Shouting Stones

Philippians 2:5-11

Luke 19:28-40

 “Shouting Stones”

20 March 2106 St. Andrew’s Military Chapel Singapore

Getting engaged, scoring the game winning points in any level of sports we play, scoring tickets to a dream vacation or a concert you really want to attend, pulling an A in a class you were certain failure was the only possible option going into the final exam, discovering something new and exciting (at least for you), or the birth of a child. All of these events in our lives are definitions of joyous events and inspire us to climb a mountain shouting the good news for the whole world, or at least to go on Facebook and update our status in ALL CAPS!

            But, we don’t just want a status update or a photo. We want to know details so we can be there with those we care about in their lives. So we tell stories of those joyous days. Stories matter. They connect us with events we couldn’t attend. Sometimes its the joyous stories that get us through the pain of tragedy. Sometimes if we weren’t there we focus on the joyous story and forget the tragedy that is there in the midst of the joy.

Today, Palm Sunday, is the day when we look back 2000 years and remember the day Christ entered Jerusalem for the final time. In 2016, we see this as a day in which we celebrate by waving palm branches because we live on the other side of Good Friday and Easter. We celebrate because we know the rest of the story. However, back on the day Luke describes in this story, only one person knew what was going on, only one person knew it was a celebration, a coronation unlike anything we would expect. So, Christ’s comment that the stones will shout out in place of any silenced followers is peculiar.

When Christ entered Jerusalem, he came in through an entirely different gate than the one through which Herod would enter the city. Herod arrived with a parade and foot soldiers showing the rebellious and difficult Jerusalem that he was the one true king and ruler over their lives. Jesus entered on a donkey with a ragged, motley band of fishermen, reformed tax collectors, and other rejected and forgotten people. Yet his plain entry elicited excited shouts of “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Why?

We only have to look as far as the portion of Paul’s letter to the Philippians that we just read. This poetic description of Christ the servant is why people were shouting with such joy that couldn’t be contained. Granted, the people of Jerusalem also expected a warrior king who would come and destroy Roman rule over their lives. But, more importantly, and more pressing on their minds was the possibility of a new reality where a system that was set up to dominate every aspect of their lives and prevent them from ever getting out from under the oppressive weight of Rome was something worth publicly rejoicing over.

It needs to be in our minds that these people who were shouting Hosanna to Christ were putting themselves in a very dangerous position. They were committing a seditious act in speaking out against Rome and Roman rule while Herod was in the city. They had to believe in something more than a military victory by Christ. They believed in something bigger than themselves. And, as Christ notes when he says that stones would shout if necessary, they believed in resurrection.

Resurrection of their people. Resurrection of their culture. Resurrection of their faith. Resurrection of their economy. Resurrection of their dignity. That’s something for stones to shout about.

They were resurrection people, but didn’t yet know it. Nor did they expect it to come only after death on a cross, both that of Christ and their own. Most times, we don’t want to accept that our own resurrection necessarily requires an emptying of ourselves to the point of death on a cross.

Most likely, we will also one day be called to the same obedience of Christ that Paul describes in Philippians. Because, to embody Christ necessarily means death on a cross. It could mean a physical death for Christ and the church or it could mean a metaphorical death for Christ and the church. We are called to a sacrificial death that will glorify Christ as a necessary condition to fully embody Christ. But, what does a sacrificial death for Christ look like?

One denomination beautifully describes this as, “The Church is called to undertake this mission [of making disciples of all nations, demonstrating Christ through the love of its members to one another, ministering to the poor and broken, seeking justice and freedom for all people, and giving of itself to the service of others] even at the risk of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ.” That’s something for stones to shout about.

That’s a tall order, and we can’t do it alone. Nor do we have to because we have the Spirit upon us and Christ leading us, supporting us, prodding us, and walking beside us to accomplish this mission. It won’t look like we expect, nor will it follow any plan we make. So, the question we face on this Palm Sunday, where despite knowing the whole story, we still cheer Christ’s entry into Jerusalem is how will we spend our energy until our resurrection day?

Will we spend it on things for us or things for others? Will we seek our own promotion and glory or will we walk behind someone else letting them bask in the glory of our efforts? Will we spend all of our money on things for our benefit or will we set aside a sufficient amount to further the Kingdom of God here on earth? Will we spend more time watching television, on the internet, or playing computer games alone than we spend in devotional time and building and sustaining relationships with our fellow travellers in life? Will we love more than we are loved? Will we seek to change the world or be the conduit through which Christ changes the world?

When we focus our energy and time not on ourselves but on those who need the love of Christ in their lives, we become more like the servant described by Paul in the Philippians passage today. We then become more like Christ. Not only that, but we also become the people that can’t be contained. That’s something for stones to shout about.

Many years ago, President John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Today as we not only celebrate the entry of Christ into Jerusalem with palm fronds and shouts of hosanna let us not forget the journey that this week entails. Let us seek to participate fully in the journey of Holy Week no matter how dark it may seem. Let us walk with Christ and learn how to be a suffering servant for Christ that glorifies his plan and call on our lives. So as we journey during this final, sacred week of Christ let us ask not what Christ can do for us, but what we can do for Christ and then the stone and all of creation will shout when we can’t.