March 24, 2013 - "Everyone Loves a Parade"

Zechariah 9.9-10, Luke 19.28-40

Everyone loves a parade.

From the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City …

And small-town extravaganzas with a home-coming queen on a flat-bed trailer pulled by a John Deere fresh off the field.

Marching bands and twirling batons … wads of cotton candy and glo-stick necklaces … cheap trinkets and wonderful memories.

Everyone loves a parade!

On this fateful day in Jerusalem, two parades made their entrance … one from the east, from the Mt. of Olives, a Rabbi from Galilee coming into the city on a donkey - as spelled out in the Scriptures – Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, you king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey [Zechariah 9:9].

A beast of burden, quiet and faithful, a farm animal. 

When the kings came to Jerusalem, they rode donkeys.

As if to say:

This isn’t about power.

This isn’t about war.

The king is a king governed by humility.

The king is a whose purpose is peace.

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts [Zechariah 4:6].

On this day in Jerusalem, in the spring of the year 30, or thereabouts, the week before Passover, there came a man riding on a donkey.

Rabbi Jesus … and his disciples were shouting.

Some folks saw what was happening and spread their cloaks on the ground to welcome him … Who knows, he might be important … he might be the One!

Other stories tell of palm branches being waved – a salute to royalty.

Is this some future king for Israel?

The people longed for a new day of national glory.

With a mighty king and powerful armies to rid Judah of its enemies.

When the nation would once again be sovereign and free.

There’s a great irony at the end of that fateful week … when Jesus dies, a crucified man … an enemy of the state … Pilate affixes to his cross, The King of the Jews.

They dressed him in robes of purple and plaited a crown of thorns for him - so much of the King of the Jews.

Rome sent a message to the people with the first nail – this is what happens to anyone who threatens Rome… we’re in change, and Caesar is lord, and we have no patience for rabble rousers.

But Rome didn’t act alone; it acted in partnership … a coalition of forces … Rome and Jerusalem… politicians and religious leaders - the powerful and the privileged … for they all found comfort in the status quo - they had theirs to enjoy, and no one, but no one, was going to upset the apple cart.

That the religious officials should cooperate with Rome is no surprise.

Jerusalem’s temple elite enjoyed favorable status … don’t get me wrong; they didn’t like Rome, but they knew what side their bread was buttered on.

Think of Parisians who collaborated during WW 2 with the Nazis – politicians and church leaders signed on and raised their arms in salute to Hitler; they may not have liked the Nazis, but they knew where the power was.

Jerusalem’s temple officials had an agreement with Rome – We’ll keep the people quiet, and you preserve our power.

As the parade enters Jerusalem, the religious leaders quickly assemble to meet Jesus, and tell him, Hush your people up; we don’t need to make a fuss here. We don’t want Rome to notice. 

Jesus enters Jerusalem and goes quickly to the Temple.

Drives out the money-changers and folks selling souvenirs.

And Jesus says to them, It is written,

      ‘My house shall be a house of prayer;

      but you have made it a den of robbers.

I can imagine the response of the temple leaders - horrified they were.

Yikes, there he goes again, quoting the Bible.

Turning it upside down.

Telling us we’ve got it all wrong.

How can we have it all wrong?

Look at this place, this temple; it’s beautiful.

Look at Jerusalem - thousands of Passover pilgrims, spending money, filling our inns and buying our trinkets, what’s wrong with that?

St. Peter’s Square jammed with the faithful.

Churches filled on Easter Sunday.

Hey, we all have to make a living, don’t we?

What’s the big deal, Jesus?

Why are you such a problem?

Our Roman overseers are going to get nervous.

Be quiet.

Hush up.

Stop it.

Let well enough along.

Quit talking about the Bible so much.

In Jerusalem that day, there was another parade.

Coming in from the west.

Pilate’s parade.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Idumea, Judea and Samaria.

Leading a column of imperial cavalry on restless horses trained for war, followed by seasoned foot-soldiers, armed to the teeth.

Think of Moscow’s May Day Parade, soldiers, tanks and mobile missile launchers.

Or a flight of F-16s roaring over a speedway after the National Anthem; the crowd erupts in a great cry.

Pilate’s parade.

From Caesarea Maritima, “Caesarea on the Sea” – a city devoted to Caesar – 60 miles to the west, a port city on the Mediterranean.

Think Malibu, or Newport Beach!

And where was Jerusalem?

In the mountains to the east – think Big Bear.

Pilate enjoyed his Malibu, who wouldn’t?

But when festival time came, Pilate made the journey to the mountains of Jerusalem, a show of force, just to be sure folks knew the lay of the land and didn’t get any dumb ideas.

Here’s how two New Testament scholars describe it - Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg in their excellent book, The Last Week:

A visual panoply of imperial power: cavalry on horses, foot soldiers, leather armor, helmets, weapons, banners, golden eagles mounted on poles, sun glinting on metal and gold. Sounds: the marching of feet, the creaking of leather, the clinking of bridles, the beating of drums. The swirling of dust [p.3].

We still have the two parades, don’t we?

Jesus and Pilate.

Pilate and his horses … Jesus and his donkey - still ride into our lives from opposite directions … one of power, the other of peace … the one determined to maintain the status quo of the privileged few; the other, determined to tell the truth and set people free from domination and oppression … two parades that day … always two parades … one of power, one of peace.

And we have to choose … which shall it be?

The rabbi on a donkey or Pilate on a horse?

I think of a hymn, written in 1845, when the United States invaded Mexico … James R. Lowell, the poet wrote:

Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,

In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;

Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,

And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

I think of Joshua in the latter days of his life, addressing the people now in the Promised Land:

You can’t serve both the LORD and other gods.

Choose today whom you will serve.

As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.

I think of the Grail Knight who advises Indiana Jones:

Choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.

Two parades that day came to Jerusalem … a man on a humble donkey, Pilate on a prancing horse.

Which parade would I have chosen?

Pilate’s parade catches the eye, doesn’t it?

Who knows, I might have joined Pilate’s parade.

But it’s Jesus who tells us the truth. Amen and Amen!