As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 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. If anyone says anything to you, tell them that the Lord needs them, and He will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' ” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that followed 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!” When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:1-11)

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     Jesus always made Jerusalem nervous. I invite you to return with me to the Christmas season for a moment. In the second chapter of Matthew, we discover that travelers from a distant land have appeared in the city and gone to the court of King Herod, asking where they might find the child who had been born “King of the Jews.” As soon as they asked the question, Matthew 2:3 tells us that “when King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” Fast forward about 30 years or so and we come to the twenty-first chapter of Matthew. Now, the “King of the Jews” has come back to Jerusalem, and what is the city's response? Matthew 21:10 tells us that “the whole city was stirred.” The word actually means “shaken.” Once again Jerusalem, confronted by Jesus, is put into turmoil by Him. Jesus made Jerusalem nervous. People just weren't sure what to make of Him. Some were excited; some were afraid; some probably just wondered “what will I have for dinner tonight?” Excitement, fear and indifference. In 1953, a movie was made called “The Robe.” It starred Richard Burton as a sneering Roman centurion, who by coincidence arrived in Jerusalem on the same day as Jesus. The centurion was unfazed by all the excitement. He didn't understand it and he didn't care. But he had brought with him a slave named Demetrius. Demetrius was mesmerized by the scene of Jesus' arrival. “Did you see His face? Did you see His face?” he asked his master over and over again. The movie captured the mood of the city. “Who is this?” “Why is He here?” “Who cares?” There was no agreement.

     I wonder if that isn't why Jesus troubled Jerusalem so much. Once He arrived in their midst, the people divided. They had to choose sides. And I wonder – truth be told - if Jesus makes some of us just a little bit nervous too, because once we encounter Jesus we also have to choose sides. Do we believe? Do we not believe? And what is it that we believe or don't believe in? Most of us don't like having to do that. We like to live nice, quiet and peaceful lives – but Jesus causes turmoil, not only in Jerusalem but sometimes in us! He makes us choose. He makes a difference. He turns the world upside down. Whatever we learn from the world, Jesus tells us to forget it and to live for God instead. And we have to choose – will we be His follower or not? Once we encounter Him, we can't sit on the fence anymore. A decision has to be made. It's like the blind man challenging the Pharisees as we read a couple of weeks ago: “Do you want to become His disciples, too?” And that question calls for an answer. The Pharisees had to answer it; Jerusalem had to answer it; Peter and John and the rest of the 12 had to answer it. Mary Magdalene and Mary Jesus' own mother had to answer it. And we have to answer it: “Do you want to become His disciples, too?” Challenging people to answer that question is what the church is all about. Many people would rather not. They'd like to stay quiet, stay out of the way, not be noticed and avoid all trouble. But that doesn't work where Jesus is concerned. He causes turmoil and fear and excitement – all because He forces us to choose.

     In Jerusalem about 2000 years ago (give or take a decade or two) things fell apart pretty quickly for Jesus. As joyfully and excitedly as they welcomed Him, Jesus turned out to be not quite what the people had been hoping for. The people wanted a king who was powerful and magnetic and charismatic and who could rally the people around him by the force of his personality and not by words about love and peace – but Jesus was humble, and the people didn't want a humble king. The people wanted a king who would appear on a warhorse, ready for battle with the hated Romans – but Jesus came riding on a donkey; hardly a beast of war. The people wanted someone who would foment rebellion against the mighty empire they were being oppressed by – but Jesus preached tolerance and patience and co-operation with the forces of the occupation. Jesus didn't meet their expectations at all. And so, in the end, the people turned on Him – and they turned on Him mercilessly. I suspect that it's fair to say that sometimes Jesus doesn't meet our expectations either. We want someone who's going to deal with all the bad people in the world - but instead we get someone who tells us to forgive and forgive and forgive over and over and over again. We want a Messiah who's going to come in power, a Son of God Who can't be stopped – but instead we get a man Who died on a cross.

     Yes. Less than a week after arriving in Jerusalem and being greeted with shouts of “Hosanna!” Jesus would be dead. Many of the same people who welcomed Him so exuberantly turned against Him and became a mob demanding His blood. He hadn't given them what they wanted, and so they didn't want Him. How much has the world changed over the last 2000 years? Maybe not as much as we think, because all too often that's still the case. Many people want God, but they only want God on their terms. It becomes “all about me.” The words get spoken all the time – and they sound so pious and religious in so many ways. “I need to be fed.” “I don't get anything out of church.” “I need to experience the Holy Spirit.” There are so many different ways we can use the word “I” in church – and most of them are wrong, because the key word in the Christian faith isn't “I”; it's “Him.” And it's also not about “me” - it's about “you.” And it's not really about those of us who are here today – it's about those who aren't here today. But if we start to think too much about “Him” or “you” or “those who aren't here” then we might be confronted by Jesus demanding that we look at things in an entirely new and different way. Through the prophet Hosea God said to His people “... I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” I wonder if Jesus doesn't say to His church – “I want you to live your faith every day, not just practice it on Sunday.” I wonder if Jesus doesn't say to His church – “Communions and baptisms are fine, but what are you doing the rest of the week?” I wonder if Jesus doesn't say to His church – “Putting an envelope in the plate is great, now find a poor person and invite them to dinner.” I wonder if Jesus doesn't say to His church – “Live the way God wants you to live and don't just practice a religion.”

     Today is Palm Sunday. Today we celebrate the recognition of Jesus as the King - “the Son of David! … He Who comes in the name of the Lord!” But as happy a day as Palm Sunday is, there's a tinge of sadness to it as well. When Jesus entered Jerusalem He knew what was going to happen to Him in the city. He had already told His disciples that He would be killed. He knew this was the end – at least for the moment. Today, we celebrate Palm Sunday, but in the midst of our celebration the ugly shadow of Good Friday hangs over us just a few days away. Today we celebrate the abundant life that Jesus can give us, but in a few days we'll be reflecting on His own agonizing death. Celebrating Holy Communion on Palm Sunday helps us keep it all in perspective, I think.

     We're not unlike the people of Jerusalem long ago. We need to ask ourselves what our expectations of Jesus are? Where would we have stood if we had been there when Jesus entered Jerusalem? I doubt we'd have been much different than anyone else in the city that day. We'd have welcomed Jesus and been excited by His arrival. Then, as the tide turned, within a few days we'd have most likely been a part of the mob screaming for His crucifixion. It's human nature. The good news is that Jesus understands that – and forgives it. From His coronation as a King to His crucifixion as a criminal, Jesus never wavered in His love for those around Him. Accepting His welcome to the city, He offered forgiveness to those who jeered Him on the cross. In that act we see that good news – regardless of where we stand, Jesus stands with us, always ready to forgive, always ready to accept us. Praise be to God! Hosanna to the Son of David! May Jesus reign – forever and ever! Amen!