"Who's Starring in Your Parade?"

Palm Sunday Apr.13/03

Jn.12:12-33

Riding into Town: to Serve or BE Served?

God's Word tells us that when Jesus was on His way into Jerusalem that Sunday before His final Passover, he "found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written: Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your King is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." (Jn.12:14f) There was a victory parade complete with cheering crowds hoisting palm branches (if it had been New York, He would have been riding in an open-top convertible with them showering ticker tape all along the route...In Blyth, we might have cheered and waved, or showered the parade with -- turnips? But this was Palestine, so they used palms). Normally a liberating king would have ridden in on a horse, a symbol of military might; but Jesus chose a donkey, a beast of burden. Why? Of course it was in accord with Scripture, but why had Scripture prophesied a lowly donkey?

        Contrast how the "liberators" entered Baghdad this past week. Here's a CBC news report from Monday; pay attention to the various ways the American "saviours" rode into town. (halton_baghdad030407.mov: 0:22 tanks & armoured personnel carriers, "a daunting show of force"; 2:38 by jet plane; 2:58 by limousine) Tanks, jets, and limos represent power and wealth; just as much as do huge statues and numerous presidential palaces with bathroom fixtures made of gold.

        Somehow, that's not Jesus' style, He chose a humble donkey instead of an impressive military horse. The parade in Jerusalem was a victory parade, but the crowds were mistaken if they thought Jesus had come to be a political Messiah and overthrow the Romans. Jesus came to save them in a spiritual manner, not tyrannize them or enforce a set of religious rules. His "campaign" (code name: the Kingdom of God) is not threatening, but entirely voluntary. Earthly dictators hold sway with thugs, henchmen, threats and lies like those of the former Iraqi Information Minister. By contrast, Jesus' reign of grace invades in (often) unspectacular ways - actions of kindness, thoughtful offers to help, a caring but unobtrusive comment. It's a spiritual campaign, not involving destruction of physical targets with satellite-guided bunker-busters, but destruction of strongholds the Evil One has constructed in people's lives through hatred, neglect, abuse, and selfishness. As Paul wrote in 2Cor.10(3-5): "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

        The real enemy, you see, is not the Romans, or even Saddam or Osama, but Sin. Even with the success of the initiative to change Iraq's regime, there's still potential for its next leader to be misguided or wicked, or for factions to plunge the country into civil war in a battle for power. And in our own lives, even when we turn to God and receive His cleansing for our immorality and greed and bitterness, and He gives us a fresh start, there's still potential for us to sin again and undo all the good God's accomplished. It's sin that destroys, moreso than groups or individuals; it's Satan who is the wolf or robber itching to gain access to our lives in order to "steal, kill, and destroy" (Jn.10:10). The ultimate cosmic war determining our fate and that of others is not being waged in some far-off country but deep in our own soul, with our next decision. Jesus comes to serve, not be served; not to defeat the imperialists or become a replacement for Herod, but to save us each from the tyranny of evil that attacks us each new day.

        David Suzuki is a household name amongst Canadians; he has produced numerous shows about science and writes a newspaper column. In the April 5 Clinton Focus he acknowledged how the narrow selfishness of his life when he was young had negative results. He writes: "As a young man, I discovered a passion for science and threw myself into research as if there was no tomorrow. As a university professor, genetics was my life -- it consumed me and provided my highs and lows...[with students] We would work till the early morning hours, excitedly arguing over ideas and results, generating reams of data and dreaming up evermore elaborate experiments. Today I don't torment myself with recriminations for what I did. But there were costs -- a broken marriage; relationships with lovers, students and children that suffered from inattention; a narrow life. And I recognize that many of my shortcomings -- that inward focus on my own passions, the excitement of the moment, the working as if there is no tomorrow -- are also features as a whole that have created the current ecological crisis." Sin destroys; narrowness makes others suffer. That's why Jesus comes riding into town on a beast of burden, not a tank: the real enemy is invisible.

The Cross as Booster Rocket: Phase 2 - World Beyond Israel

When the Lord entered Jerusalem just before Passover, it was packed to the brim with pilgrims from all over the known world assembled for the most sacred Jewish feast. The buzz about this unconventional rabbi caught the ears of some visitors who weren't officially Jewish. John notes in v.20, "Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request.'Sir,' they said, 'we would like to see Jesus.'" These would have been, not proselytes or converts to Judaism, but "God-fearers", native Greek-speakers who were attracted to Judaism by its monotheism (that means 'one God') and morality, but who were likely repelled by its nationalism and by circumcision. They approached one of Jesus' disciples who had a Greek name and requested an audience with the Master. How Christ must have yearned to be able to grant their request - but as He'd said to others, He was sent only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt.10:6; 15:24). Jesus knew His earthly ministry was to be directed first to God's chosen people, the Hebrews, not other nations. That had ended largely in rejection, as would be proven in a few days when he was executed under the charge "King of the Jews". He was popular for the moment because of His miracles; the masses had cheered His entry, acclaimed Him as the blessed "King of Israel" (v.13), and He had silently allowed them to greet Him thus. But in a few short days He'd be sentenced by the authorities as a threat to the religious and social order, and the masses would turn against Him as a hoax and deceiver for not being the political deliverer they sought. To the Jews, by and large, Jesus of Nazareth would remain a blasphemer, a disappointment.

        If you're looking for Jesus' answer to the Greeks' request, you won't find a direct reply, not even a "I'll have Matthew set up an appointment with you on my daytimer for next week." What Jesus does say is (v.23), "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified...(v.31f) Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." What kind of an answer is that?

        Christ could have gone on booking appointments and holding healing clinics forever, but that wasn't His primary mission. Jesus (Yeshua) had come to "save His people from their sins" (Mt.1:21) - not just those in Palestine or even the Mediterranean era in the first century, but all those who would follow Him through the centuries. The Father sent the Son into the world to save it (Jn.3:17; 12:47; 1Tim.1:15) -- and such a broad mission required Jesus' ministry to take a different direction than it had up to that point. The focus was about to change dramatically from Palestinian to planetary. Jesus was about to go global, to be launched into orbit.

        And for that launch, God's wisdom sovereignly steering human hurtfulness had prepared a booster rocket: the Cross. Crucifixion was designed to be the most painful way to die a person could ever experience, and it was on this torture rack that our Saviour was to pay for our sins. When Jesus says, It's time for Me to be "glorified", He's not talking about a beauty pageant or coronation ceremony, but the whole sequence of trial, rejection, beating, crucifixion, fatal suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. That's the process that would launch His ministry from time- and space-bound to global and eternal. That's how Greeks would benefit - and Chinese and English and Brazilians. Hear the planetary emphasis in His words: "Now is the time for judgment on this world...I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." Far beyond just these Greek pilgrims politely requesting an interview.

        By His death and resurrection, His "glorification" as He calls it, Jesus' benefits and power would be made available to all who put their trust in Him, by the wonderful new ministry of the Holy Spirit. No longer would His ministry be confined by how many miles He could walk in a day; no longer would He be constrained to deal with just one person at a time. When Jesus rose from the dead and became a spiritual being, His effectiveness exploded so His grace would be conveyed by the whole church as well as spiritual means, angels and the Counsellor. The cross that lifted Him up from the earth would be His 'booster rocket', expanding His service to all who call upon Him through the centuries.

        As for the Master, so for His followers. Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily; v.26, "whoever serves Me must follow Me", that is, follow all the way to our own cross. So we find that God allows mini-deaths and suffering to enter our lives in order to expand our service for the Lord. Going through the trial ourselves, we find we have to draw on the Lord's grace and spiritual resources. Out of that time comes a richness and confidence that attracts others to Jesus through us.

        In early February, 8 Canadian Christian leaders visited Uganda and Tanzania to observe the HIV/AIDS pandemic firsthand. The tour was sponsored by World Vision. In sub-Saharan Africa there are 28.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS. In Tanzania, 52% of the population is under 19 years old; in Uganda, 10% of the population are orphans, and 65% of the population are HIV positive. Many are carrying a cross we'd consider crushing; and there are many innocent victims, infected not because of their lifestyle, but because of somebody else. Yet even in such grim circumstances, faith makes a difference. One woman, Zoe, has cancer (photo, lower right); yet she still is managing to care for her 19 grandchildren after their parents died of AIDS. Ted Yuke, a pastor from Nova Scotia, remarked: "The biggest miracle I saw in Africa is that in the midst of what could look like a hopeless situation where you could throw up your hands and say 'forget it', there are people saying, 'I'm not going to give up'...'We're going to make a difference." The cross is boosting ministry.

Palms Up! Surrender Life for God's Honour and Eternity

The crowds on "Palm Sunday" lifted their leafy branches to signal Jesus' coming in their midst. We don't have palms in Canada - maples and pines, but not palms. Yet Jesus' words in 24-26 suggest we lift the "palms" of our hands in surrender to God's challenging direction for our lives. Putting your hands in the air is a universal sign of surrender, it shows you're not carrying anything in your hands that might be a threat. In these verses Christ calls those who say they believe in Him to lay down their preoccupation, their agendas, even life itself...to lift up our palms in surrender to God's plan for us. He said solemnly: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.My Father will honor the one who serves me."

        This is the core of the teaching about the cross: yielding our life, giving up our previous "shape" like a wheat kernel dissolving so the germ can sprout and reproduce many times into new fruit. If we try to cling to life in this world, clutching on to possessions and titles and privileged relationships, we'll miss out on the joy of giving life away in kindness and sacrificial love. It's in opening our hand, sharing what God's blessed us with, that we discover true fullness of life, the purpose for us being entrusted with all this as stewards in the first place. Those who yield to Jesus and serve Him, He says, will be rewarded with the awesome experience of being with Him forever, honoured by the Father!

        Recently a tape purporting to be from Osama bin Laden was circulated which urged suicide bombers to attack Arab governments that supported the attack on Iraq. Repeatedly the tape said the suicide agents would go instantly to paradise. That's a lie; terrorist tactics belong in the realm of the Evil One who delights to "steal, kill, and destroy". Yet, the kind of commitment Jesus calls for is not much different in its intensity, though entirely opposite in its direction - to save life, not take it; to serve, not dominate. News reporters mentioned that American soldiers are "spooked" by the possibility of suicide attacks; much more, Satan's agents must be "spooked" by the threat to them of sincere, resolute Christians who have dedicated their whole life to being at God's disposal.

        Just a few short days before His own cruel death, Jesus invites us to join Him in a life of redemptive sacrifice - not physically dying necessarily, but giving God complete control in all we think, say, and do. Wheat has been found stored in Egyptian granaries for thousands of years: it's kept its shape, but it's very dead. Wheat is meant to be planted and changed. Believers are meant to pour their life into others and discover all kinds of aspects to God's new dimension for them. It's risky. There's loss involved. But that's the only way to keep your life for eternity, and know the satisfaction of being honoured even by God. It requires you to put your "palms" up, in total surrender.

Time for a "Regime Change"

The alternative, of course, is to become a deadly tyrant, defending everything you have from anybody else that might come near and take something. That's exactly the Saddam syndrome. Under the heading "Time for Regime Change", a ChristianWeek editorial notes: "It all seems very obvious. Iraq and the world, not to mention Saddam himself, would have been spared tremendous grief if Saddam had chosen to give up control and let someone else take charge of the country. It's a no-brainer, right?

        "Wrong. Lest we think Saddam is just plain stupid and should bow to the obvious, we do well to take a look in the mirror. Is there an image of a church-going Christian whose life seems largely unaffected by the impact of worship, Bible teaching and godly example? Do you see someone who makes promises of compliance to God and man, but for the most part indulges her own will and ways?

        "If so, we have a candidate for regime change; a man or a woman loved by God who refuses to be subject to the disciplines of God. Canadian churches are full of such people. We tut-tut the failures of others, but harbour dark secrets in our hearts. We count our many blessings, but neglect to pass them on. We fill our minds with bland things, and scarcely notice when our conscience atrophies." [note accompanying cartoon "Bob was unwilling to give up his weapons of personal destruction"]

        The article goes on to add, "The comforting news of God's patience (which is not limited) and love (that endures forever) is that He invites us to follow Him. He does not forcefully drive us. He wants people to be convinced of the benefits of His control, not coerced into blind obedience. He is persuasive in His ways, not imposing. He gives us freedom to choose, and freedom to fail.

        "One of the great mysteries of God's love and relationship with humanity is why He so often allows us our folly, waiting patiently for us to choose for ourselves the regime changes He knows we need...Regime change may well be necessary, and not just for the butcher of Baghdad."

        Let's pray.