Praise in Different Keys
It’s Palm Sunday again. On that day, people were praising God in many modes. Some were simply shouting the name of Jesus. Others were laying their cloaks on the ground. So important and significant is this Jesus astride a donkey that his witnesses roll out the red carpet in the form of their own cloaks. Most of us envision Palm Sunday as one filled with waving palm branches accompanied by shouts of Hosanna, Hallelujah, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Not only do we observe particular modes of acclaim for the Christ, we notice that the Palm Sunday crowd utters praise for different reasons. So, I want to reflect briefly using the guiding theme: Praise in Different Keys.
During the NBA (National Basketball Association) season, every week ESPN, a sports television network, has honored a player who has done something spectacular on the court. Some weeks ago, they chose Kobe Bryant, a guard from the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe has made six or seven game winning shots this season. Noting how difficult it is to make a shot with players contesting your shot, time running off the clock, and winning in the balance, other players have shied away from the moment. They don’t want to be the goat. But Kobe has not. Retired NBA players Kevin McHale and Chris Webber went further. They called Kobe the Black Mamba, i.e., he strikes with deadly aim. In short, they said his wining shots were worthy of praise. Kobe, Kobe, Kobe or the black mamba are synonymous with tribute, commendation and acclaim.
When our Lord rode down the streets of Jerusalem, he undoubtedly heard folk calling his name, Jesus, Rose of Sharon, Lily of the Valley, Bright and Morning Star, the Fairest of Ten Thousand. Luke 19:37 drew a picture akin to the sounds made when the Spartans won that close game this week. People praised God joyfully with a loud voice. That kind of sentiment is captured in the 100th Psalm. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing etc, etc, etc.” Most importantly, people rejoiced over this Jesus because they had actually seen his deeds of power. I’d be impressed if I saw him change water into wine, preach good news to the poor, plus eat with tax collectors and sinners. I’d be impressed if I saw Christ cast out demons, raise Lazarus from the grave and feed five thousand.
To see the same Christ at work, we were not required to live 2000 plus years ago, Jesus has been at work in our lives today. Haiti lost over 200,000 people in the 7.0 earthquake. But thousands more were saved. That’s worthy of praise. United Methodists lost GBGM staff in the rubble of Hotel Montana, but the survivors told the story of how they sang their faith while buried in the rubble not knowing if any of them will get out alive. Some of them survived. That’s worthy of praise. And we celebrated the giving of United Methodists all over the world toward Haiti Relief. As of March 19, 2110, United Methodists have given over 15 million dollars to Haiti Relief. And you have played a part. We’re clear. It’s a God inspired thing.
Also, I praise God for what this Jesus has done for me this week. I flew to Jacksonville, Florida and came back home safely. My family enjoyed another week of good health, thank you. I drove this morning and met no accident, thank you. And Jesus Christ is giving me the health and strength to preach these few words, thank you Jesus. The loud hosannas coming from the crowd on Palm Sunday had to do with disciples whom had seen the powerful things that Jesus did. One songwriter said it well, “He touched me.” Has he touched you?
HBO or Home Box Office ran a special recently entitled Magic and Bird: Courtship/Rivals. It recounted their pathway to fame via the game of basket ball. Major attention was paid to the rivalry between the two. What burst forth in the NCAA finals between Michigan State and Indiana State-between the Lakers and Celtics exploded into a hostile and hate filled rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Race became a part of the equation as well. All the while, Bird and Johnson were commended for re-invigorating professional basketball in the eighties. For all the tribute that Magic and Bird garnered; it was a divided praise. People took sides and clashed on issues that went far beyond basketball. In one corner, praise for Bird was like striking A sharp. And Magic was acclaimed in another with a B flat. But the wins and losses between the two told a different story.
Biblical commentators tell us that the effusive hallelujahs of Palm Sunday were not as they appear on the surface. They did not represent the crowd speaking with one mind or one heart. Is it any accident when Luke speaks of the crowd that he describes those who honor Christ as a "multitude of disciples." (Luke 19:37) Other voices were in the crowd. Disciples could not describe them. Let me explain. By some observers, our Lord is seen for the first time. They know of his deeds-of his reputation. But they have no first hand knowledge of what he has done.
Some of the applause of the day may be one of anticipation. Some of the bystanders celebrate the coming this earthly messiah because they see in him as a military deliverer. Rome has its foot on the neck of the Jews. Rome’s occupying forces make sure that every aspect of Jewish life is under their control. Why should the chosen people have to endure another Christmas tragedy namely, Herod killing two year old males trying to get to Jesus? Why should Mary and Joseph have to run for the lives and escape to Egypt because Herod is determined that no one shall be King especially a Jewish lad? May be his Jesus-this so-called Messiah will lead a guerilla movement resulting in their overthrowing and hence the end of Roman occupation in the Holy Land. Some clapped because they saw our Lord dispatching Caesar by any means necessary, preferably with ‘spears not pruning hooks.” Has the point been made? A number of Jesus’ enemies participated in the Palm Sunday extravaganza. On Palm Sunday, people took sides.
Here’s more proof. Luke 11: 39 reads thusly. “Some of the Pharisees in the Palm Sunday crowd said to him, Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” In other words, stop them from praising God. Stop them from acknowledging you as Savior. Stop them from giving you a name above every name. Stop them from this business of “every knee shall, bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Comfortable with his identity, our Lord responds immediately. “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would cry out.” Quite frankly, the sound of praise entering Jesus’ ears on Palm Sunday is mixed. Some is real; some is not. The Pharisees are not happy about Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem. As Rodney’s King’s impassioned plea “can’t we all just get along” had little or no effect on the citizens of LA during hard times; the same can be said of Jesus and the Pharisees. The Jesus that came to “bring life and bring it more abundantly” rubbed this devout, religious community the wrong way.
For example, the Pharisees did not like our Lord because he forgave people of their sins. “God alone could forgive,” they said. They thought our Lord was playing God. In fact, he was God. The Pharisees had a problem with Jesus eating and drinking with sinners. For them, mingling with sinners increased the chances of being contaminated or worse becoming just like the sinners with whom Jesus related. Time and again, our Lord proved differently. Sinners were transformed in his presence namely Zaccheus, the woman whom certain men accused of having an illicit relationship and the dying thief. That’s not all. Pharisees criticized our Lord for healing and feeding the hungry on the Sabbath day, a day of rest. Christ informed the Pharisees that he was Lord of the Sabbath. If we summarized Jesus’ criticism of most Pharisees in one word, it would be this, hypocrisy. In essence, the Pharisees talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk. So when Jesus dared ride down the streets of Jerusalem to the absolute admiration of his followers, Pharisaic hisses and boos made up the crowd noise. Praise just drowned them out. Like the divergent and ethnic based commendations of Magic and Bird, our Lord heard praise in different keys on Palm Sunday.
This week, I attended a national meeting Black Methodist for Church Renewal in Jacksonville, Florida. The weather was warm. And I had meal with a young lady who sends her greetings and praise. It was none other than your former pastor Rev. Joy Moore. On the way home, another notion of praise emerged in transit. Before we boarded the plane for Lansing out of Detroit, the attendant made this announcement. We’ll board Zone 1 customers first. Members of the military, platinum, silver, gold and elite flyers may board as well. On the plane, the attendant made a fuss over the military man on board. She didn’t say it. But she was probably carrying out company policy. In essence, the airline had decided to give special treatment to those who had decided to join the military. Why? They face the possibility of going overseas and putting themselves in harm’s way. Hence, inviting military personnel to board first honored their commitment to serve Uncle Sam whatever it may cost in the present or the future.
There is something commendable about a person or group of persons who knowingly put themselves in harms’ way when they know it will coast them dearly. That same phenomenon is at work in one of the most controversial peacetime decisions our congresspersons made in the past few weeks. They passed a healthcare bill. Because certain Congresspersons passed a new law that will offer health care to 32 million uninsured persons, some of them have put their political careers in harm’s way. Right now, groups are organizing to drive them out of office. On the other hand, some of them will be praised for reaching out to others unable to afford it. Yes, there is something commendable about persons who decide to put themselves in harm’s way for a worthy cause.
To a large degree, the foregoing examples illustrate the best reason the people of God celebrate Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday aka Passion Sunday initiates the events of Holy Week. During this week, Christ willingly places himself in harms way to transform the world. His suffering, his death and resurrection become the primary vehicle through which it occurs. Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 18:31. Listen to them closely if you want to get a real sense of what Palm Sunday was all about. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For he will be handed over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat upon. After they have flogged him, they will kill him and on the third day rise again.” But they understood nothing about all these things. You’ve heard me strike a different key about Palm Sunday that we least like to embrace. Let me put it this way.
Christ didn’t spend anytime lapping up the applause directed at him on Palm Sunday. It wasn’t about applause. It wasn’t about people blessing him as one coming in the name of the Lord. It wasn’t about Jesus using the sword or the militarism to liberate his people. His way would be non-violent. It wasn’t about criticizing disciples who would betray him, distance themselves from him, fall asleep and forsake him when he needed them the most. As our Lord rode down the streets of Jerusalem, He was focused on his mission. He was remembering everything the Father has asked him to do. He had made the commitment to put himself in harm’s way for your sake and mine. And he intended to fulfill it no matter what. As they shouted hosannas, hallelujahs, and glory to the God of my salvation, Jesus needed to concentrate, to pray his way through, to enter his passion willingly in order to prove that the Son of God would keeps his word to the Father. Christ refused to back out of an agreement that meant abundant life for us here and eternal life with him there i.e., with him in glory.
Hear this closing prayer from a Book of Worship given me by Bishop Paul Washburn who ordained me elder in June 5, 1978.
“O God, we praise thee for the Master, who rode in triumph into the city of his fathers. We thank thee that he came not as a conqueror to destroy but as a messiah to save, and that he appealed to human hearts with the glory of love. In the spirit of praise and worship we ask that every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Amen.
By: Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton On 3/28/2010
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