Looking In All the Wrong Places

In order to understand our text this morning, we must first understand the Old Testament story. Israel longed for a king. Yahweh God was supposed to be their King, but Israel insisted on being ruled by an earthly king. We read about this in the book of Samuel. Once Israel got it’s wish, they were taken over again and again by other nations, kings, armies. This is what happens when we put our hope in armies and chariots.

Everything is good as long as we have the “biggest and baddest” army and the strongest and fastest chariots. Problems arise when “bigger and badder” armies with stronger and faster chariots come knocking on the doorstep.

Yet, give all that Israel went through--exile, being torn away from family and friends, watching their Temple be destroyed--Israel doesn’t change their mind and go back to God. Instead, Israel continues to want and pray for a more powerful king, a “bigger, badder” army with stronger and faster chariots.

If we could just have a better leader, everything would be okay, they thought. If we just had the most powerful king to rule; if our country would just have more power than any other nation all would be okay. If we could just figure out how to make stronger swords and faster chariots, no one would mess with us. If we could just have this or just have that our lives would be good.

Then comes God’s silence for 400 years. Between the last words in the Old Testament and the announcement of the birth of Jesus, there is 400 years of silence. Israel continued to long for one that would come to fight their fights for them.

For 400 years the mouth of God was shut and all this time, Israel longed for a king who would rule with power and force and might. Israel wanted a king who would put together strong armies. They longed for a king who would rule with such force that every other country would be scared and leave the Israelites alone.

After 400 years, the silence was broken. A baby boy named Jesus was born in a little town to unknown and insignificant parents. This boy was the long expected one, the Messiah, the King of kings. He was the One who was to bring salvation to the people of God.

Jesus comes and claims to be the long expected King, the One Israel had been expecting. People start to follow this Jesus. A group of 12 men live with Jesus day in and day out for 3 years. Maybe this Jesus really is the king they had been waiting for. Maybe this Jesus really is who he says he is. Jesus heals the sick, fellowships with sinners; he even offers the forgiveness of sins. Maybe this Jesus really is the king Israel had been hoping for.
When we think about kings, is this what we think of? What do we think of when we talk about Jesus being the King of kings and the Lord of lords? What do we expect from Jesus?

A king is supposed to rule with force and power and might, right? Kings ride on big, strong white horses. Kings have things given to them. A King receives the praise of all the people. A King tells people what to do. A King demands peace.

And yet when we look at the life of Jesus, Jesus is a King unlike any other.

Let’s look at the imagery of this text: a new colt that had not be broken for riding--that was tied up and had to be borrowed.

In this triumphal entry passage, notice that it is only the followers of Jesus shouting praise. The religious leaders continue to battle against Jesus.

A king does not hang out with sinners and the outcasts. A king only hangs out with the elite. A king is supposed to ride on a big, strong white horse that has been broken in for riding. Kings don’t have to go about looking for what they need. Kings have people who break in their animals for them. Kings do not just get praise from the few who follow him. A king doesn’t call for peace, a king demands it.

Yet this is how Jesus comes. On the day we recognize Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem, we get a picture that doesn’t quite match up with our idea of how a king is supposed to act.

What are we really looking for when we come to Jesus? Today, we live on this side of the triumphal entry, on this side of the crucifixion and the resurrection. As we go through the story this week, as we reenact the events of Jesus life, death and resurrection, it is a great temptation for us to view Christ in similar ways as that crowd gathered at the entry into Jerusalem. We have one up on them--at their place and time, Jesus could still die.

Today we live on the other side of the Resurrection where death is overcome. They followed the human, we follow the resurrected Christ. They worshiped their hero. We worship our superhero. We watched “Superman Returns” this week. I was intrigued by the similarities between Superman and the common images we have of Jesus. Superman was invincible. He was termed “savior.” He helped those in need and fought evil with his superpowers. He was bigger, faster, stronger than anyone. Is that not sometimes the image we paint of Jesus, even today?

And yet, on this side of Easter (I know it’s Palm Sunday, but I cannot fail to reference it) we are reminded that Jesus is a King unlike any other, bringing a Kingdom unlike any other. For this King, power is not manifested in taking life; it is in giving life away. Prestige is not measured in gain of worldly possessions and status, but in loss of those objects. His rule is not with mighty forces and orders from on high, but in vulnerability and a call to “follow me.” In our text this morning, the people are looking to Jesus for peace. They are looking for salvation and redemption. This peace that Christ brings is not one imposed by military might or aggression. The peace of Christ is given in vulnerability and compassion to those who offer their lives to him. His peace is not about holding the chaos together, but about bring order to the chaos and brokenness of life. Peace is not about putting a lid on our life and pretending everything is okay, but about transforming our lives so there is actually peace, not just the illusion of it.

Today we are drawn, just as those early followers were, to celebrate Jesus as King in the image of this world and all that it holds as important. We confess that we too want to see Jesus through our own lens of what we think a King and Savior should be. But today, on this Palm Sunday, we are reminded, that in Christ a new Kingdom has come, one unlike any we have ever seen before. It is a Kingdom where the King rules in vulnerability; where peace is not imposed, but offered freely; and where life comes to us, not in taking life, but in giving life away. That is the King Jesus came to be. That is the Kingdom He came to build. Today we celebrate that King, that Jesus Christ and that kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

My fear is that we might miss Him just as some did when Jesus walked this earth. They were looking in all the wrong places . . . and they missed it.

May we not miss the long, expected One. May we come to know this Christ-- the one who rides on smelly donkeys. May we know the One who has come to bring the Kingdom of God through love and forgiveness not through the power of the sword and strong armies.

The peace of God be with you.