Saturday 12 April 2014

Sermon April 13: Hosanna to Crucify - Five days that changed the world

Sermon April 13: Hosanna to Crucify
Five days that changed the world

Matthew 21: 1-11
& the Passion according to St Matthew




Crowds...
Crowds of people – happy, excited, going with the flow and just going along for the sheer joy and excitement of it...

Waving and clapping
It’s really easy to get taken in
Carried along
Swept up...

It was easy then
And it is still easy now

And then... from euphoria to outrage, anger, righteous indignation...

Who is this upstart?
Who does he think he is?

Telling us what to do
Criticising
Upsetting people
Causing a stir
Making a spectacle of himself, of everyone

Just who is this man?!

The sense of indignation and growing unrest begins to build
People are stirred up...
And not only the people
The powers that be are unhappy too... they too are asking, who is this man?
How dare he challenge us?
How dare he throw a tantrum; upset the merchants (doesn’t he know we have an interest in that little enterprise?)
Who is this man...

Others suspect
Others know... they have travelled with him; listened to him; followed him; given up everything for him
They are privileged: they KNOW

But even those who know, do not understand – yet.
They still hold on to the notion; the hope; the image of the Messiah as a warrior king
Someone who will come and do much more than just turn over a few tables...
They imagine themselves as part of the conquering army
Triumphant
Carried away as heroes...

And they will be; but not as the heroes they anticipated...

Meantime... the unrest grows
This outspoken man must be silenced
Control must be regained
The status quo has been rocked enough
They think they are taking the moral high ground
They think it is for the best
Silence this one
And everything will go back to normal again
Everything will be restored, and they will be back in charge

Just get him out of the way
How? How to do this without making things worse?
If only there was a way in to the inner circle...

And there he was: one of them; impatient for change; impatient with the way of peace... offering to deliver the Man
It was all so easy...

And then – well a few choice words
A few pointed comments
And before you know it the mob is all excited and in a frezy again
But this time they are not shouting Hosanna!
No!!
No more hosannas...

Whisper it in the far corners... mumble it, let the Chinese whispers take it, carry it forward...
Crucify...
Crucify...
Crucify!
CRUCIFY!
CRUCIFY!!!!!

It’s easy when you know how
And the religious ones; the leaders sat back and let the crowd, the mob, do it for them...
And they thought they’d won...

But God’s plan is bigger, and better, and bolder and more outrageous than any scheme of man could ever be...

Hosanna to crucify
Who is this man?
Jesus of Nazareth
Son of Man; Son of God
Five days
To make God’s plan work
To give every man, woman and child the hope of eternity
Five days
That changed the world
Five days
To give us hope
Five days

Amen


1 comment:

  1. very poetic! I like it, and had never considered "five days" before. Hope it turns out well.

    ReplyDelete