3-28-2021 “Join the Parade” Matthew 21:1-11

Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor

Palm Sunday. The day that Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly. Every year, one week before Easter, we celebrate this event — the day that Jesus was proclaimed by throngs of people as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords. Each year, when we commemorate this event in our sanctuary, the children typically lead us in a palm parade. Palms are distributed and we line our center aisle and chancel with them.

Preachers often discuss how this day has an ominous overtone: many of the people who welcomed Jesus into the city waving leafy branches and shouting “Hosanna!” would be shaking their fists and yelling “Crucify!” in just five, short days.

We are still in the midst of another ominous overtone. Exactly one year ago, we were unable to gather in this sanctuary because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus is still with us. Many of us are not here today because of age, compromised immunities, and some out of understandable fear. This is not a typical Palm Sunday.

It’s interesting how the feel of this international crisis is quite apropos for today. Again, it is a mixed day: one of utter jubilation shrouded with a horrific omen — crucifixion is on the horizon. But let’s stick with the celebratory for now.

Try to imagine what it was like that day in Jerusalem. If you’ve ever been to a parade (and I assume that means most of you), then you have an idea. A sense of elation fills the air. Smiles line the parade route. Hands wave wildly: some holding signs, pennants, or balloons — others throwing confetti. There are shouts of joy. This was the atmosphere in Jerusalem the day that Jesus rode into town.

People were expecting and hoping for the Messiah’s arrival. It had been foretold by the Hebrew prophets. It’s even mentioned in the Torah and the Poetical Writings of the Jewish tradition. The Messiah will come from King David’s lineage and will liberate the Jews from their oppressors. So, when the people saw Jesus coming into Jerusalem, he might as well have entered as a knight on a mighty steed. “Here comes the king! Here comes the one who will put an end to Roman oppression. Here is the one who will reclaim the Promised Land for us.” The irony is that Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, not as a Warrior King, like his ancestor King David. Warrior Kings do enter a conquered area on a stallion, not a donkey.

But let’s get back to that joyous atmosphere, that feeling of exultation. When did Jesus first ride into your life? Were you a child? Were you an adult? Did you hear the Good News from a parent or grandparent? Did the Word come to you from a preacher or Sunday school teacher? When did you first hear the Good News and say to yourself, “This is true!” Maybe you did not say these words, but you felt them deep in your heart. You knew that Jesus is who he (and others) say he is. I assume that this was a joyous moment for you — a transformative moment. Everything about your life changed right then because it was now framed by the Gospel; it was seen through the lens of Jesus.

If that hasn’t happened for you, then this might be the time for you to invite Jesus into your life. Evangelists used to encourage their flock to offer a version of the sinner’s prayer: a prayer through which you ask Jesus to come into your life, to be your Savior, to forgive your sins.

If ever there was a time when people needed Jesus, it is certainly now. We cannot see the end of this crisis exactly. Will we be mask-free by the end of this year? Maybe. Some say it will most likely be at some point in 2022. Vaccines are being rolled out, which is a great thing, but we still don’t know when we will get back to “normal.” When the virus first hit us, when we went into lockdown mode on March 12, 2020, we were told we would get back to normal by Easter — last Easter, mind you, not next week. I am not a pessimist. Anyone who knows me knows that. Things are getting better. Slowly. But we are still in the thick of it, and it will be a long time until we fully grasp the fallout of COVID-19, be it the psychical, psychological, or even economic ramifications of this historic time. We need Jesus to ride into our homes and hearts right now to show us the joy of his salvation. All it takes is a prayer. All it takes is time in which you are deliberately still, and know that Jesus has already done this.

I was talking to a member of the church lately. I’ll change his name to protect his privacy. It was Joe Kendell. I am paraphrasing what Joe said, but it goes like this. Life has a way of compromising the quality time we should have with others or by ourselves. It is filled with gadgets that make it even harder. All-day every day we are looking at our phones, laptops, and televisions. If we are not binge-watching the latest series on Netflix, then we are checking our e-mail or Facebook. Either that or we are on a Zoom meeting or playing video games. These things do not just occupy our time — they control it; they dominate it.

I am not doing Joe’s thoughts justice. He is going to be writing a piece about this himself. The idea is that worship gives us one hour each week where we can put the screen time aside and focus on God, the silence, and the community into which we are called. There is a reason why this is called a sanctuary, no? This place is a sacred respite from the voices and noises that clamor for our attention the other 167 hours each week.

Life is indeed busy and hectic. It’s even worse when you throw a pandemic into the mix. We need a break — a time to focus on what really matters. Sometimes we need to pause. Sometimes we have to stop and watch the parade.

But we watch the parade not just to relax. We do it to be inspired to act in a way that reflects our faith. We do so to be empowered to invite others to join us. In his book Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus, Mark Denver writes, “Disciples disciple. We follow the one who calls people to follow by calling people to follow.” That sounds like a play on words, but it is far from it. We follow the one who calls us to call others. We do so through our words, and we do so through our witness. They will see our joy, especially when the rest of the world is in despair. They will wonder, “Where does their hope come from?” We will point to the gates, flung open wide. We will say, “Look! Here he comes. The King of kings. The Lord of lords. The one who overcame sin and death. Nothing can stop him. Not even a pandemic. Come. Join the parade.” Amen.