Sermons for the Month
Seeing Jesus on the Way
DATE: April 9th, 2006
SERVICE: Palm Sunday
TEXT: Mark 11:1-10“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
Jesus is preparing the walk the way of the cross, and the first step is a procession - a parade - into the Holy City, Jerusalem. In that parade there are at least three types of people - the one who sees in a new way, those whose vision is clouded and one who sees clearly. Let's meet them. The one who sees in a new way is Bartimaeus, a once blind beggar who was healed by Jesus just before the parade began. In the midst of a massive crowd he shouted out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" As people admonished him to be quiet he shouted even more loudly and Jesus called him to come. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. And no sooner were the words, "Let me see again", out of Bartimaeus' mouth than it was so. And Bartimaeus, we are told, followed Jesus on the way. So, he was in that crowd that welcomed Jesus with shouts of "Hosanna!" I wonder what he was thinking and feeling? Perhaps it was something like this: "I can see! Is this really happening to me? He must to The One. Now that I see his face, it's so determined, yet gentle; is leading a rebellion really what he's about? He's looking at me, through me. What if he sees that I'm not really all that faithful, will I be blinded again? The heart of Bartimaeus must have been filled with joy and awe and guilt and fear and gratitude as he walked the way of the cross with Jesus, seeing in a new way. Then there were those whose vision was clouded. They were on a pilgrimage to the Holy City to celebrate the Passover, and their hearts longed for more. All of that longing focused on the Romans; if only that enemy was routed from their homeland, things would be better. The oppression of their lives would cease. So, they were in that crowd that welcomed Jesus with shouts of "Hosanna!" What were they thinking and feeling? No doubt some had witnessed the healing of Bartimaeus. "Did you see that? That beggar, the blind one, he's right over there; Jesus restored his sight! If he can do that, then just think of the possibilities! Save us now, Jesus! Restore the Kingdom of David! Defeat the Romans! Prove that God prefers us, the chosen ones!" As they approach the city all of that longing is focused on Jesus, and as they draw near the Temple the excitement rises a notch. They think, "We're almost there; in that holy place he's going to take his stand and rally the people." But, upon arrival, he simply looked around and departed. "What a disappointment!" they think, "You know I'm not so sure about him anyway, he has said some odd things." There was a roller coaster riding in their hearts taking them from expectation to jubilation to disappointment as they walked the way of the cross with Jesus, their vision clouded. Then there was the one whose vision was clear. Jesus himself was in the crowd, hearing the shouts of, "Save us now!" What was he thinking and feeling? It's a bit of a presumption to guess, but I wonder if he was grieving inside. "They cannot see the truth, even Peter, even John, even Mary - my closest friends - even Bartimaeus who has a new lease on life - they cannot see who I am. They want me to intimidate, to use my will (that is, God's will) to get their way. "Did anyone hear me, really? What did they think I meant when I said that in Jerusalem I would be mocked, spit upon, flogged and killed? What does it mean to them that the one who would be great must become the servant and that the last will be first? They want freedom, but their view of it is so limited. I offer them so much more than they can even imagine. They welcome me now, but soon they will turn away." What sadness, disappointment and yet determination must have filled the heart of Jesus then as he walked the way of the cross, clearly seeing all that was in front of him. That is my picture of the procession then. But what about the one we will have (had) today? Are the same people in the crowd - those who see in a new way, those whose vision is clouded and the one who sees clearly? Our faces may be different, as are our stories, but we are bonded in some ways with those first walkers of the way. As we begin the journey this Palm Sunday some of us see life in a new way. Perhaps the totally unexpected has occurred since last year. Maybe a challenge with which we have struggled long and hard is finally being addressed. We are suddenly able - or have been forced to - look at things in a new light. We're thinking, "Is this really happening to me? What's next? I'm not sure my faith is good enough, strong enough for this. And inside there may be mixture of happiness and sadness, doubt and conviction, hope and fear as we walk on the way. There are some of us who walk with clouded vision. We have expectations. To be blunt, we expect something of Jesus - perhaps it's a favor, a blessing, an act of judgment on our behalf. We think that if we bribe him with our praise, our prayers, our good behavior, with words spoken in faith, then he will act on our behalf. And so, just as was true of the people of old, we ride a roller coaster of expectation deep within. It takes us from jubilation to disappointment, and we always are tempted to look somewhere else for a better ride. But there is one of us in this procession whose vision is clear. His name is Jesus. He knows we still struggle with this way, the way of the cross. He sees that we are confused about what the future may bring. He is saddened by our tendency to focus on getting rather than giving, and realizes that our faith is shallow at times. Could he be thinking, "Can't they see that I offer them more than a comfortable life? Why don't they grab at the chance to live life in the presence of God, now and after death?" And yet, in spite of his disappointment, his love prevails, and seeing us clearly he refuses to leave our sides. This is the on-going procession as we enter Holy Week today. As we direct our attention to Jesus, as we see him with his followers, washing their feet, sharing the bread and the wine, as we witness him broken, beaten and dead, perhaps our vision will improve. And, when we gather again next Sunday he will stand boldly, victoriously before us and for at least that moment we will see clearly, finally grasping that the way of the cross is the way of abundant life. AMEN