April 9 -- Palm Sunday

"As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”   This is the Gospel of the Lord?"

What is Jesus talking about here?

It’s as if the change is already happening.  The shift from the joy, the praise and the fun of Palm Sunday -- from “Jesus, our King!” to “Jesus, what are you talking about?  Jesus, I’m not really sure, but I don’t think I like it.  Jesus, you better watch yourself.  Jesus, I liked you, but you’re starting to make me a little nervous with this crazy talk, even a little mad.  Jesus, be careful.”  It’s as if the shift is already happening.
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So here’s the backdrop:  This is the week of the Passover, and people are flooding into the city.  Political tensions are high.  Extra Roman security forces are shipped in, including Pontius Pilate himself (he didn’t live in Jerusalem, he lived in Caesarea), but this is a big week and Pax Romana needs to be enforced, because tensions are high.  The air is electric.  Anything can happen.  Ever been in a situation like that?

Interesting too, Luke’s Gospel was written, we think in about 80AD (about 50 years after this “Cloak Sunday” -- that’s 10 years after Jerusalem was in fact destroyed, desecrated, annihilated by the Roman Empire.

So, these heightened scenes before us today -- cheering crowds, nervous Pharisees, “Jesus, be quiet”, and then Jesus’ prophetic statements and even actions -- driving out the people selling stuff in the temple -- are all very political, and religious.  Tensions are high.  This is an edgy Sunday.

Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, with the cloaks spread on the road is exciting, but so quickly, almost immediately the ones who are shouting, “Blessed is the king” will turn on him and, in only 5 days go over the edge and condemn him to death, shouting, “Crucify him!”  This is an edgy Sunday.

And yet in the center of it all is this Christ Jesus.  The one who’s been healing the sick, welcoming the outsider, and the outcast.  Preaching peace, teaching love.  Mercy and grace, remember, always having the final word.  Even amid all the tension, on this edgy Sunday, Christ is present, steady, strong and calm.
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Did you catch the reference back to the beginning of Luke’s Gospel?  Seems like a long time ago, but I know you remember the angel’s song in the shepherd’s field on Christmas Eve: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.”  Did you catch the song the people sang today?  “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven, and glory to God in the highest!”
The crowd has learned the Christmas angels’ song!  For as broken as this all is -- we see the turning of the crowd -- but for the moment, let’s notice that the people have become the angels: announcing peace and the reign of God.  (I know examples exist in your life too, where everyday people sing the angels’ song -- announcing peace and the arrival of God’s reign, even with immediate evidence to the contrary.)

They’re announcing peace, for the moment, the Pharisees are trying to keep the peace.  That’s different.  But both are well intended!

(Notice the role of the Pharisees here.  They’re actually looking out for Jesus, for the moment -- it was the “chief priest and scribes”, it says in vs47 who were looking for a way to kill him.  The Pharisees weren’t mentioned there. Pharisees always remind me of us Lutherans.  Shhh, don’t rock the boat, just keep the rules.  “Tell the crowd to quiet down,” Jesus.  This is getting too tense.)  The Pharisees are trying to keep the peace, to quiet this raucous down, even to look out for Jesus.

Today, things are on edge.  And at the same time, God’s people -- crowds, Pharisees -- are all trying to do what’s best.  Some are trying to protect, some are trying to praise and sing.  And Jesus is at the center of all of it.  Calm, loving, strong, prophetic.  Even as everything’s about to all go over the edge, tumbling down into Holy Week.

The location of Palm Sunday is at the edge of a cliff.  Things look beautiful for a moment, there are indeed some good things...but they keep moving, and tumbling into this week, everything starts to fall apart: the crowd changes their angelic song.  Their lyrics of peace fall apart.  They lose the song.  The Pharisees do in fact turn on Jesus, along with everyone else.  Peace and mercy will appear to be lost, as the passion narrative continues to the grave.

This is our story too:  Things may look beautiful for a moment, there are indeed some good things in our lives, in our church, in our world...but things keep moving, and tumbling into this week, everything starts to fall apart:  the crowd changes their angelic song of peace.  Fear and force takes over.
The Pharisees will turn on him as well -- even us good church people, who don’t like to rock the boat, just want to keep the peace and the rules...we Pharisees will turn on him as well, lose track of the fact that God has indeed arrived, and is deeply present in our joy and in our sorrow.

True peace -- the kind angels sing about -- peace and mercy will appear to be lost, as the passion narrative continues to the grave.
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But we know how the story ends.

And it’s got nothing to do with us.

It’s got everything to do with God.