Scripture: Luke 19:28-40 Series: 2022
A Palm Sunday sermon on Luke 19:28-40 that uses the preacher’s own story of losing and regaining the ability to run after ankle surgery to argue that love, like running, is a practice rather than a sentiment. The irony of Palm Sunday is that the crowds praise Jesus without knowing why, hoping he will do the work so they can keep their status quo. But the mirror of Holy Week confronts us with the need for change and love. Drawing on the Methodist means of grace, the sermon calls hearers to meet Jesus by praying, worshiping, and serving others during Holy Week’s long road to Easter.
Illustrations: running-after-ankle-surgery, painting-room-organizing-closet, crowd-singing-hosanna, mallory-everest-because-its-there, iron-man-superhero-juice, love-like-riding-bike, running-hills-lakeway, leo-the-great-incarnation, andrew-of-crete-garments
April 10
Palm Sunday
“After Jesus said this, he continued on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As Jesus came to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he gave two disciples a task. He said, “Go into the village over there. When you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say, ‘Its master needs it.’” Those who had been sent found it exactly as he had said. As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “Its master needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their clothes on the colt, and lifted Jesus onto it. As Jesus rode along, they spread their clothes on the road. As Jesus approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole throng of his disciples began rejoicing. They praised God with a loud voice because of all the mighty things they had seen. They said, “Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens.” Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, scold your disciples! Tell them to stop!” He answered, “I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout.”” Luke 19:28-40 CEB
I started running again in January. It wasn’t a new year’s resolution. It seems like it would’ve been, given the time of year. I think I laced up my shoes again on January 3rd. It had more to do with COVID, with getting COVID and then wanting to respond. It was something I could safely do and push myself to do once I felt better in that kind of interregnum between feeling good and no longer being contagious, so I started running. I ran a lot in my twenties. I ran a few marathons. I had gone through different training regimens with them and I really enjoyed it. Running was a very important aspect of my prayer life. It let me settle my soul a lot through the challenging times in my twenties. When I met Alina, I was still running. We ran together when we were dating, but my, my left ankle started to hurt. It had nothing to do with her. Before I met her, as a single guy in his twenties, I didn’t think doctors were necessary. I didn’t go to doctor’s. I didn’t have any real reason to take care of myself long-term because I had no like long-term responsibilities in that sense. I ran. I climbed mountains solo. I lived for the moment I could have. But after meeting Alina, we fell in love and wanted to have a family, and I had to come to the realization that I needed to start taking care of myself. And so I needed to start realizing that if I have a continuous pain and it keeps on hurting, I should probably address it. Eventually, I saw a doctor who proscribed some physical therapy that didn’t work. I got an MRI and referred to a surgeon. And the surgeon did what surgeons do: he cut on my ankle. After the procedure, he told me that they ended up finding a non-malignant bone tumor. And I remember in my post-op interview. This surgeon did not have very good bed manner. Alina was with me and got pretty, pretty frustrated at him. The doctor said, “you’ll never run again. Maybe you should ride your bike, but just don’t don’t think about running. It’s always going to hurt. Most of your cartilage is gone In your ankle. I tried to help it grow back. It doesn’t look like it worked.” That was it. Dominic was six months old I couldn’t stand for eight weeks of recovery. It has been physically challenging for me, off and on, over the last 10 years. From time to time, I would try to start running again. I could go a few miles and it would be fine. When I pushed myself a little bit, having no cartilage in my ankle made the recovery much harder. And my prayer life suffered because I couldn’t replace what I had been doing on the road. I couldn’t do the things I used to do. And then this last January, I decided to try it again. I gave myself a schedule, I made a spreadsheet. I got on a plan. And somehow This time it stuck. I’m not pain free, but the pain is modest and controllable. And it is a choice That I am making. I am trying to prepare for a half marathon coming up to see if I can do it one more time, because finishing a race is a celebration.
Today is Palm Sunday. It is a festival, a celebration. We are having a party today. That’s a big aspect of the beginning of holy week. It is a festival. If it seems like Lent has been going on a long time, it is actually over now. We’re not in Lent anymore. We’re in a different season. It is good to feast, to relax a little bit, to celebrate, to lean back in your chair. You just made it. The children waived the palms down the aisles. The eggs are ready to be found. We are celebrating the journey that got us here. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus turns his face towards Jerusalem pretty early, around Luke 9, which isn’t even halfway through the book. In everything after that, there is this steady build up and preparation for the entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus turned his face towards Jerusalem, and now he is there. And there’s cheering. People are laying the garments down. There’s a prophecy about a Colt or a donkey that they found, and he is riding on it as a Victor in the war. A long road brought him to this place, but the journey is not finished. It is a great feeling to accomplish something, anything. One of the great things about painting a room is that you can look at it and be like, “wow, that is different. I did that.” You organize your closet and you can immediately see a difference. Finishing a marathon is a great feeling. It doesn’t matter how fast I went. It’s like, I did that. I finished. People cheer you on and it feels great. It’s work to get there, but it feels great.
Jesus made it to Jerusalem. He did that. The people cheered him on. We can celebrate something amazing that has taken place, but the journey is not over. Jesus didn’t have to train for his journey to Jerusalem as I’m training for a half-marathon. Jesus didn’t have a set schedule. He didn’t have a leg day. He didn’t have hill sprits. He trained, for sure, but the long road to Jerusalem was about us as much as it was about him. It was about the disciples as much as it was about him. He had to prepare us for what was going to take place, and still they didn’t get it. Palm Sunday is ironic, but the irony of Palm Sunday is not solely found in the reality that the same people praising Jesus this day are going to yell, crucify him At the end of the week. The irony is that they don’t know what they’re praising him for. The irony of so much of the Christian life is found in those moments. When we don’t know what we’re praising Jesus for. The power of the crowds is effective. You’re in a group of people and they’re all singing the same song. It feels great to sing the same song together. Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna
It sounds cool. Hosanna. It gives me a good feeling in my chest. I would probably join along. Or Maybe you have a fond memory of church. Maybe being in church makes you feel good about yourself and the decisions in your life. Knowing why we do things is a lot harder than it seems. It’s not just about church or Palm Sunday. Why do we do anything? Why do people exercise? There are a lot of reasons. Why do people run ultra-marathons? I don’t know. Those people are idiots and love pain. As Mallory said, upon being asked why he rented a claim that would Everest, “because it’s there.” We usually don’t have a single reason to do anything. There are always numerous motivations. Some people make decisions with lists and analysis, others with their gut, nobody wants to say they are doing something because other people are, but it can be the case.
The irony of the crowds praising Jesus is not just about what we’re going to do. That is, it isn’t just about Good Friday. It really comes down to what we don’t want to do, What we’re not willing To do. And that Is change. And that Is love. We change what we want to change. We love whom we want to love. We praise Jesus. We sing Hosanna for the one who’s gonna do all the work for us so that we can keep the status quo of our lives. But the mirror Of Holy Week, in which we stare back at our own lives, must tell us that the status quo cannot go on forever. The paths we are currently on do not all end with resurrection. And it is a long road from Palm Sunday to Easter. The love revealed in Jesus Christ confronts us wherever we are. Love is not just an idea. It’s not just a fun feeling in your belly. It is a habit. It is like riding a bike. It is like long distance running. Love is not a sentiment. It is a practice. It is something you do. If you don’t do it, you get bad at it. When I started running again, I was only going a mile and a half, two miles, and I was doing them around Lakeway, which has a number of hills, even beyond the Hills. They got me. I had not practiced. Running hills doesn’t come naturally. I did some speed runs on a hill last week and my metamobilism wasn’t ready for it. It takes practice to run. It takes practice to love as Jesus loves. It takes practice to love your enemies. It takes practice to forgive the unforgivable. And this practice is not a competition. Ours is not to compete with the people around us, but to see how far we can go because of who God is for us.
Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Lord of the universe, he hid his infinite glory and took the nature of a servant. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death. 1
We don’t love to prove ourselves to others, but because God first loved us. You are forgiven. Even if you came here for not the best reason today, you are forgiven and you are loved. So what are you going to do about it? Bee Creek comes out of the Methodist tradition. And The best aspect of the Methodist tradition for me, is the way it connects a profound faith with a life of action. God meets us where we are, but God does not leave us there. Doesn’t come down to you in the pits of despair and say, you’re all good. And then voilà, You get a big shot Of superhero juice. And you’re like in an iron man suit and you can do whatever you want. No, God meets you where you are, but God doesn’t keep you there. And he walks with you. So you are stronger. God stays with you, so you’re faster. And then God compels you to look around and see who else is in a pit right now, who is in a pit like the one you used to be in? To whom can you go over in the power of the holy spirit to lift them up. We call these the means of grace. There are some we can do by ourselves: prayer, studying the scriptures, Fasting, Not being controlled by our body. There are some we can do with others. Worship Communion, holy conferencing, which has gathered together as Christians and talking about what matters, How is it with your soul? As well, there are some we can do for others: feeding the hungry clothing, the naked. These things aren’t charity as a separate thing. They aren’t ways to feel better about ourselves, but ways to see Jesus and meet Jesus. If you feel like you are forgiven and you have a new possibility of life, God is offering you a way to meet Jesus here and now, not just in the future. Here and now. If you’re not doing anything for others, you’re not doing anything for yourself. You’re not taking care of yourself. If you’re not doing anything for others, if you’re not spending time seeking those who are hurting, you are atrophying your heart of love, and it is going to be harder and harder to lace up your shoes again and go out.
During this holy week, may you have time to pray. May you have time to discern. May you have time to look at the mirror about ask yourselves how your soul is. What you need to do to respond to God’s grace right now. We’re here. We’re in Jerusalem, but there’s a long road to go. Thanks be to God. The the road is not so lonely. Christ walked that road for us. We are together.
So let us spread before his feet, not garments or soulless olive branches, which delight the eye for a few hours and then wither, but ourselves, clothed in his grace, or rather, clothed completely in him. We who have been baptized into Christ must ourselves be the garments that we spread before him.2
Take the time this week, to call a friend, have a coffee, share about what you can do to live your life more in line with Jesus. How can you meet Jesus more? How can you let go of false expectations more? You are a beloved child of God. You have what it takes, because God is with you.
Let us pray, Heavenly father, thank you for meeting us here. That you for journeying all the way to the cross. Help us to celebrate with you but also to walk with you in the journey of love, even when no one is watching. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.