Sermon:
Jerusalem is Waiting (always)
“If these did not, the very stones would cry
out.”
Jerusalem is waiting
as it always is
The city is a place of need and want
of
powerlessness and power-players
The city and its people – all its people
are
waiting as always for a messiah
The city is a place of stones
and all its people like one stone or another in it
Some are like the paving stones
of the roads and thoroughfares
They are the people who others walk on /over
to get to where they want to be
the ones who are trodden underfoot, kept down
and
mostly forgotten or taken for granted
They cry out for healing, redemption,
wholeness,
maybe
mostly for attention
They wait to see, receive, welcome, embrace
a
messiah / saviour who will serve
their well-being and the well-being of all
They wait to welcome and embrace
sometime
any messiah – no matter sometimes
whether a real saviour, a demagogue, or a tyrant
Others are like the raised-up stones
the
beautiful, built-up ones
the buildings / facades / wonders of the city
Strong and attractive, well-put-together,
the
pride of the city,
important and self-important
They also cry out and look and wait
for a saviour / protector
of their interests / their place
someone who will serve / save
what they have achieved /accomplished
And what / where are we in this story
of Jesus coming into the city?
In some ways, are we the stones who are / who
feel
downtrodden, tired, powerless,
taken for granted?
In some ways, are we those who are built up
and lifted above the rest?
important and self-important?
accomplished?
well-set and comfortably placed?
There are other roles as well
besides the stones of the city
more active and intentional roles
in the story of the coming
of God and God’s kingdom into our time
We could see ourselves as the disciples
walking
into the city with Jesus
In fact, we are encouraged to do that –
to claim our discipleship
and our place in the Gospel story as disciples
But in the story – in the Gospels and in our lives,
the disciples are not always so stable / sure
so understanding / true as we wish
So how about this time, just for today,
we claim as our place and role
and take as our symbol, the donkey –
the young donkey whose job it is
to carry Jesus into the city waiting for him?
Donkeys are
stupid
and stubborn
lowly
and humble
make
asses of themselves, sound / look funny
But aren’t we all, at times, exactly like
that?
But I wonder if it’s also true
that under the hand of good / wise master
a
donkey can be led and directed
in
good directions
to
be of good purpose
and
maybe the most helpful of creatures?
its stubbornness then
marvelous
strength?
and it singlemindedness then
the gift of endurance
against all odds and opposition?
faithfulness to the cause and the call?
loyalty to a Power and a Purpose
greater than itself / us all?
To be a donkey carrying Jesus
who
himself comes in obedience to another
who comes to the city / time we live in
with the way of real peace –
the well-being of all
may
not be such a bad thing to be
Is it really so bad to be a donkey
when
the one we bear and bear witness to
is one
who
really is / really has
what the world is waiting for?
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