King of Peace

King of Peace
Luke 19:28-44

The road had been climbing for several hours. Soon the holy temple would break into view. It was not an easy journey. The roads were filled with pilgrims making the trek to celebrate Passover. That always made the distance seem shorter when you had others with whom to travel.

As you neared Jerusalem, the crowds were filled with a variety of people.

There were the Chief Priest's clan, the Sadducees and Pharisees, the temple tax collectors and money changers who were busy with a big influx of people during this holiday.

There were the street venders and shop keepers buying and selling their wares

There were soldiers too among the crowd, lots of them…young men far from homes and families, nervous about the crowds all heading for Jerusalem…young men who mistook the joy in celebrating God's deliverance as protests against the rule of Rome, and they were eager to exercise their authority. The Roman military forces were always on high alert during festival-time, making sure the crowd did not get out of hand. Stationed every six feet along the roof of the temple portico as they observed events, they were a very visible, public reminder of who had power.

And there were the anti-Roman guerrillas, sometimes called the Zealots were among the crowd hoping to rally the crowds against the Romans.

So when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey it provoked a storm of conflicting expectations and passions. So as I read the Biblical text of this account this morning I'd like for you to participate. I'd like you to be the crowd. I want you to shout out your phrases as if you were in the crowd. To represent the variety of people in the crowd, I would like to divide you by your birthdays.

If your birthday is in January or February, you will be the disciples. You will repeat this phrase over and over: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord." (Practice)

Those of you who have a birthday in March -August you will be the crowd that is hoping that Jesus would deliver them from their woes (from losing their land, paying high taxes, or living under an oppressive security police force) Other gospels record the people were crying, "Hosanna!" Which means "Save us, please!" Let's hear you say it!

Those of you who have birthdays in September and October You will be the Zealots who are probably waiting to see if Jesus would pull off a miracle and call down the fire of God's wrath on the Romans and their collaborators. So your lines are these: Let's practice: "No King but the Lord! No law but God's Law! Death to the Romans!"

Those of you who have birthdays in November and December will be the Pharisees who are worried that the Romans security might crack down on the crowds because of the ruckus. You will say over and over: Shh! The Romans are watching. Quiet down!" And when you see this sign (silence) don't read it but be silent. OK?

Reading from Luke 19:28-48

There are four accounts of this story of the Bible, one in each of the gospels. So this year I want to focus on Luke's account. Luke's telling of the story is ripe with Old Testament references to kingship.

The first reference to kingship is the matter of the colt of a donkey. According to Zechariah 9:9 the promised savior and king of Jerusalem will be a humble monarch who enters the city riding on a donkey. This was an untrained animal a beast of burden. The ancient kings of Judah were not originally horse riders. The nation lived mostly in the hill country where they would be safe from the chariots driven by their warring neighbors. Thus the Israelite army and her kings preferred mules and donkeys as mounts because of their sure-footedness on hilly mountain terrain.

The second reference to kingship based on Old Testament times is a repeat of the coronation of King Solomon (son of David). In I Kings 1:32 David instructs Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest to take Solomon down to the base of the Mount of Olives, and place him on David's own mule. They are to anoint him king, blow the trumpet and shout "Long live King Solomon." They were to lead him into the city and set him on David's throne. What happened to Jesus on his entry to Jerusalem is a direct parallel to Solomon's enthronement ceremony.

A third royal image in this passage is that of the crowd throwing garments on the road before Jesus. This calls to mind II Kings 9 where we read of the inauguration of Jehu as king over Israel, at which point everyone standing around takes their cloaks off and spreads them under Jehu's feet.

A fourth OT allusion is one that only Luke makes. As the disciples come down from the Mount of Olives, they begin to praise God for all the deeds of power they had seen. This testifying to the great acts of God is something that Israel traditionally did as part of their covenant renewal ceremonies.

Finally, the fifth OT reference in this passage is an allusion to Psalm 118:26 where the verse reads "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord." Luke changes the word "one" to "king." "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord."

It is clear that none of this royal imagery was lost on those in the crowd. The crowd wanted him to bring relief to their nation. The disciples wanted to be in the winner's circle as he brought in his kingdom. The zealots wanted to help in the revolt. The Pharisees obviously know what is being implied because they urge Jesus to silence the crowd. Should the Romans come to understand the symbolism of the occasion, the whole crowd could be in danger, in addition to Jesus himself. On this rare occasion, however, Jesus does not prevent the crowd from hailing him as they would a king.

However, what kind of king? Not the kind of king after the pattern of Caesar or even Herod for that matter. Jesus was a king who weeps over the city because they did not recognize the things that make for peace. Jesus repeatedly warned of the calamity that would ensue if the people tried to end the oppression of Roman occupation by military uprising. For Luke, the Roman Empire could be transformed by the message of the gospel but not overthrown by crushing its military with even greater military strength.

Jesus was surrounded by three groups in this account who believed that their God blessed their violence and killing on God's behalf.

The first group were the Romans. The Romans certainly believed that their gods blessed their violence, and the cross was a terrible symbol of such conviction. The Roman gods would be pleased with the crucifixion of those who would threaten the Roman state.

The second violent group was the Religious Community. Four days after Jesus' entry to Jerusalem, Caiaphas, the Chief Priest, accused Jesus of blasphemy. The council declared that Jesus deserved to die because they believed God wanted them to kill this man for defaming God's holy name.

The third violent group were the Zealots. The Zealots organized violence as a way to rid Israel of the Roman curse along with any Jews who collaborated with them. They believed that God was blessing their armed struggle and would give them victory over the Romans.

Since the beginning, many religions and cultures in history have believed deeply in the myth that we need to use "good violence" which is blessed by our God to kill God's enemies (our enemies), who are using their "evil violence." Today people still kill others, believing that they are doing God a favor. What a contrast with the God revealed in Jesus!

In spite of Jesus' pleading in the garden, the God whom he called "Papa" refused to resort to violence to protect him. Through his death on the cross, Jesus revealed a God who would rather suffer violence than bless its use. Through his death on the cross, Jesus exploded the age-old myth of sacred violence that claimed the right to kill in God's name.

The gospels report that two criminals were crucified along with Jesus, only Luke recounts a conversation among the three of them (23) . This conversation makes explicit the contrast between the two possibilities for dealing with the evil and cruelty of which crucifixion was so emblematic. The first of the criminals challenges Jesus to act in accord with the dominant Messianic expectation by saving them from crucifixion, and implicitly from all the oppressions of imperial Rome. The second criminal rebukes the first, but nevertheless believed that Jesus' kingship was in some sense real even as he hung on the cross. "Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus then affirms his understanding by promising, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Jesus will indeed come into his kingdom that very day, but it would not be accomplished by destroying his enemies. Rather, people like that second criminal will join him in his realm through divine mercy and forgiveness.

When words were of no effect, when people refused to take in and understand the spoken message, Jesus resorted to some dramatic action which put their message into a picture which none could fail to see. He rode into town in a way that would be an unmistakable claim to be God's anointed King. By choosing the donkey he chose an animal of nobility. Only in war did kings ride upon a horse; when they came in peace they came upon a donkey. So Jesus by action came as a king of love and peace, and not as the conquering military hero whom the mob expected and awaited. It was one last appeal. In this action Jesus came, as it were with pleading hands outstretched, saying, "Even now, will you take me as your king?" Before the hatred and violence of men engulfed him, once again he confronted them with love's invitation.

He entered the temple and found injustice there. He would not stand for this imposition on poor people who could least of all afford the money changers profit making. The selling of animals was a deliberately planned victimization of the poor pilgrims, nothing more or less than legalized robbery. Here again Luke is describing an action that fulfills the prophecy of the Messiah. The prophets said that the Messiah would declare himself in the temple and would purify the sons of Levi and refine them like and gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord. Jesus' action of purifying the temple was a visual claim to Messiahship. Jesus stopped the violence of the Church because it was not simply buying and selling that interfered with the dignity and solemnity of worship; it was that the very worship of the house of God was being used to exploit the worshippers. To place economic considerations above worship, was a misuse of God's house which Messiah could not tolerate.

God's plans for the redemption of the world depends not upon the divine ability to crush and destroy evil, but on divine pity, mercy, and forgiveness for those who have been crushed and almost destroyed by evil. That is also the deep truth that we need to hear today if we are to prevail over violence in our world rather than be corrupted by it. It is what we need to hear if we are to follow the King of Peace. These actions Jesus took as he entered Jerusalem made the issue clear. We must either accept or reject our Messiah. Choose ye this day whom you will serve. Are we ready to claim Jesus as King of our lives? Are we able to accept his kingship on his terms? Are we willing to follow in his footsteps of peace-of mercy, forgiveness?

What difference would this make for our nation? What difference does making Jesus King of Peace of your life? How does this affect your marriage? How does it affect your parenting? How does not using violence affect the job you take? the games you play? How you play the game? How does a call to peace affect the taxes you pay? The shows you watch? What difference does it make to follow Jesus as the King of Peace?

Are we willing to suffer violence rather than bless the use of it? Do we believe that people can be transformed by the message of the gospel rather than conquered by force? If so, then we can shout with his disciples, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord."