The King is Coming
Luke 19:28-40
April 1, 2007
I was listening to NPR News on the way in to the church this morning and heard some very good news. Despite everything we have heard and have been led to believe during the past 30 years, Elvis has not left the building. He is alive and well and was last seen enjoying a fried catfish dinner down at Graceland.
April Fools!
Actually, Elvis will have been dead for 30 years this coming August. But he still reigns in the hearts of all rock and roll fans. He is, after all, the King of Rock and Roll. You don’t even have to use his full title. All you have to say is “The King” and people know who you are talking about.
I remember a summer during my Jr. High School years. I had a friend who had a swimming pool and she played host to a whole bunch of us just about every day during that summer. One day, there happened to be an Elvis marathon on television. They ran several of his movies back to back. That was the day that the guys got the pool all to ourselves because all of the girls were inside watching TV.
While no one ever thought that Elvis deserved an academy award for his acting, you can’t underestimate his impact on music; an impact that is still being felt today. I believe that he deserved his title of “King.”
All of this brings us to today, Palm Sunday. This is a day that is no April Fools joke. Jesus wasn’t joking when he said that he was going to Jerusalem to bear the weight of the sins of all humanity. He wasn’t joking when he said that the Kingdoms of the world were no match for his heavenly Kingdom. He wasn’t joking when he rode a beast of burden and a symbol of peace down into the city, rather than sitting astride a majestic horse of war. Jesus wasn’t joking when he told the Pharisees that even if his voice was silenced, the very rocks and stones would continue to proclaim his praise.
When you think about it, there are some interesting similarities between King Elvis and King Jesus. I don’t want to push this too far, but thanks to one of my preaching journals (Homiletics March-April 2007. page 42) I would like to ask you to consider this. Jesus said, “Love thy neighbor.” Elvis said, “Don’t be cruel.” Jesus was one part of the Trinity. Elvis’ first band was a trio. Jesus walked on water. Elvis liked to surf. Jesus is the Lamb of God. Elvis had mutton chop sideburns. Jesus is alive. Elvis is….well, I said I didn’t want to push this too far.
Fifty years ago this month, April 1957, “All Shook Up” reached the top of the Billboard chart and stayed there for eight weeks. You remember this great anthem of American teenaged angst, don’t you?
My hands are shaky and my knees are weak.
I can’t seem to stand on my own two feet.
Who do you thank when you have such luck?
I’m in love.
I’m all shook up?
Jerusalem was all shook up over this ride of Jesus down into the city from the Mount of Olives. They were like Elvis when he sang:
Well bless my soul, what’s wrong with me.
I’m itching like a man on a fuzzy tree.
Can’t you imagine how they were all feeling that day? They were probably all itching like a man on a fuzzy tree. The disciples certainly didn’t understand. They really didn’t know what in the world Jesus was up to when he rode down that mountain. What did he mean when he said that he was going to claim his Kingdom? Was he going to lead a military revolt? Was he going to ride at the head of the army of God to drive the Romans from their land?
The Pharisees didn’t know what was going on. It is clear that they were nervous because they instructed him to keep his followers quiet. They didn’t want a rebellion on their hands. They didn’t want some upstart Messiah to bring the wrath of Rome down on them. They didn’t want their religious authority challenged.
It is clear however, that Jesus has a different agenda. While both the Disciples and the Pharisees are focused on the contemporary political and social reality, Jesus is more interested in the Kingdom of God. His entrance wasn’t about human motivations or human achievements. His entrance in to the city was focused on the divine. This was a God moment.
It is interesting to note the parable that is recorded by Luke immediately preceding the account of the ride into Jerusalem. In that parable, a nobleman went to a distant country in order to claim royal power. In that era of Roman history, all client kings such as Herod were given the right to rule by the Roman Emperor. The local kings derived their power and authority from the empire.
Jesus, on the other hand, stands in direct contrast to these earthly kings. His power is not bestowed on him by another human being, but by God himself. The entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem that day was the entrance of a divine God, not a human wanna-be. It had all the trappings of royal power. The practice of commandeering an animal for personal use was the prerogative of a King. A victorious General would be surrounded on his ride by his loyal troops. Those troops would sing out their songs of praise as they marched along. Upon entering the city, the victorious leader would go directly to the Temple to give glory to his god.
All of those things happened when Jesus entered Jerusalem that day, but the symbolism was turned on its ear. It pointed not to a human conquering hero, but to the Lamb of God who came to save and rule from a divine throne.
Yes Jesus came to conquer, but he is more interested in salvation than he is interested in slaughter. Most conquering kings and generals became victors through killing and subduing the enemy. But the crowd had it right that day when they shouted “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!” The King who rode down that mountain that day was the Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God, the Suffering Servant, the Life Giver, the Savior, the Sun of Righteousness, the Bright and Morning Star, friend, and Master. This is the One for whom the world will cheer. If human beings won’t do it, then God will raise up the stones to take up the chant.
Jesus comes into the chaos of living to bring peace and salvation. He comes into the brokenness of everyday lives to bring healing. He comes to people who have no hope in order to show them that their hope is to be found in God. He comes to heal relationships and offer cleansing from sin. He comes to show the world what they have been missing. They have been looking for power in spears and swords. He shows that real power is found in suffering and giving up one’s life for others. He comes to people who have no idea of what their final destiny will be, and offers them a glimpse of heaven that awaits the faithful. He is much more interested in salvation than he is in slaughter.
The question to ask ourselves is, “Now what?” What do we do with him now that he’s here? Now that Jesus has rode down into the middle of our lives and has taken up residence with us, what will we do? He’s not going away. How are we going to make room for him?
One of the best things about Palm Sunday is the palms. We get to enjoy the children as they parade in and place their branches at the foot of the cross. We appreciate the way that the palms remind us of our Savior. The green of the palm branches remind us of the new life that is offered in Christ Jesus.
The problem with palms is that, once they are cut from the tree, they don’t live very long. The problem with the first Palm Sunday was that the excitement of the crowd didn’t last very long either. The people who were shouting their “Hosannas” on Sunday would be shouting “Crucify him” just a few days later.
That is our problem too. We too soon forget this day. I’m not suggesting that in a few days, we will join that legion of God-deniers that are out there. But I am suggesting that, in small and subtle ways, we will forget this day and return to our old lives as if nothing has changed.
But even doing our best to remember this day and its meaning, we are still going to have trouble resting comfortably. Thinking back about fifty years, I guess that Elvis had it right. We’re in love. We’re all shook up. We’re all shook up because we love Jesus and he continues to surprise us, challenge us, and lead us to places we would rather not go. We’re shook up because we realize that we tend to get caught up in the distractions of living our lives and forget our promises. We’re shook up because Jesus calls us to radically alter our lifestyles.
We’re all shook up because, since we love Jesus, we know that we’re going to be out of sync with a world that doesn’t understand him. We are going to be out of sync with a world that lives by the sword and dies by the sword. We are going to be out of sync in a world that doesn’t know how to turn the other cheek, carry the extra load, and walk the extra mile. We are going to be out of sync with the world because we are heirs of a kingdom that would have us love and pray for our enemies and be a blessing to those who curse and abuse us. Sometimes, being a Christian is going to make us feel as about at home as I would feel at an Elvis impersonation contest.
Bishop William Willimon says that we are “stuck with Jesus.” He is here and is not going anywhere. We have to listen to him in order to learn how to see him more clearly, follow him more nearly, and love him more dearly…every day of our lives.
