April 8, 2001
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Palm Sunday TRUE AND UNTRUE RELIGION Sometimes a child can express a surprise and something funny about the big questions of life. Once a little boy said to his teacher of religion: "My Dad does not believe in Donald Duck nor Superman and either Jesus or some of the other boys". What shall we believe? The big questions are many. It is something between heaven and earth we do not understand, sometimes we say. When it is so many things we do not understand, this is sometimes caused of people we do not understand. There are so many mysterious people. We can not really figure out who they are. Their life seems to be so strange! In fact, I think we are all a bit strange! Do we understand ourselves? In Athens, the old philosopher Socrates stopped people on the street and said to them: Get to know yourself! From Psalm 8 we are learning the question: What is man? A Scandinavian poet has seen something in the deep when saying: "Man is like a king with bloody spangle. A king wearing a murderer’s suit. No one as the man’s heart is able to hide its painful contempt." From television I learn this every day. Where is God in all this? Where is the entire goodness and love? If there is a God, if Christ is, why does he not intervene? Why does he not just show up on all the TV channels for 5 minutes? Would not people be convinced? Then the world could change? Jesus said if the people do not believe what the Prophets said, they will not believe in me. The Gospel for Palm Sunday tells a story about one of the greatest mysteries in history: There is a God who has revealed himself to the world, and not only that, he came himself to this world, yes, he even gave himself for the world. Christ is himself the greatest mystery! But he is not a secret. He has told us about himself! But do we believe? Many will say as Peter said: "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life". During the Lenten Season we happen to learn about three different persons honoring Jesus as King. Considered from that time they were all outsiders. The first one is a woman in Simon’s house. She anointed Jesus’ head. This was the greatest honor to any human being. At that time the kings were anointed as they were installed. What she did, did not count at that time, because she was a woman. But she is mentioned in the Bible as a witness about Christ. She proclaimed this man is a king. He is a different king of a different kingdom! The second that honored Jesus as king was Pontius Pilate. He had no good reputation,- he was not a Jew and well known because of his brutality. Pilate asks Jesus: Who are you? Are you a King? Where is your power? Where is your realm? Are you speaking truth or lie? Good Friday he wrote over the cross: "This is the King of the Jews". It was written in several languages. Pilate refused to change the text. The third person does not count as a star either. As Jesus was hanging on the cross, a crucified murder at his side said to him: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!" Luther comments on this by saying it is a surprise that God allows a crucified crime to comfort his Son in his suffering. The criminal one did realize Jesus as the Lord of death and the King of the eternal realm! In a way these are three losers that honored Jesus as King. Is it not the same that happened on Palm Sunday? The people who honored the poor king coming on a donkey shouted a few days later: "crucify him". They were weak, unstable, and betrayers, but Jesus accepted their honor! This is what the King of God’s kingdom is like! The Norwegian bishop Per Lønning visited Jerusalem and wanted to attend the procession on Palm Sunday, but he thought it was untrue and not honest. Afterwards he talked to a Catholic colleague and explained to him and he responded: "Yes, I had the same feeling, but what struck me: This is true because it is untrue. This is how we people are in our religion. But Jesus walked among people like those and he received their honor. The world of today is very much alike. But in this we might have a glimpse of the religion of grace." This is true, we are very much like the people participating the procession in Jerusalem. The same is going on here on Palm Sunday 2001. But the Gospel tells about the grace of the kingdom of Christ! This kingdom is for all of us that do not fit into it, because we all are weak and we have betrayed. But Christ said my Kingdom is for you! And "All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations-". Today He
will receive our honor to him! Today He calls
us to serve in his kingdom!
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The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church · 924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 · (612)874-0716 |