The Road to Jerusalem

Once there was a little boy named Johnny who was five years old. When it was Palm Sunday, he couldn't wait to go to church to find out what Palm Sunday was. But sadly, Johnny came down with the chickenpox. His parents hired a baby-sitter to take care of Johnny while they went to church. When they came home holding palm leaves, Johnny asked, "What are the palm tree leaves for Mom?" She replied, "When Jesus walked through the town, people waved palm leaves at him as he walked by.” Johnny looked upset and said, "Wouldn't ya know? The one Sunday I'm not in church, and he shows up!"

On Palm Sunday it is traditional to speak about the journey Jesus took from the Mount of Olives down into Jerusalem. We’re veering slightly from the traditional today. Instead, let us look not just at a familiar story, but let us go behind the scenes and understand what it is Jesus was thinking as he walked down that mountain, hosannas ringing in his ears, toward his own death.

We read these passages in the Bible every year and after awhile they seem to lose their ability to shock us. We expect Jesus to give up his life because that is the type of person he is – Jesus is always giving up his peace of mind and his food and even his friends as he goes about preaching God’s message. Jesus is a natural born martyr and we like that about him. We expect this of him. If he did anything else, we would be disappointed.

From the Mount of Olives you can see most of Jerusalem. The temple and courts are visible, the olive vineyards and the many homes and stores are all visible from the top. The path down is winding, made of limestone and there are limestone walls on either side of the path. It’s pretty steep in some places and you find yourself staring down at your feet, watching for loose stones or a brick that is uneven. Halfway down you think that you must be close to the bottom, but when you get around the bend and can see Jerusalem you realize there is a lot more to go.

Jesus rode this path on a donkey, his disciples shouting and singing praises in his ears. This was their Messiah! This was their King! Let every person hear, let every person know that the Lord has come!

Jesus was probably praying more than he was paying attention to the crowd of rejoicing people around him. He alone knew what was to come, but he rode down that long, winding path anyway. What does this teach us?

Paul tells us in Philippians to have the “same mindset as Christ”. The mindset of a man who continually humbled himself. The mind of a man who gave everything he had to give the world, even his life, in the most loving of ways. Jesus knew that all the parables and all the healings were important, but this final act was the true test of faith for him and for the disciples surrounding him.

Today we sing songs and wave our palm branches. We rejoice in our Lord and Savior, but there is a somber feeling at the end of every Palm Sunday. We know what is coming, just as Jesus knew what was next. We Christians are called to follow Christ, to have a Christ like mind. Such a thing means we are called to humble ourselves. We are asked to give everything we have, to empty ourselves of all ego and desire. We are called to replace our ego and desires with the will and love of Christ.

To be like the one who was without sin, but died for sinners. How might we be more like Jesus in our lives? What holds us back from giving all we have to God and to the world?

Each of us carries a stone around our necks, a personal albatross that weighs us down, and prevents us from fulfilling our Christian duty to its fullest. What is it that you cannot seem to let go of? What prevents your mind from being filled with the love of Jesus Christ?

Today we walk the same path Jesus did two thousand years ago. We wave our palms, we sing our songs, and we pray. We pray that God will help us to let go of these things that prevent us from being Christians in mind, heart, and soul. We take a hard look at who we are and who God wants us to be, and it is time to make the two sides match up.

As Jesus rode the donkey down to the bottom of the Mount of Olives, he had to let go of every desire and every wish that he might have had as a human being. There would be no wife or child. There would be no business with his name and his sons’ names on it. There would be no grandchildren or long vacations during retirement. Everything we are given was denied to Jesus. He willingly gave up those things to save us all. He rode to his death with people screaming his name in joy.

Today, we can do no differently than Jesus. We shall take the journey with Christ and let go of what has held us back for so long. Let go of the guilt. Let go of the pain. Let go of the worry. Let go of your fears. These things have no power compared to the Lord. Let your old self die, so that you may be made a new creation – God’s child forevermore.

Amen.