“BLESSED IS HE WHO IS HERE IN HIS NAME”
Saint Matthew 21. 1-9
Ad Te Levavi-The First Sunday of Advent: 29 November Anno Domini 2009
JW Watson, pastor
If your fallen nature really had its way Jesus would be totally different from the way the Holy Scriptures accurately unveil Him. You harbor hatreds and resentments towards your enemies-anyone who has harmed you and your children; or, your country and your perceived "way of life." You harbor allusions of "righteous justice" wherein the guilty "blankety-blanks" get what they've got coming to them. Your old Adam is rankled at the Lord's sobriquet "Prince of Peace." You much prefer "King of Kings." The sinner, strange though it may seem, prefers the fire & lightning of Sinai to the "love your enemies" speeches of Jesus. You like "Lion of Judah," you'd prefer not to name your churches "Lamb of God." REPENT. The Holy Spirit turn you!
Yes, like Saint Peter, influenced by Satan, your sinful self would have urged The Christ NOT to go to Jerusalem where ALL His powerful enemies were laying in wait. But Peter was probably reassured when he witnessed the events in this morning's text. Saint Matthew was probably also buoyed up by the crowd's reactions. Yes, you would have chosen a beautiful White Stallion for God's Son to ride on, but the adoring throng cheering Him feeds all of our notions of Glory!
But past parades don't help you when you've been diagnosed with an incurable disease or one of your parents has just died. Waving hands and joyous choruses don't stop the tears which come from loneliness, depression, way-ward children, and chronic pain. In fact, nothing in the Bible helps one whit IF it's only in the Bible… that is, history, past event, instruction, rule, or guidelines that YOU HAVE TO IMPLEMENT.
To be sure, and let no man doubt, the events recorded by Levi happened and are the great and good "lead-up" to the remainder of Holy Week. The Christ put into action the circumstances which would culminate in His passive obedience to all of Justice and Righteousness' demands. There would be blood payment, purging expiation and cleansing of your sins. The "blanket blanks" would get what they had coming to them…in CHRIST. Jesus would get what Cain, Ahab, Judas, Caiaphas, Nero, Stalin, Mao, Manson, John Gacy, and YOU, had coming.
The good news this morning is that the Week called Holy, the Day of Palms, is TODAY! The preparation for the Passover is NOW and ALWAYS here; for you! The first Advent telescopes into your present anticipation of the final Advent. Come quickly Lord Jesus is your own paraphrase of Hosanna.
Today's Gospel pericope is an exquisite narration of Augsburg's Mass.
Now today on November 29th the Holy Spirit has gathered you, pulled you, and assembled you HERE at New Jerusalem. They, you and Jesus, draw near to this "End Times" city of Salem, citadel of PEACE. You're brought here to a Kansas Bethphage, that is, a Kansas HOUSE of EATING, to receive your eternal nourishment which satisfies all hunger pains: physical, spiritual, psychological and emotional. You've passed by the Mount of Olives to arrive here in the City of Lights. Olives are used to make the oil of anointing, which you had to first receive in the Baptism of + re-birth and the regeneration of new life. This day, the Lord's disciple-pastors bring to you the twin servants of donkey and colt, that is, the Old and the New Holy Writings of Prophets and Evangelists. These faithful and humble beasts of burden again have carried into your ears their Master and yours.
Calvary is gone but Christ lives on. The crucifix is what WAS, but the presence of the Fruit of the Tree, the Vine, and the Juice from the Wine Press IS! It's here now-- for you!
You have confessed, proclaimed, with your own lips this morning, lips opened by the Lord, that the Holy Ghost spake by the Prophets. You testify that Prophet Zechariah prophesied what was to happen that day in Jerusalem, and THIS DAY in Shawnee.
You are the daughters of Zion. You are the Bride of the Groom of Grace. Today is your Wedding Feast. Today is your Passover; a Passover from guilt to innocence, from sorrow to joy, from strife to Peace, from fear to Assurance, and from sickly alone-ness to Life Abundant Family and Betrothal. Augsburg IS ZION, here at this place because The Lord is HERE in His Words and Washings and Wedding Meals.
Behold your King comes to you lowly in paper & ink, in tap water contained in veneer and spun aluminum, in wafer and low-priced wine.
As the Lord once spoke through Balaam's Ass, so too, even now, the Lord can speak through any donkey-like pastor whom the Holy Spirit uses as His megaphone.
This day is more glorious, in Christ's Blood & Water, and Gracious Absolutions, then even that day recorded by Saint Matthew. This day you do not strewn your garments for Him to ride upon, but He again bestows His transfigured, shimmering with Life, smelling of Him, of Lilies, Myrrh, Cassia, and Frankincense, upon your broken bodies. His robes make you stand tall in Him, healed and restored in His Father's eyes. You do not cut and lay palms for Him, He opens His palms, cut and spiked for you, and lets you touch Him, even as He let Saint Thomas once touch Him. And He lets you drink and eat from Him, from His love and mercy.
Hosanna to the Son of David. Hosanna, that is, God Save us, Save Now, God save the King, God for you: Yes, He does. He is.
Please in evangelical freedom, make with me now, the Most Holy Sign of Jesus, the sign of the Cross, as we do as Christians have done for centuries, both now, and then in a few moment in the Liturgy of the Sacrament, during the Sanctus. For He Who came then, most assuredly comes now just for you-- (with me)
"Blessed is He + Who comes in the name of the Lord"
AMEN