Palm Sunday

Unexpected Rescue

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Unexpected Rescue

(Palm Sunday)

Evening Community Worship

First Christian Church

April 13, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 23:32-43

I gave up watching the television news many years ago, though I am still an avid reader of the news through other sources. As such, while I am online, I sometimes watch a fair number of short YouTube videos that pop-up into my news feed. Among these, I have seen quite a few stories about unexpected rescues of one form or another. This week I saw a fisherman in New Zealand who, while he was out in his kayak, came upon two teenagers who had been out fishing, had trouble with their gear, somehow gotten a hole in their own kayak, and possibly lost one of their paddles as well. He loaned them a knife to cut away their fouled gear and took them under tow until he came upon a fisherman with a motorboat that could more easily assist them. These young men could have been in a lot of trouble if the first man had not come along when he did.

But this isn’t the only story like that on the internet. I have also seen stories of fishing charters in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico who rescued a dog that had gotten swept off his own boat and had been swimming, out of sight of land, for at least two days. I have also seen fishermen who rescued a stray kitten swimming in the bayou in Louisiana, or even wild animals that had no business being as far from shore as they were. In these cases, both humans and animals could very easily have lost their lives if the right person had not come along at just the right moment.

And it was those sorts of stories that came to mind as I read the scripture for this evening that is found in Luke 23:32-43. In this story, we find Jesus and two other men, hanging on three crosses, one on either side of him. All of them have been arrested by the appropriate authorities, all of them have had at least one trial, been convicted, and sentenced to death. But the conversations that we hear in this passage can teach us many things if we think carefully about them. As we join the story, we hear this:

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

39 One of the criminals who hung there, hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

While this is not the main point of tonight’s message, the first thing that I noticed about this story was that it immediately describes the men on either side of Jesus as criminals. Even though all three men have been arrested by the legal authorities (at least once), tried and convicted in court, and sentenced, the other two men are labeled as criminals, but Jesus is not.

Isn’t that curious?

Of course, Jesus is the hero of our story, and we believe that his arrest, trial, and conviction were all unfair and unjust, and so while we are willing to take Luke’s version of the story at face value and believe that the other men were criminals, we don’t think that Jesus was. In any case, we should perhaps consider the difference in the way that we describe Jesus and these two men when we think about our own judicial system and perhaps even the current rush to deport people who have been labeled as criminals but whose trials, if there were any, may have been unjust and unfair. Are we as willing to give modern persons in our judicial system the same grace that we give to Jesus as we read the story of the crucifixion? Again, this isn’t really the focus of my message, but it seems like something that we should think about.

The next things that I noticed in this passage, and this certainly is the focus of tonight’s message, is that three times Luke tells us that others press Jesus to save himself. First, people in the crowd watching the crucifixion say that if Jesus is really the Messiah, and since Jesus saved others, that he should now miraculously save himself. The second time it is the soldiers and the third time it is one of the criminals openly mocks Jesus and tells him to save himself and the two of them as well.

And that is where we begin to find the story of the unexpected rescue because, immediately after one of the two men hurls out insults in this way, the other comes to Jesus’ defense saying that while they are being punished justly for the things that they had actually done, Jesus had done nothing wrong. Having said that, the same man asks Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom.

It is here that we find the first unexpected and surprising thing, and that is that despite having the obvious understanding that all three of them were going to die before the sun set that evening, this man still has some expectation that Jesus would still come into his kingdom. That means that this man who was so easily labeled as a criminal has some understanding that Jesus’ kingdom lies beyond the boundaries of life and death. And that depth of understanding is something that Jesus had tried, unsuccessfully, to explain to those had come to hear him preach in the countryside, repeatedly to his disciples, and even to Pilate. It isn’t until well after the resurrection, and at least two meetings with the risen Jesus, that the disciples begin to understand what this thief grasps as he hangs on the cross.

The second unexpected and surprising thing is Jesus’ answer, “today you will be with me in paradise.”  Not only did this thief understand something about Jesus that few, if anyone else really did, Jesus accepts his request and tells him that his rescue has already been accomplished and he will stand with Jesus in paradise before the day is over. Just like the dog in the Gulf of Mexico, this man was certain to die before sunset, but suddenly, unexpectedly, his life was saved, he was pulled from the water and taken to a new home. Moreover, it is notable that the man on the cross did nothing else. Despite the attempts by any number of denominations and countless theologians to explain how it is that we can live with Jesus in paradise, this man does almost none of the things that are usually listed. He isn’t baptized, he doesn’t make any particular speech declaring his love, trust, or faith in Jesus, he doesn’t proclaim Jesus, or his love or faith in Jesus, in public or even to any of his friends in private. Jesus’ rescue of the thief on the cross breaks nearly every rule written by every denomination of what each of us must do to receive eternal life and live in paradise with Jesus.

Now, to be clear, I agree with many theologians who point out that just because there is an exception to a rule, doesn’t necessarily mean that the exception becomes, or defines, the rule. Just because the thief on the cross did nothing doesn’t mean that everyone else is accepted by God by doing nothing. Even so, we are struck by this story in which this man is unexpectedly rescued simply because he was in the right place, at the right time, and with the right attitude, even if it is extraordinarily odd that the right place, in this case, was hanging on a cross.

But, even if the exception doesn’t become the rule, there are still some things that we can, and should, take away from Luke’s story. First, no matter what you have done, no matter how many people have written you off, no matter how many times that you have been accused and even convicted, you are never so far from God that you cannot be rescued. Second, no matter how late it is, no matter how old you are, no matter how much that you have done, no matter how far that you have wandered from God, no matter how many times that you have turned your back on God, on the church, on your pastor, on your family, or anything else, it is never too late to return to God. God always stands ready to love you and accept you back into his family no matter what you have done or how long that you have done it.

Luke describes these men as criminals, and we often just refer to them collectively as the thieves on the cross, but I am not certain that we really know which crimes for which they may have been convicted. They may have been thieves, but they might also have been cutthroats, rapists, tax evaders, rebels, murderers, or any number of other things. The point is, once this man came to Jesus and, with sincerity, asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom, God stood ready to forgive him, accept him, and welcome him into paradise.

What about you?

God loves you.

It’s never too late to change the direction of your life. You can never be too far from God.

You can never be too bad, or too sinful, or too anything that God won’t welcome you back to his family.

All that you need to do to change the direction of your life and gain your invitation into paradise, is to come to Jesus and ask.

All the rest, as theologically important as they might be, are just details.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Testing the Status Quo

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Testing the Status Quo

(Palm Sunday)

April 13, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 19:28-40

Are you familiar with the word, status quo? It’s used in English, although it is one of those terms that came into our language unchanged from its original Latin. Status quo simply means “the way that things are.” Referring to the status quo often refers to how the politics of power and bureaucracy exist and function in our world. This term can be used to describe everything from the World Bank to the United Nations, the government of the United States, or even the way that chores are divided in our homes. It can be difficult to fight the status quo to reorganize our household chore chart if everyone has done the same thing for a long time. But using this language of changing the status quo might also be a part of the conversation when we remember that the United States Constitution does not enshrine a two-party system, and we are free to elect people from as many parties as we wish. There are no rules against dividing power differently than we currently do, as it relates to the number of political parties that we have, but any sort of change would require a major upheaval of the status quo. And you can be sure that those people who currently benefit from the current system, the current status quo, would fight tooth and nail to preserve things the way that they are.

What does any of that have to do with our remembrance of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday? If we’re honest, it has everything to do with it, and understanding the status quo is almost required if we are to understand what is happening in the story of Luke 19:28-40 where we read this:

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “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. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 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!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

One of the first things that you notice is the emphasis on trust. Jesus sends two of his disciples ahead into the village of Bethpage, tells them what they will find, what to do, and what to say if anyone questions them. We’ve read it so many times that it is familiar and comfortable to us, but if we read it as if it were happening the first time, it is incredibly weird. Jesus hasn’t been to this place, as far as anyone knows, and yet he knows everything about it. But, despite the strangeness of it all, the disciples choose to trust Jesus and do what he asks of them. Once they get there, and they find the colt just as Jesus had said, as expected the owners of the colt ask them what they’re doing, and they say what Jesus told them to say, “The Lord needs it.” Oddly enough, the owners accept this as an explanation and we find that the owners of the colt, who had no advance warning or explanation that this was going to happen, simply choose to trust that this weirdness is okay and let the disciples take the colt for Jesus to use. Thus, from the very beginning of this story, we are led to understand that the entire story, regardless of where it goes next, is a story about trust.

And so, let’s look at where it goes next.

As Jesus, riding the colt, begins the descent down the Mount of Olives, which is the last bit before starting up the road into the city of Jerusalem, and from which the Temple and it outer courts were not only plainly visible but would have completely dominated the view, and it is here that the people begin to shout praises to Jesus. The problem, however, is that the praises that are being shouted are the praises of a king and a conqueror and not that of a wandering rabbi and teacher. As such, some Pharisees confront Jesus and demand that he quiet his disciples and stop saying those things.

But the whole reason that the Pharisees wanted Jesus’ disciples to stop shouting was because they wanted to protect the status quo. The status quo, in this case, was that the Romans controlled the government of Israel while sharing a small portion of their power with the ruling elites of Israel, most notably many of the Sadducees, and also allowing a mostly free practice of the Jewish religion which was overseen by the Pharisees. If Jesus were to be accepted as the king, or as much of anything more than a wandering rabbi and teacher, then the Romans would be unhappy, they might change the status quo, and the Sadducees and Pharisees might not have the power, authority, and freedom that they currently had. And so, the Pharisees were intent upon doing everything that they could to maintain the status quo and keep hold of the power that they had in the existing system.

But Jesus replies to them that if the people kept quiet, then the stones themselves would cry out. Looking deeper, what Jesus tells them, is that it is more important that God be obeyed than for the status quo to remain the same. And that, my friends, is a question that we must constantly be asking ourselves, even in the twenty first century.

How often do we do the things that we do simply because that is what is expected, or how we’ve always done it, or because it’s traditional, or because our political leaders say that this is how things should be done? Maintaining the status quo and satisfying our political leaders, or church leaders, or the school board, or even our laws and our law enforcement officers should not be our primary objective. Instead, our first, foremost, and overarching goal should be to obey God.

As I noted a few moments ago, the story that we just read began with a story about trust, indicating that the entire story would be something that we should connect to that theme. And so, as we think about the status quo, we should think about our trust in God. Should we trust God, or our political party? God or our favorite politician? Should we trust God or the status quo?

If our local schools or libraries enact policies that are contrary to the teachings of God, we are called to stand against them. If our government acts unjustly we are called to oppose it. If our political party, or our favorite politician acts unjustly or acts in other ways that do not follow God, then we are obligated to stand in opposition or to violate those laws as an act of justice. We cannot support authority, tradition, or the status quo if doing so causes us to take a position in opposition to God.

If Jesus and the disciples trust God so much that they were prepared to disobey the law, tradition, and church leaders in defiance of an unjust and ungodly status quo, how can we do any less?

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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What Do You Think You’re Doing?

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What Do You Think You’re Doing?

March 24, 2024*

(Palm Sunday)

By Pastor John Partridge

Mark 11:1-11

Have you ever been caught doing something that you shouldn’t have been doing? For some of us it was something that we were told not to do, or something that we were doing wrong, or something that may have been unsafe, or just something that someone thought we shouldn’t have been doing or something that they thought someone else should have been doing. I’m sure that one of those things has happened to you. Whichever of those things happened, the person that caught you doing it may well have said something like, “Just what do you think that you are doing.” Or, if you were in the military, or in some industrial settings, there might have been one or more expletives inserted into that sentence for emphasis.

The point is, we’ve all been there. Moreover, we’ve all been there both as the person who is asked that question, and as the person asking the question. We’ve all caught our children, or our co-workers doing something that they shouldn’t have been doing, or at least something that we needed to know more about before we walked away. We’ve all been there. And that’s why the story just before the beginning of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is so memorable. In that story, Jesus sends two of his friends ahead to make some preparations and, in the middle of doing what Jesus told them to do, they get stopped, with a perfectly legitimate question that amounts to, “Just what do you guys think you are doing.” But it’s not just a question heard in the first century, it’s a question that flows down through history to us. But before we get to that, let’s begin by reading the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry contained in Mark 11:1-11 which says:

11:1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

If we flash back to the beginning of the story that we just read, we realize that Jesus fully anticipated that his friends would be asked what they were doing. Jesus told them exactly what was going to happen before it happened, and he told them how to answer the question. It happened, they answered, and it all worked out.  But what do we take away from the story? Typically, the thing that we talk about is how Jesus saw the future. Jesus knew that there would be an unridden colt tied up at the edge of town, Jesus knew that his friends would be questioned, and he knew what kind of answer would satisfy the owner of the house. Some folks will say that Jesus must have obviously pre-arranged these things but many of us will point out that there is no evidence of this in scripture and instead point to this as evidence of Jesus’ divinity.

But what else do we take away from the story?

Other than recognizing that Jesus was divine, what else can this story tell us, and what is it about this story that can make a difference to us as we live our lives in the twenty-first century?

For that, I want to take a minute to look at the role that is played by Jesus’ two friends and disciples. Our story doesn’t name them and for our purposes this morning it doesn’t matter because what I am suggesting is that these two men represent us in this story. As we consider that, let’s break down, step by step, what happened: These two men were walking with Jesus, minding their own business, when Jesus called them out and sent them forward with a mission. Before they left him, Jesus told them where to go, what to do, what would happen there, and how to answer any questions with which they might be presented. 

So far, that’s absolutely straightforward stuff.

But then what happened?

The disciples were obedient to Jesus, they went where Jesus told them to go, and they did exactly what Jesus told them to do, and then…

            …someone yells at them and asks them what the absolute heck they are doing.

Even if Jesus told them to expect that this would happen, this had to have an emotional impact on these two followers. They were in the place that they were supposed to be, they were doing exactly what Jesus had told them to do, and they are asked “Why are you here, and why are you doing that?” If this were an internet meme, the person asking that question would, without question, be described as a “Karen” that was butting in bothering the people who were only doing their job. But to be fair, it’s a question that any of us would ask if it was our horse or our property, or even our neighbor’s property. But from the perspective of the Jesus followers, they were just doing what they were told to do, and they get accosted for it.

Jesus knew all that before it happened, and that’s why he told his friends what to say, and that’s why it all worked out so that Jesus could ride that colt into Jerusalem.

But what does it mean for us? How does this story flow down through the church and through history in such a way that it matters to us? What is it in this story that connects to what we are doing in church and in ministry today?

It’s this: We talk a lot about listening for God’s voice and for God’s guidance. We talk about listening for God’s call upon our lives and upon the mission of the local church. We talk about these things, and we talk about them often, because they are important. But what happens when we do those things? What happens when we listen, we hear and feel God’s call, and we obey? What happens when we move in new directions, go to new places, and do new things?

If we learn anything from this story, we learn that even when we are fully obedient, even when we go where Jesus calls us to go, and do what Jesus calls us to do, things may not go perfectly or smoothly. Even when we are doing the work that God called us, and sent us, to do, people will stop us and ask us what the heck we are doing in that place. Opposition to our work is to be expected. Push back and criticism are to be expected.

But what we must also learn from the story is what should happen next. In the story, the disciples who were questioned did not stop doing what they were doing. The followers of Jesus did not give up. They did not allow the questions or the criticism to prevent them from doing what Jesus had sent them to do. They were asked a question, they answered that question, they continued doing what they were doing, they completed the mission, and Jesus entered the city just as the prophets of the Old Testament said that he would.

And we must be expected to have that same attitude. Once we spend the time to study scripture, to pray, and to listen for God’s voice, once we discern that Jesus is calling us to go to a new place, or to do something new, then we must expect that there will be naysayers who criticize us and who ask us what the heck we are doing. But when they do, we must not allow their questions or their criticism to prevent us from doing what Jesus sends us to do. We must, like the unnamed followers in the story, continue doing what we are doing until we have completed the mission so that Jesus can take the next step.

Too often, the church allows questions and criticism, from inside and out, to derail its mission.

But that is not the example that we have in scripture.

When we are asked what we are doing, we must give an answer. “We are doing what our master has called us to do.” And then continue doing our work until it has been completed.

Stay on task.

Finish the mission.

And trust that Jesus will take care of everything else.

Because it was the obedience of the disciples at the beginning, that led to the hosannas at the end.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Ponies, Palms, and Murder Plots

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A photograph of palm branches
Click here to listen to the podcast. (Our apologies for a couple dropouts when my wireless microphone died)

Click here to watch the livestream of this service:https://youtu.be/hVAPawqTrwQ

Ponies, Palms, and Murder Plots

(Palm Sunday)

April 10, 2022*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 19:28-40

Today we begin the final week of our preparations for Easter.  We remember the time that, as the church, we refer to as “Holy Week.”  This is that time of remembrance that begins with the joy of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem that we remember today as Palm Sunday but continues with Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, his arrest, illegal trial, crucifixion, death, burial, and his resurrection on Easter morning.  I hope that you will join us, not just for the bookends of Palm Sunday and Easter, but for the entire journey through Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil on Saturday, and then, after we have walked through that season of frustration, anger, despair, and darkness, to arrive together and celebrate the joy of Easter morning.

But this morning, we remember the story of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover as recorded in Luke 19:28-40.

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30“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.  33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.  36 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!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

For such a short passage, there is a lot going on.  First, Jesus knew what the disciples would find when they went into the village ahead of them.  He knew that they would find a colt that had been tied out, he knew that it was such a green colt that it had never been ridden, and although this last one is hardly surprising, Jesus also knew that the owner of the colt would want to know why they were taking it.  Just as Jesus had seen Nathaniel sitting under a fig tree before Philip called him to follow Jesus in John 1:48, Jesus knew what the disciples would find when they went into the village.  But what is even more surprising, and to my skeptical and sometimes a little cynical mind, even more miraculous, was that the owner of the colt allowed the disciples to borrow it.  Think about that for a minute.  We take it for granted because it was Jesus, because we are reading the Bible, and because we’ve heard the story dozens of times. 

But seriously?  The disciples meet a random stranger, whose horse or donkey has only recently had a baby.  That baby hasn’t been ridden, it wasn’t old enough to take to the trainer, or to start working at its training, two total strangers off the street start untying it, and the only explanation they offer is that their boss needs it.  Seriously?  If you owned a new car, that the dealer just delivered to your house on a flatbed trailer, and you hadn’t even had time to drive it yet, how likely are you to loan it to a total stranger?  Think about that.  If your dog had puppies and they had barely started eating solid food, what the chances that you’d let a stranger “borrow” one?  This wasn’t just a baby, horses and donkeys were valuable and they typically only have one baby every 12 to 18 months.  So, as I think about this story, and think about what we all know about human nature, I think that although there might be more to the story than Luke chose to tell us, I also think that this might just be one of the greatest miracles in the Easter story next to the resurrection itself.

In any case, the owner allows the disciples to borrow the colt, they bring it to Jesus, throw their outer garments over it’s back, and Jesus rides it.  And that, if you know anything about horses, may also be a significant miracle.  Ask your friends who know horses, what’s likely to happen if you just jump on the back of a horse that’s never been ridden.  The odds are good that, outside of that rider being Jesus, that such a story isn’t going to end well.

And as Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives toward the gates of the city of Jerusalem, the crowd that was with Jesus began to praise God, in loud voices, for all the miracles that they had seen.  They pulled palm branches from the trees and laid them in the road in front of Jesus, and if Palm branches weren’t handy, they laid down their own shirts so that even the animal upon which Jesus rode would, symbolically, not get its feet dirty.  And more than that, they began to shout an historic welcome found in scripture, notably in Psalm 118, that the people of Israel had used as kings entered the city of Jerusalem.  They shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” and they said, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 

And the Pharisees who saw what they were doing, and who heard what they were shouting were displeased.  They recognized that the disciples were offering Jesus a king’s welcome.  They understood that these symbols were used, and were reserved for, the recognition of kings.  And they knew that not far away, inside of the city, sharing a wall with the temple itself, was the Fortress Antonia and a detachment of Roman soldiers.  They knew that those soldiers were there to keep the peace, they knew that the only king that could ever be accepted was Caesar, and they knew that blood had been spilled the last time someone claimed to be the king of Israel.  The arrival of Jesus, and his disciples’ cries proclaiming him to be king, was threatening to upset the status quo.  And the people who had the most to lose from a change in the status quo were the Pharisees.

They insist that Jesus tell his disciples to stop before too many people hear, or at least before the wrong people, the powerful people, the people with swords, could hear them.  But Jesus stares them down and declares that if the disciples keep quiet, the stones along the sides of the road would cry out instead.

And so, the actions of the disciples, and Jesus’ refusal to stop them, combined with all the previous interactions that Jesus had with the Pharisees, had reached a climax.  The Pharisees could no longer look the other way, there was no longer any doubt, they absolutely knew that Jesus was going to upset the status quo.  If Jesus lived, more people were going to follow him.  And if those people were going to label Jesus as a king, it was going to stir up the worst kind of trouble.  The deal that the Pharisees and the other leaders of Israel had made with Rome was that they could remain in power if they helped Rome to rule over Israel and if they helped them to keep the peace.  If the disciples proclaimed that Jesus was a king, then this contract would be broken, and the Romans would blame the Pharisees.  It was their necks, their jobs, their careers, their lives, that were on the line.  It was no longer an intellectual argument.  In this moment, the Pharisees had to choose between themselves, and Jesus.  And they knew what had to happen.

Jesus.  Must.   Die.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.

The Wrong Kind of Savior

PastorPartridge Sermon , , , , , ,

The Wrong Kind of Savior

April 05, 2020*

(Palm Sunday)

By Pastor John Partridge

 

Matthew 21:1-11

 

Before we begin, I want you to shout “Hosanna!” as if we were together in our sanctuary and waving Palm branches together.  Ready?  1-2-3 – now – “Hosanna!” 

 

Okay, maybe that felt a little silly but, just as we would have done if we’d been together, I want you to be ready.  Because when we get to that part of today’s scripture reading, I want you to do that again and shout “Hosanna” along with the crowd.

 

 

A year or two after Patti and I were married, we bought a house near the Summit/Stark County line with seven acres, a barn, and two fenced pastures.  In short order we had a pony, a couple of cows, some rabbits and, of course, various dogs and cats.  But even though this was the kind of a home that Patti and I had both dreamed of owning, since both of us grew up in town, there were a few things that required that we learn a few things.  We learned a lot about raising all those animals, I learned how to turn wrenches and maintain our lawn tractors and small antique farm tractor, how to improve and maintain a fence line, and many other things.  But one of the things that I didn’t really expect, was our war on poison ivy. 

 

There was a spot, at the end of our garden and not too far from our kids’ swing set, that regularly grew a patch of poison ivy.  It took a little while but, with the help of the guys at Copley feed, we finally found an herbicide that worked.  As long as we put in the effort to put on long sleeves and gloves, pull the big stuff by hand, bag it, and throw it in the trash before we sprayed the little stuff, we got that spot under control and kept our kids safe.

 

But none of that was really much help when we discovered that one entire fence line, between our property and the neighbor’s property was absolutely full of a well-established patch of poison ivy.  While there wasn’t any danger that the kids would get in it, that tangle of ivy had thick vines, was in an almost inaccessible thicket, and there was no way that Patti and I could pull it, nor could we afford enough herbicide to spray the entire fence line.  We were stuck for a solution, and all the while, that tangle of poison ivy grew taller, and thicker, and was taking over that entire side of the pasture fence. 

 

But, as it turned out, we were looking for a solution in the wrong place.  You see, once our calves grew larger, we had to alternate them between our two pastures in order to give the grass a chance to grow back on one side while they ate down the grass in the other.  And that is when the cows gave us the solution that we didn’t even realize we needed.  As it turns out, cows really like poison ivy.  They like it more than grass, or almost anything else.  They worked hard at eating our poison ivy and stretched over and through the fence anyway they could, in order to get every leaf they could possibly reach.  They didn’t kill it, but they controlled it so well that we never needed to worry about poison ivy around the pastures ever again.

 

The solution was there all along, but we were looking for it in all the wrong places.

 

That isn’t uncommon.

 

Human beings do things like that all the time.  We look to government to solve our problems when the answer lies in changing our own behavior, or in simply asking our neighbors for a little help.  And the same is often true in our spiritual lives as well.  We want God to wave some sort of magic wand and give us things that we had in our hands the entire time.

 

And that realization helps us to understand what was happening as Jesus entered Jerusalem on the day that we call Palm Sunday.  We read that story in Matthew 21:1-11 where we hear these words:

 

21:1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
    and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

 

[Right NOW! Say it with me… “Hosanna!”]

 

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

 

From the beginning, it is obvious that Jesus knows what lies ahead.  Jesus has been telling his disciples that he would be arrested, crucified, and rise from the dead, and he’s been telling them that for weeks.  Now we see that Jesus not only knows what will happen to him, but that he knows the details of the lives of people and animals that he’s never even met.  Jesus knows that there will be a donkey tied up in the village ahead of them.  He knows that, with the right words, his disciple can borrow them, and he knows that by arriving in Jerusalem in that way, Jesus will fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 which describes the arrival of the messiah.

 

But although Jesus knows that he is fulfilling the prophecies about God’s messiah, it is just as obvious that the expectations that the crowd, and the disciples, have for the messiah, rescuer, and savior of Israel are misguided.

 

Jesus is not what they are expecting.

 

The crowd wants the wrong kind of savior.

 

The people call Jesus the “Son of David!” and, in so doing, use a title of earthly kingship.  They shout, “Hosanna” which means “Save us” because they believe that Jesus is an earthly messiah, a military and political rescuer that will unite their nation, raise an army, and overthrow the Roman occupation.

 

But Jesus isn’t that kinds of savior.

 

Jesus didn’t come to earth to rescue God’s people from Rome.

 

Jesus came to rescue them from something far more sinister, addictive, and deeply personal.  Jesus came to rescue God’s people from themselves, from their unwholesome and unhealthy desires, from their rebellion to God, and from their sin.

 

But it was the people’s dissatisfaction with Jesus, because of their misplaced, misunderstanding of Jesus’ mission, that ultimately led to his betrayal, abandonment, trial, and crucifixion just a few days later.  And even though we live two thousand years later, and even though we are able to read the entire story, and even though the meaning has been explained to us, and even though we understand the events in a different way than the disciples and the people of Jerusalem did that day, we still run the risk of casting Jesus in the role of the wrong kind of savior.

 

Jesus is not the savior who can be called upon like a genie in a bottle to grant all our wishes and make our lives painless and perfect.

 

Jesus wasn’t then, and still is not a nationalistic savior that came to rescue his, or anybody’s nation.  Jesus didn’t come to save the United States of America or to make America great, or to transform the United States into the New Jerusalem.

 

Jesus is not the savior that came to make his followers rich, or even healthy.  In fact, one of the few things that Jesus promised, was that life would be painful and difficult.

 

But the best news is still the Good News as long as we remember what kind of a savior Jesus is.

 

Jesus is our savior, our redeemer, and our rescuer.

 

Jesus came to rescue us from our sins, to redeem us in the eyes of God, to restore us to God’s family, and to call us to a life of purity, holiness, service, love, and outreach.

 

Jesus is that kind of savior.

 

And thankfully, that’s the kind of a savior that we need the most.

 

I hope that each of you know Jesus in that way.  I hope that you have already answered his call to follow him.  But if you haven’t, I hope that you will talk to me, or email me, so that we can talk about how you can belong to God’s awesome family too.

 

 

Have a great week everybody.

 

 

 

You can find the livestream of this message here: https://youtu.be/VXrvfleMohI

A longer version with music can be found here: https://youtu.be/aU0ofTV9c6Y

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  If you have questions, you can ask them in our discussion forum on Facebook (search for Pastor John Online).  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.wordpress.com/. All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.