Return to the Homepage Home
 Worship Schedules, Education, Fellowship, Outreach Worship & Service
 Sermon Archive Sermons
 A copy of the Sunday Prayers of Intercession Prayers
 Pastor Lynne's monthly newsletter Pastor's Page
 Articles and tidbits from the monthly newsletter Newsletter
 This month's events as well as the monthly calendar Current Events
 Read the Sunday School News Letter! Sunday School News
 Events for grades 7 to 12 Youth
 Other websites of interest Links
  
 Login to Administer this site Admin Login

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
2903 McPhillips Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA R2P 0H3
http://www.stlukeszion.ca

Phone: (204) 339-0412
Fax: (204) 339-0412
E-mail: stlukeszionchurch@gmail.com
site design by clayton rumley

 

Palm Sunday
Sunday, March 29th, 2015

click here for past entries

Loving God, your love for all people continues to challenge our assumptions about who is welcome in your family.  Remind us this day of your love and your welcome to us, and empower us to pass on that love and that welcome to others; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    The gospel that we have heard today tells us about some events in the life of Jesus that have complex layers of meaning behind them.  Any of the people who were present that day might have noticed all kinds of things that come straight out of the Hebrew Scriptures.  For example, the Mount of Olives is identified as the place where the Lord will stand when it’s time for the final battle at the end of all things (Zech. 14:1-5), and this is where Jesus begins his ride into Jerusalem.  At the same time, people would have known that a colt was traditionally used whenever one of Israel’s kings was crowned.  And even if they didn’t know that, they might have recalled the passage from Zechariah that talks about their king coming to them, humble and mounted on the colt of a donkey (Zech. 9:9).

    At the same time, the fact that people took their cloaks and spread them on the road along with the tree branches makes it seem as though they understood Jesus to be a king.  After all, the same action is described in 2 Kings (9:13), as people spread their cloaks on the steps for Jehu when he is anointed king of Israel.  In fact, even the words that people shout come from a Psalm that would have been used as a king processed to the Temple to celebrate a victory.

    Yet, in spite of all of these layers of meaning, it would seem that the people still don’t get it.  This whole entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is kind of like a dramatized parable, demonstrating to the people that Jesus is offering himself as the Messiah.  However, just as people needed eyes to see and ears to hear with the parables, many of them don’t seem to get this one, either.  After all of this that has just played out in front of them, the city is in turmoil and people are asking, “Who is this?” (Mt. 21:10).  Their response shows that they don’t see Jesus any differently than they might have seen him before: “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee” (Mt. 21:11).

    As it happens, when Jesus gets to the Temple he engages in what might be called some prophetic action.  Once again, there are layers of meaning behind the Scriptures that he quotes.  One part of the quote comes from Isaiah’s vision of the future where both Jews and Gentiles gather in Jerusalem for prayer.  Isaiah calls it “a house of prayer for all peoples” or all nations (Is. 56:7).  The other part of the quote comes from Jeremiah’s Temple sermon where he predicts the destruction of the Temple (Jer. 7:1-15).  Of course, both of these things would come to pass after Jesus’ own death and resurrection.

    All in all, there is a startling mixture of humility and power in today’s gospel.  To ride on a colt is a humble act, for one who was coming in power would be riding on a war horse.  However, at the same time, Jesus does not object when people lay their cloaks on the road and shout “Hosanna!” and welcome him as if he is a king from David’s line.  He doesn’t object because he is a king from David’s line and the Messiah – just not the type of king and Messiah that people might have been expecting.

    Then, when Jesus enters the Temple, he acts as one who has both power and authority.  Undoubtedly he would have ruffled more than a few feathers when he started overturning tables and chairs and sending money flying everywhere.  The Temple had become a money-making enterprise rather than a place of worship.  As well, there were a number of people who were quite simply not allowed to come into the Temple.

    Gentiles were not allowed, and Jesus lifts up the quote from Isaiah that speaks of the Temple as a house of prayer for all peoples.  The blind and the lame were not allowed, and in the verse that follows today’s reading we learn that the blind and the lame came to Jesus in the temple and he healed them (Mt. 21:14).  As for children, they must have been allowed in the temple, but the religious leaders are certainly not happy when they are there in the Temple with Jesus and are crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David” (Mt. 21:15).  This is when Jesus quotes another Psalm that says, “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself” (Mt. 21:16; Ps. 8:2).

    In all of these things that Jesus is doing, he is trying to show the people that God is a lot more welcoming than they have imagined.  God actually wants all people to be able to come and worship.  God actually doesn’t mind when children cry out praises in God’s house.  God not only welcomes the blind and the lame, but heals them.  They are not suffering for their sins, as people supposed.

    Yet, in teaching the people God’s way, Jesus challenges the status quo and angers the religious leaders.  He is also well aware of where this will lead him, as he has already told his disciples how he will be condemned and crucified.  However, to Jesus it is worth it, if only the way can be opened up for people to come to God.

    Today’s gospel, along with the verses that follow, reminds us of how God has opened the way for us to come to him.  God welcomes us, and God welcomes all people.  At the same time, we are invited to think about how we might welcome Jesus into our lives and into our hearts.

    Do we welcome him with shouts of praise and a prayer to save us?  Do we welcome him as Lord and King and place our lives under his rule and his direction?  Do we allow him to come into our hearts and to cleanse us, and to shake things up in there as necessary?  Do we allow him to challenge our assumptions about who is welcome and who isn’t and to bring all his friends with him?

    As serene as the picture might be of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a colt, he does have a tendency to shake things up!  Let us, then, continue to learn from Jesus, and to welcome him just as he has already welcomed us.  Remember - when Jesus comes into your heart he brings all his friends with him!  And so, welcoming Jesus can mean welcoming all sorts of other people that we might not normally hang out with.  However, God’s love is for them, and it is for us, as Jesus gives himself for our life and our salvation.  Amen.

Palm Sunday (NL 1)                            Matthew 21:1-13
March 29, 2015
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2015 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved


Previous Sermons
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
January 2003
March 0201