Tag Archives: Anointed One

The Humility of the King

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“The Humility of a King”

Matthew 21:1-10 – April 2, 2023 (March 20, 2005)

            Do you all have experiences of someone who is well-known? Someone whose name is on everybody’s lips? Someone who everybody is talking about? Whenever you hear the buzz, chances are it’s about that person. And when that well-known person, that person of greatness makes a big entrance, we know what to expect, don’t we? Well-known people are supposed to enter a city with pomp and ceremony: black limos, bands, waving, cheering crowds lining the streets, live coverage on television.

            That is just what we have here in the Gospel reading for today (minus the limousines and the television coverage). The name of Jesus was on just about everyone’s lips. Some people were glad He had come to Jerusalem, and some people were mad He had come, and some people weren’t sure what to think. But, I suspect almost everyone in Jerusalem that day had some sort of idea or opinion, one way or another.

            I bet a common question on people’s lips on that Sunday centuries ago was, “Who is this guy, anyway?” Let’s consider. The Rabbi Jesus had options. He could have quietly snuck into Jerusalem in the middle of the night, avoiding notice and controversy, and not making a fuss or bother. But that wouldn’t have been very kingly, would it?

            Jesus could have entered Jerusalem boldly and proudly, seated on a big white horse, like other triumphant generals or kings. A conquering king on a horse is the very image of war and forcing submission. But—that wouldn’t have struck quite the right note, not with everything we know about Jesus.

            What were people expecting? In other words, “Who is this guy, anyway?”

            At that time, the country of Israel in general, and the area surrounding Jerusalem in particular, was under enemy occupation. They were under the oppressive thumb of the Roman government, subdued by the Roman army, and had been in that position for many, many years. I know for a fact that around the time of Jesus, several people had proclaimed themselves “Messiahs”—meaning political leaders—for the purpose of overthrowing the Roman government and authority. So, this was not the first time this had been done. We can even see among Jesus’ disciples there was movement in this direction, and several of His disciples tried to persuade Jesus to be that powerful political leader.

            So, on that Palm Sunday, some people fully expected Jesus to make good on His claim to be Messiah—a claim to be a strong political leader, come to free the Israelite people from the tyranny of the Romans. True, Jesus had repeatedly proclaimed Himself the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. He used the title “Son of David” for Himself, which was a plain statement of His kingly claim, His claim to be Messiah. But with the Roman occupation and the messianic expectations of the day, a peaceful Messiah was not what anyone was expecting.

            Some people–I’m thinking of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and other temple leaders—were  awfully uneasy about Jesus. For them, Jesus was their worst nightmare. This rogue rabbi from Nazareth was saying things that penetrated right to the heart. Usually it was right to the hearts of the religious leaders—in a negative way. And, those things Rabbi Jesus was saying did not make the religious leaders feel good about themselves at all. Which made them want to get rid of Jesus even more.

            But, wait a minute! Jesus had also consistently healed the sick, given sight to the blind made the lame walk, and preached God’s good news to the poor. What about that part of His ministry? He certainly appeared to many to be a mighty prophet of God, and lots and lots of people were following Him as a result. Jesus’ words and teaching had authority. Jesus’ person had great credibility. Jesus’ healing showed God’s mighty power, and people even called the works He did miracles! Many people expected great things out of Jesus as a result of this aspect of His ministry.

            Who is this guy, anyway?

            Jesus entered Jerusalem the way He did as a fulfillment of prophecy. He didn’t just do this because He felt like it. No. I believe He fully understood what was prophesied in Zechariah 9 and Isaiah 62. So, the Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem just as the prophets said He would, on a donkey, as a visible sign of His coming in peace. The donkey was the image of peace. And that was what Jesus was bringing. He came to bring peace to people’s hearts, not a popular uprising, and not war to the streets of Jerusalem.

            Yes, Jesus entered Jerusalem as a king, and what I’d like to emphasize, as a humble and peaceful king. Humility is brought out as an attribute of this Messiah, this Anointed One of God, in three places. First, in the prophecy from Zechariah; second, in our gospel text this morning in Matthew 21 (which is a quote from Zechariah); and third, in our epistle passage today from Philippians.

            Jesus not only entered Jerusalem as a king, but as a humble king. Jesus could have been mighty and powerful. Jesus could have entered Jerusalem at the head of a mighty army of angels, ready for war. But, NO. Jesus entered Jerusalem in humility. He humbled Himself.

            Humility gets a bum rap today. I can’t imagine big, burly sports stars regularly being humble. Or, look at Hollywood actors and actresses—the very opposite of humility! Or, think of our political leaders—can any of them be described as humble? Our Lord Jesus presents us with a very, very different picture of humility.

            Just by coming to this earth, being born as a baby in Bethlehem, putting Himself under the authority of His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, Jesus showed us how much He humbled Himself. Jesus showed how much He cared for us. Jesus’ willingness to become human, to humble Himself, to become obedient, to the point of death–even death on a cross–this is love. This is obedience. This is humility.

            As our Lord Jesus—Messiah—Son of David—Lamb of God—Savior of the world—was seated on that donkey, He knew what was going to happen later that week. He knew about the arrest and the crucifixion. He knew that some of that crowd who cried “Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday morning would be screaming “Crucify Him!” on Good Friday morning. He had set His face and steeled His heart to go to Jerusalem, and on Palm Sunday morning, He was there. Jesus was preparing Himself to be obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, one of the most horrible kinds of execution ever thought of by anyone, anywhere.

            So—the question of the morning—who is this guy?—is a question that needs to be answered in each and every person’s heart. The hearts of the people in Jerusalem were in turmoil. Are our hearts any different today?

            Who is Jesus, anyway? Is He a great Teacher? Is He a troublemaker? Is He a prophet of God? Is He the fulfillment of prophecy? Or . . . is He something much more?

            The one who embodied the peace of heaven died just outside a city that was AND is blind to peace. Yet that one who died—Jesus—Son of David—Savior of the world—came to be King of our hearts, not King of a small territory on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. That one who died—Jesus—Messiah—Lamb of God—brings peace to all who trust in Him.

            Through all the pain and suffering of Holy Week, Jesus brings peace. Despite the horror of crucifixion, Jesus brings peace. Through the glorious resurrection of Easter Sunday, Jesus brings peace. I trusted Jesus to bring peace to my heart over thirty years ago, and I praise God for that peace and security, and for His presence always at my side.

            What about you? Have you trusted Jesus to bring peace to your heart? Trust Him today. And praise God that Jesus is King of our hearts, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

            Amen, and amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

The Coming King

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“The Coming King”

Jesus Palm Sunday - Giotto di Bonde, Entry into Jerusalem 1304-06, Fresco, Cappella Scrovegni Arena Chapel, Padua

Luke 19:35-40 – April 14, 2019

The most powerful person in the world. Ever hear that expression? I suspect it is familiar to most of us from movies, from comic books, from historical fiction. With the release of super hero blockbusters every few months, we certainly have the opportunity to see the clash of titans on the big screen, and the super hero of the movie conquering the huge threat or the big bad guy—or big bad girl. The thing is…can we imagine Jesus as the most powerful person in the world?

Our Gospel reading today from Luke 19 tells us that a huge crowd of people thought the Rabbi Jesus was a really important person, a really powerful person. He was a Miracle Worker, He preached with authority, and just to be in His presence—wow! The crowd was hailing Him as the long-awaited King, the Anointed One of God, the Messiah.  

Jesus, Himself, had been telling His disciples that He had to go to Jerusalem for some time now. Even though His friends kept telling Him that the Jewish leaders and the Sanhedrin had it in for Him and wanted to kill Him, Jesus still “determined to go to Jerusalem,” as Luke tells us back in chapter 9.

Today’s story has all the makings of a great drama. (And, the narrative of the Passion Week has been recorded a number of times in motion pictures.) As commentator Alyce McKenzie tells us, “Good stories, screenwriters tell us, have a compelling protagonist, a believable supporting cast, a series of vivid scenes, and plenty of dramatic tension.” [1] Dr. Luke’s telling of the Palm Sunday story has all that, and more.

Here we are on Palm Sunday, and the weeks of Lent are almost over. That means that our series on the Lord’s Prayer is almost over, too. What sentence are we going to look at today, with our Scripture readings of Luke’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, and the Apostle Paul’s hymn of Christ’s humility? We take a closer look at “for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever, amen.”  What more glorious Scripture readings to examine!

As we think of our great Divine drama, Jesus not only is a marvelous protagonist, but we can see He displays Divine foreknowledge. “Jesus knows ahead of time where the colt will be and what the response of the owner will be to being told, “The Lord needs it.” Luke shares with the other evangelists a portrait of Jesus as a true prophet whose prophecies are fulfilled and who has access to the secret knowledge of human hearts.” [2]

The second necessary feature of a great drama is a believable supporting cast. Look at the disciples—human, and distinctive. Listen again to Luke’s story: “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it “

We notice the rest of the supporting cast here, in the next verses. “As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

From time to time we have talked about putting ourselves into a Scripture reading, and viewing it from the inside. Where would you be, in our Gospel reading from Luke? Are you an excited disciple or crowd member, waving your arms and picking up a palm to welcome the Messiah Jesus into the city of Jerusalem? Or, are you one of the skeptical ones on the road, holding back, with a wait-and-see attitude?

“The people were obviously weary of the Roman occupation. They had been hearing rumors of a great teacher from Nazareth who healed the sick, fed the hungry, and made the scriptures come alive. Some of them had seen miracles first hand and had heard parables straight from Jesus’ mouth. Now, they had a deliverer; their long-awaited Messiah and Savior, King Jesus, was with them.” [3]

The third necessary element in any great drama is dramatic tension. Boy, does the Triumphal Entry have that! Even down to the antagonistic Jewish leaders who come up against the Messiah Jesus, this has drama all over the place.

It is almost too difficult for me to put myself into the narrative, I know this story all too well. Yes, I am tempted to rush right through the Palm Sunday celebration, go once-over-lightly through the several events recorded in the other Gospels during Holy Week, and cry again because of the Crucifixion this Friday night. Or, was it two thousand years ago?

Switching to the New Testament reading from Philippians, the apostle Paul has a slightly different point of view. Paul is writing from the other side of the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and Jesus’ ascension into heaven—as we know from the Apostles Creed, Jesus has taken His seat at God’s right hand in heaven.

As we start this reading to the church in Philippi, Paul tells us of Jesus, before His incarnation and birth in Bethlehem. The eternal Christ humbled Himself, emptied Himself of all Godhood, all Godly prerogatives, and became a helpless human baby. Imagine the most powerful person in the whole world, in the whole universe, even. The eternal Christ put aside the kingdom of the universe, the ultimate power and the infinite glory, to become human.

Another way of looking at this is that Jesus put aside all of that kingdom, power and glory so He could communicate better with us, so He could come along side of us and be Emmanuel, God-with-us, as we have talked about at Christmas. But, that is not the end. Oh, no! Certainly not!

We see this progression: the preincarnate Christ, in all His kingdom, power and glory. Amen! “Christ emptied himself of inherent divinity, and for his supreme obedience unto crucified death, he was exalted by God for unending glory. Philippians 2:5-11 keeps the focus Christologically and theologically tight. On Passion Sunday [today, this Sunday], Paul keeps us grounded in what God, through Christ Jesus, is doing.” [4]

We do not look at the institution of Communion on Maundy Thursday and the Crucifixion of Good Friday. We are skipping the additional drama, trauma, anguish and grief today. Paul does mention those things briefly, but he looks to the amazing ending. “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

If that is not a proclamation of the last line of the Lord’s Prayer, I don’t know what is. “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, amen.” Have you bowed the knee to our ascended and exalted Jesus the Messiah? Is your tongue acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior? Yes, Jesus was crucified on our account. It was for our sins He was crucified. His arms are open. His pierced hands are extended. Come to Jesus, today.

[1] https://www.patheos.com/Progressive-Christian/Palm-Sunday-Alyce-McKenzie-03-18-2013.html

Rewriting the Palm Sunday Story: Reflections on Luke 19:28-40, Alyce McKenzie, Edgy Exegesis, 2013.

[2] https://www.patheos.com/Progressive-Christian/Palm-Sunday-Alyce-McKenzie-03-18-2013.html

Rewriting the Palm Sunday Story: Reflections on Luke 19:28-40, Alyce McKenzie, Edgy Exegesis, 2013.

[3] http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupLectionaryReading.asp?LRID=15           

Commentary, Zechariah 9:9-13 / Luke 19:28-40, Rodney S. Sadler, Jr., The African American Lectionary, 2008.

[4] http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=284

Commentary, Philippians 2:5-11 (Passion Sunday), C. Clifton Black, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2009.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my regular blog for 2019: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and my other blog,  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!