to us. Yet, we know there are times when we do not find our voices to speak as Jesus would have us. And we also know that Jesus weeps over the powers of sin and death that stand between us and the life God intends for us. You may be tempted to take a short-cut on the journey this week, bypassing Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. But I hope you don’t, because the journey through the cross to the empty tomb is far more important than the destination. Either way, may God bless you as you continue your travels with Jesus, assured of his presence and blessing. Amen.