Matthew 21:1-11

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c]
“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Sermon “Hosanna”

Let us pray,
May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all of our hearts, be pleasing and acceptable to you, our rock and our redeemer…

Yesterday I saw a Facebook post that said ‘this is the Lentiest Lent I have ever Lented.” What my friend meant by this post is that no one expected to be giving up quite so much for Lent. Remember the years where we gave up chocolate, or coffee, or alcohol? Those sacrifices pale in comparison to what we’re being asked to give up this Lent, to protect the health of those most vulnerable to suffering severe complications from COVID-19.

On March 30, 2020, Governor Wolf extended Allegheny County’s Stay at Home Order through April 30, 2020. He extended the closure of non-essential businesses and schools indefinitely. Pennsylvanians are ordered not to host or attend gatherings. And to limit our essential shopping to once per week. All of this was done to help slow the spread of COVID-19 so that our hospitals don’t become too overwhelmed to care for the sick.
Governor Wolf’s Stay at Home order will significantly change how we celebrate Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter. Today on Palm Sunday, we’re trying a new form of worship, a Zoom meeting so that we can celebrate communion together.

Palm Sunday is the celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Were this a typical Palm Sunday, we would all have palm branches. These represent the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem.
Jesus arrived on a donkey to signify the reign of a new type of king. A prince of peace. Because donkey’s symbolize peace, Jesus is signifying to the crowd that he will bring peace through non-violence. Unlike a Roman official who would have come riding in on a chariot and war horse. Wielding a bow or other weapons. Reminding the crowd that Rome is in charge. And will resort to violence to maintain their power.

Jesus’ subversive donkey ride reminded all those waving palm branches, that Jesus, not Rome, is the true king of the Jews. Rome feels threatened by Jesus’ reign. And for that, Rome will execute him in just a few days’ time.

This week we’ll be living between the Hosannas of Palm Sunday and the Hallelujah’s of Easter. The road from Hosanna to Hallelujah must travel through Jesus’ arrest on Thursday, his death on Friday, and his empty tomb on Saturday. Were this a typical week, we would gather together on Thursday night to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. And on Sunday to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, hunt for Easter Eggs, and fellowship together. But this is not a typical week. We aren’t going to be able to celebrate Holy Week the way we’re used to.

One of the blessings of global pandemics is that they force us to evaluate our usual ways of doing things. Just as Palm Sunday signified to the Jews that change was coming, so too do pandemics remind us that our usual ways of doing things no longer work.

Here are just a few examples of things this pandemic is forcing us to reevaluate:

We are a global economy, whether we like it or not. Most of the goods we need to survive- everything from clothing to food to cars, we import from somewhere else. We simply cannot close our borders and ban all travel forever. This is the world we live in in 2020.

Speaking of our economy. Our economy is built on the back of low-wage, low-skill, hourly workers. This virus is devastating communities that can’t social distance. Like New York City communities in the South Bronx and Western Queens. Communities where folks live on top of each other, with chronic health conditions, as they live paycheck to paycheck.

Our healthcare system is under resourced, stressed, and changing hourly. Our doctors, nurses, nurses’ aides, physician’s assistants, all those who care for the elderly and the mentally handicapped, are doing a heroic job of doing the best it can to serve the sick of every community. Many of them are pleading with the American public to stay home, to not hoard resources, so that we don’t make their difficult jobs impossible.

Friends, a global pandemic is the perfect moment for Jesus to ride into town on a donkey. To remind us that things are not as they should be. But that the kingdom of God is unfolding all around us. As systems shake and institutions crumble, we are reminded of what to entrust our hope. Even when we don’t know what tomorrow will look like, we know that Jesus loves us. Jesus is with us. And Jesus will continue to lead us through whatever this is.

My challenge for us, on this extraordinary Palm Sunday is to place ourselves in the shoes of the crowd gathered to witness Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The crowd that knows things are not as they should be. That wants to hope for a future where things will be better for the least of these. How might God be calling them and us to follow in the way of Jesus for such a time as this?

For me this means doing everything I can over the next month to stay home. It means doing online grocery delivery. Even though it costs more. Even though it means one less trip outside of my home. Because it means one less opportunity for me to either catch the virus, or pass it along to someone else. It means not visiting in person with friends or family. Even though I’m dying for face to face human interaction. But for now I will settle for family game nights via Zoom. It means caring for my Mom’s cat. Even though Cleo keeps waking me up at 5:15 every morning demanding to be fed. And she keeps walking across my puzzle table and messing it up. It means bearing these everyday inconveniences to demonstrate my love for the most vulnerable in my communities.

Following Jesus for such a time as this will look different for all of us. It will be tough. It is okay to have a bad day. Or a good cry when your vacation plans have been postponed indefinitely. But the good news of Palm Sunday is that we were created to do tough things. When I reflect on some of the tough things you all have done in your lives, it gives me hope that I can stay at home for another four weeks.
I want to close by saying that we will get through this pandemic. We will be able to gather together again soon. Life will return to a new normal eventually. Until then we are called to trust that Jesus will lead us through whatever this is. And to participate in the inbreaking of the kingdom of God where we can, as we can, and with what we can.

Thanks be to God,

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.