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5 April 1998
Was it warm that day as Jesus made his way into Jerusalem? Were the skies blue and clear, the kind of spring day that makes the heart soar? Or was it cool and cloudy, the kind of spring day that invigorates because of the edge to the wind and coolness? Was the road dusty or muddy? How large was this crowd who kept spreading their cloaks on the road? Just how loud were the praises of God that the disciples were shouting? Did these praises come from deep within the heart or were they simply loud because it felt good to shout on a glorious spring day?
The scriptures, of course, are silent on much of this. The account of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem is sketched out for us, leaving plenty of room for the Spirit to be invited into our hearts in prayer and meditation to guide us into a deeper knowledge of God's love for us. As we engage in holy daydreaming the Spirit is able to work with our spirit to draw us into the story. The Holy Spirit is able to open the eyes of hearts to see clearly the profound love God has for us, a love revealed in Jesus.
With this story of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem we begin our Holy Week. On behalf of the entire staff of St. Margaret's, and, more importantly, on behalf of God who loves us, I invite you to make time this week to invoke the Holy Spirit to come and work with you in holy daydreaming. Read and listen to the stories that begin with this grand entrance into Jerusalem and finish with Jesus breathing his last on the cross of humiliation.
Gather with your neighbors and friends here to listen to the stories, to pray, to receive communion. Gather with your friends and neighbors here to remember, on Maundy Thursday, how tenderly Jesus shared his final meal with his disciples and through them has invited us to partake of the same meal. Come on Friday, Good Friday, whether it is blazing with sunshine or gloomy with clouds and darkness, come to hear how Jesus was betrayed and condemned and killed. Let the Holy Spirit guide your prayers and gaze that day to clearly see the depth of God's love for you. Let the Holy Spirit reveal how truly fearful it is to think that evil is stronger than love, that darkness is stronger than light, that there is no God, no victory, no hope.
Then, having experienced the depth of that darkness on Friday come on Saturday evening as we gather at the Easter Vigil and tell the stories that shatter the darkness and destroy the illusion that evil is stronger than love. Come on Saturday evening as we light the fire and announce God's good news of triumph; as we bless the water, baptizing a young man and welcoming him into the fellowship of our church. Come on Sunday morning as we let our song of triumph fill this place again, singing the praises of God and delighting in the light, and the life of God poured into Jesus and poured into us.
It is a Holy Week filled with the depths of sorrow and pain and the very heights of joy and delight. It is a Holy Week whose stories have the power to inform our daily lives and actions by revealing God's constancy and love. It is a Holy Week whose stories have the power to transform us as they melt our hearts with the constancy of God's love in the face of betrayal and treachery and cruelness and then lift our hearts with the power of God's love to triumph over every evil: restoring life and light and joy and wholeness even when that looks to be impossible.
Savor the stories, beginning with today's story. Invite the Holy Spirit to come to you to work with you and in you.
Turning to today's story, we heard that the disciples "began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen." Let the Spirit guide your thoughts and memories and picture of this moment, your holy daydreaming might be something along these lines. . . .
In your mind's eye picture the broad smiles on the faces of the disciples, eyes crinkled in pleasure as they recall these deeds of power. Mouths open in praise of God, voices shouting and singing these praises. I picture disciples convinced, beyond doubt, that here was the promised Messiah, their king. The praises, the words, the songs, the spreading of cloaks came not from mob hysteria but from the heart. Move from yourself into the heart and mind of one those on the road:
After all Jesus fairly crackled with God's power, how could anyone miss it? Why, just recently Bartimaeus that blind beggar in Jericho was completely healed, his sight restored, no more begging, no more darkness, Jesus, the healer, did this! See there is Bartimaeus over there, spreading a cloak in front of the colt, singing God's praises, showing others how he can see, pointing to Jesus and telling his story.
And what about the other night. Jesus the forgiver. Mary couldn't stop crying, she actually washed his feet with her tears. Our host couldn't believe that Jesus would let such a sinner touch him; Jesus couldn't believe such a holy and righteous man could be so cruel and heartless. Our pharisee host was ready to toss us all out for fear of the law, Jesus was ready to tell us again how much our God desires to forgive sins. With such a word of love and forgiveness, Mary's life was made whole. See, there she is singing God's praises.
Look, over there, see that family? They were there when Jesus fed us at the lake. Who would have believed it possible? We were so many, we were so hungry. And Jesus fed us. Jesus fed all of us! We even had bread left over!
And let me tell you that I thought I would die with the others in the boat that night. Never have I seen such a fierce storm. We were sinking, we were doomed. I couldn't believe it, fed by Jesus in a miracle and drowned in the lake before I could tell the story. I still can't believe I was so frightened and so unsure about Jesus. But Jesus, the storm-calmer spoke such a word of power that I am here to tell you he truly must be God's Messiah. No one but God can command wind and wave, no one.
And so it goes. Let the Spirit help you recall the stories. Put yourself into the heart and mind and place of a first century disciple on the road to Jerusalem. Why are you here? Do you follow Jesus the healer? Jesus the forgiver? Jesus the meal-provider or storm-calmer? How has Jesus blessed you? Why do you follow him? What story do you have to tell?
Then, leap back to your own story, your own mind and heart. Why are you here? Have you experienced Jesus the healer? Do you know Jesus the forgiver of sins? Or is it Jesus the meal-provider or storm-calmer that has won your heart? Do you know the touch of Jesus who blesses? Or is it Jesus the teacher you follow? Why are you here? Why do you follow Jesus to this place? Are you constantly finding new reasons to follow Jesus? I hope so. The living word of the scriptures always has the power to illuminate and guide our own stories. What story do you have to tell?
Finally, as our Holy Week moves on, I encourage you to do the same. You will travel from today's certainty and joy to Friday's fear and loathing. And from that dark place you will come again into the joy and the light and life of God's power on Easter. Let us make this journey with Jesus, and with each other. Amen.
The Rev. Daniel Rondeau
drondeau@stmargarets.org
5 April 1998