"I love a parade," "Don't rain on my parade," "76 trombones in the big Parade." These are all songs that talk about the thrilling joy of watching A parade pass by. In a sense parades may be a thing of the past
When I say parade you may think of a circus parade coming to town with a Caliope blaring and the elephants processing, holding each others tails with Their trunks and of course the poor guys with the brooms and shovels who Follow the elephants.
You might think of brass bands, elaborate floats, convertibles with beauty Queens, clowns or shriners on small little motorcycles performing precision Maneuvers.
But this morning I want to talk to you about two different parades that Happened in Jerusalem roughly 1,965 years ago.
The first one took place as Jesus triumphantly entered into Jerusalem at the Beginning of passion week. We often refer to our remembrance of this event As palm sunday. Perhaps we ought better to remember it as parade sunday.
It was the first century's version of a ticker tape parade. When people Heard that Jesus was nearing town, they came out in droves to welcome and Cheer him. Nearly everyone had heard about how he had raised lazarus from The dead and how he had healed blind bartemaus. The city was abuzz with Speculation as to whether this rabbI from nazareth was in fact the messiah Who would lead them to freedom from rome's oppression.
Unlike the other gospel writers, Luke does not mention palm branches. This Does not mean that there were not palMs. The other gospel writers highlight That. What stood out most to Luke as he remembered the event was how people Spread out their garments in front of Jesus. This too was a sign of Recognition of royalty.
The most important thing was the spontaneous jubilation and expectancy that People placed in Jesus. There was so much excitement and cheering that Jesus Noted; "Even if the pharisees could quiet the voices of the gathered crowd, Even the stones would cry out in praise."
This was a moment of great triumph for Jesus...not his greatest triumph but Nonetheless a great one. And Jesus used it to communicate the true nature of Who he was and what he had come to do.
For he did not ride into town on a mighty horse of war like a conquering General might have. He rode instead on an unbroken colt or donkey. This was In no way the preferred mode of transportation for conquering heroes but of Prophets and of servants of peace. In doing so he fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah.
Nonetheless, the crowd, carried away with the enthusiasm and blind adoration That develops in a crowd sang Jesus' praise. For that one day, he was Recognized as being sent from God.
They praised him because they heard of his miracles. They praised him because Of what they thought he could do for them. They praised him because of all Their presupposed ideas of of what messiah would be.
This praise was short lived. It soon turned. Four short days later,before Pilates council, people were calling for Jesus death.
Now lets skip ahead to another parade. This one is headed in the opposite Direction. Ins tead of entering Jerusalem in triumph from the great mount of Olives, this parade has Jesus leaving the city toward the hill of skulls or Golgotha. Nonetheless it is a parade. The streets are lined with people who Are there to watch the spectacle. Jesus is still the main attraction, the Central focal point of the parade
But instead of acclaim and praise, this time it is a parade of scorn and Mockery. Jesus is beaten and bruised. He is half naked. He wears the mocking Crown of thorns and he carries the cross with the placarrd that derisively Reads, "King of the Jews."
Not only are there curious onlookers, there are loyal followers who mourn the Indignity, injustice and cruelty of Jesus' fate. One perrson, simon of Cyrene, is just in town for the weekend and he is grabbed from the throng and Made to carry Jesus' cross for him.
And then there are the women, most likely, his mother, mary magdalene, Perhaps mary and martha from bethany nd even others. They follow him and they Weep and carry on.
Which parade would you have rather attended.
The shouts and praises of his entry to Jerusalem were shortlived. The Results of his exit continue on today.
Friends, the way of Jesus is the way of the cross. It is up the steep rocky Trail to the outskirts of town. It is to the hill of skulls. It is the way of Sorrow.
It is not enough to come and sing his praise once a week. Discipleship Demands that we follow Jesus to the cross; that we mourn the suffering he had To endure on our behalf; that we take up the cross daily and follow him.
Some of you use the yearbook of prayer. If you do, the prayer for today Speaks profoundly to this concern.
God who goes with us, grant us courage to faithfully accompany the christ Today, even as we are tempted to remain on the curb shouting hosanna -save Us! Help us to trust the leading of your Spirit, even as you lead us into Places of suffering and darkness, confident that with christ, even the Darkness is as light. Holy mystery, give us radiant joy in your presence, Now and always.
I believe that the true message for today is that Jesus is calling us to step Down from the safety of the curb where when things are going well and we are Full of praise. He is calling us to come and accompany him to the cross. He calls us to take up the cross and walk with him to that place of Difficulty and challenge knowing that if we suffer, we suffer with him and Not alone. Knowing that if we share in his suffering we will also share in His glory.
He is calling us to be simons. He is also calling us to weep and mourn for The suffering he had to endure because we know that his suffering was for Us.
You see, there are two parades that we recognize in the christian life. The Parade of triumph; of majesty; of power; of glory. We sing the migihty power Of God to claim victory through Jesus christ. We shout hosanna, blessed is The one who comes in the name of the Lord.
But we also recognize the parade of suffering. The long uphill struggle that Led Jesus to the cross. The procession that calls us to step off the curb and To accompany him away from the comfort and security of Jerusalem out into the World where we may be asked to put our faith on the line.
But we do not want that parade. We cringe at the idea of diffulty, challenge, Persecution, or oppression. We want no part of that. It is enough for us to Come on sunday and worship. We don't mind praising Jesus when things are good And when the Lord meets our expectations and needs. But when things are Difficult, don't make me walk the way of the cross during the daily routine Of my life.
You see, we have it too easy. We do not know what it means to have a faith That is unto death because our faith has never been overtly challenged.
But listen to the stories of christians elsewhere who cast their shadow of Faith for us to follow. These are people who were willing to step from the Curb and carry the cross of christ on his journey to death.
Susan bergman, in a book entitled "Martyrs: comtemporary writers on modern Lives of faith." Tells the gripping stories of people who when put to the Test were willing to accompany christ.
From flossenberg, germany, april 9 1945 - dietricih bonhoeffer, a pastor of The "confessing church who opposed the nazI atrocities, led fellow prisoners In prayer before he was led to the gallows. A british fellow prisoner Recorded his last words: "This is the end - for me, the beginning of life."
Lizzie atwater, a daughter of american missionaries during the boxer uprising In china in 1900 - "Dear ones, I long for the sight of your faces, but I fear We shall not meet on earth...I am preparing for the end quietly and calmly. The Lord is wonderfully near and he will not fail me...the pain will soon be Over, and oh, the sweetness of the welcome above."
A young unnamed chinese village girl who refused to trample the cross and Live. For this offense communist soldiers opened fire as she raised her hands To heaven and sang in her own language "Jesus loves me!"
The author, susan bergman rreflects, "The girl's face shone with tears while I would have moved to the back of the line. She let her body go while i Would have snatched it back."
No doubt, I would shrink back too. I would turn my head and hope not to be Noticed, let alone picked from the crowd to walk with the Lord by faith unto Death.
And in all likelihood, you and I would never be asked to make such a total Sacrifice for our faith. For us, it may simply mean going without some of What we could have because we will give sacrificially to the Lord's work.
Or it may mean that we would give up some evenings or other time because we Would use that time for christ's kingdom work.
It may mean saying no to the things that all our friends are doing, knowing That they may tease us or ridicule us or even reject us. But we want our Lives to stand with christ. We want to accompany him. And we need courage.
It may mean that we would risk the fear of rejection or mockery by telling Another person who christ is and what he means to us in our life
Friends. Today we are confronted with two parades. But we are confronted with Two responses. One is to praise Jesus with shouts of acclamation and joy . But we are also faced with the choice of whether we will accmopany Jesus on The journey to the cross.
Amen!