Sermon - 2015-03-29 - Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday.  This is the start of Holy Week celebrations. We hear the story of Jesus coming, entering into Jerusalem, and being among the people.  The people shouting for joy and shouting their praise to this miracle worker, this messenger, and hopefully the Messiah.  The people were lining the streets hoping to see a glimpse of Jesus.  The man they had heard so much about. This man had performed miracles by curing people.  Jesus fed thousands with just a little bit of food. He had spoken and taught in such a way that people knew the message being taught.

For those of you thinking, “Man, this sounds lame. It is so old. This would never happen in our modern times.” However, it happens all the time.  Jesus was walking through the town and people were lining up to watch, to cheer, and to get to wave at him.  In our own modern times, we usually toss out candy as well. There may be the local high school band marching. A business will decorate a float.  A politician rides in a car from the local dealership. Yes, I am talking about a parade.  Although the people are shouting.  The words that they are shouting are a song. In our own modern times, this may be more associated with a school fight song.  Something that would inspire, unite the people, and it would echo throughout the town.

The parade that Jesus was in was very similar.  The people were lining up along the way to see Jesus. They were hoping to see what they were going to get from Jesus.  They had so many expectations of what Jesus was going to do for them. What Jesus was going to be for them. They hoped that Jesus would save them from the oppressive leaders and military, who might be holding  them back from being God’s People. They hoped that the economy would be turned around, that there would be more jobs, higher pay, and better living conditions.  They hoped that now they would know that God would be among them once again like God was among their ancestors.  These are just some of the expectations that the people had.  The crowds refused to see Jesus as he truly was, placing their personal desires on him instead. Who is Jesus for you? Is he someone whom you want to satisfy your selfish wants and goals, or is he the one who gave up his life to save you from your sins? What are your expectations of God in your life?  

For many people, they come to church to pray and hope that God would save them.  That God would answer their prayer, which is really a wish because it is something that they can not do or something that they do not want to do.   They have so many hopes, so many expectations of God, that they actually miss when God is right before them.  We find ourselves at the parade of life, but we look at what we are hoping to see and on what we are missing out.   The true celebration and gift that is right before us. This happens more than you think. We are hoping to see God but instead we miss God. We cheer, we celebrate, and the question that is on our mind is: What is in it for me, God?

However, even that question, is filled with distraction and filled with sin that it actually makes you miss what God is doing for you and all people among you. We are so focused on ourselves, that we miss what God is doing for our whole community.  We are so focused on us, that we ignore those who are in need of what God has already given to us.   We come searching for an answer that is directly for us, and we do not receive it.  Not until Thursday that is.  So come, keep watching, keep listening, and keep hoping. Come and bear witness to the work, the word, and the promise that God is doing for you.