“HOSANNA NOW MORE THAN EVER”

MATTHEW 21:1-11

21:1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.

3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.

8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”

11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Yogi Berra, was a great baseball player, but he also has a reputation for saying some bizarre things over the years.   For example, Yogi is the one who once said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”  He also suggested, “When you come to a fork in the road take it.”  On another occasion he suggested to a friend you should “Always go to people’s funerals otherwise they won’t come to yours.”  On another occasion he ordered a pizza and instead of cutting it into six piece he asked them to cut it into four pieces because he wasn’t that hungry.  The quote that I really found myself thinking about this past week is one that you may be familiar with as well.  Yogi one said, “The future ain’t what it used to be.”

That one actually makes a little sense.  In fact, most of the people who welcomed Jesus into the Holy City probably would have agreed with Yogi.  As far as they were concerned the future was looking pretty bleak.  You can see that by looking at one of the words that they kept chanting over and over again.  “Hosanna!”  “Hosanna to the Son of David!”  “Hosanna in the highest!”   Hosanna was an ancient Aramaic word that meant “Save us now!”  The people wanted Jesus to save them from their misery.  You see life under the Romans wasn’t easy.  Most of the people were struggling to make ends meet and they also lived in a constant state of fear.  They had to be careful about what they said and did.   

The future ain’t what it used to be.  It was true then and it’s also seems to be true today.  Just ask the thousands of people who have lost their homes in a mortgage meltdown that we’re told is going to get worse before it gets better.  Just ask the people who are watching the money they’ve saved for retirement shrivel up as the stock market continues to head south. If all that isn’t bad enough now we’re being told that gasoline is probably going to be over $4.00 a gallon by the time Memorial Day rolls around.  Then there are the problems that we’re facing around the world. The situation in Iraq seems to be getting better but now the situation in Afghanistan seems to be getting worse. 

The future ain’t what it used to be. Turn the television on and you’ll hear about global warming, the high cost of health care and lots of other problems.  It’s enough to leave you feeling the same way a boxer by the name of James Tillis felt shortly after he arrived in Chicago.  In his autobiography he wrote, “I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under my arms…and stopped in front of the Sears Tower. I put my suitcases down, and I looked up at the Tower and I said to myself, 'I'm going to conquer Chicago.' When I looked down, the suitcases were gone.”

It’s easy to get discouraged these days.  Sometimes it feels like you just can’t win.  So, maybe Yogi Berra was right.  The future ain’t what it used to be.  What I want to know is who is going to save us from all of these problems that we’re facing? Maybe you wonder about that yourself.

Are the scientists going to save us from some of these problems?  I wouldn’t count on it; especially if it’s the same scientists who are cloning sheep and hope someday to close a real human being.  Are the politicians going to save us from some of  these problems?  I wouldn’t count on it.  You see I’m old enough to remember the first energy crisis back in 1972.  Back then the politicians said we needed to be less dependent on foreign oil.  Well, here we are 36 years later and the only thing they’ve managed to do is make us more dependent on foreign oil than we’ve ever been. 

That simple reality brings to mind a story about a three people who got into an argument one day.  The first person was a doctor.  The second person was an engineer and the third person was a politician.   It all began when the doctor insisted that his profession was the oldest in the world.  “After all,” the doctor said, “God made Eve from one of Adam’s ribs and that was a surgical procedure.”  “Maybe so,” the engineer countered, “but before Adam and Eve were created God brought order out of chaos and that was clearly an incredible feat of engineering.”   The politician wasn’t impressed.  “Big deal,” he said, “and just who do you think created the chaos in the first place?”

The future ain’t what it used to be.  That’s what happens though when you follow the wrong people.  That’s what happens when you put your trust in the wrong people.  That’s what happens when you count on the wrong people.  The only way the future is going to be better and brighter is if more and more people follow the humble carpenter from Galilee.  The only way the future is going to be better and brighter is if more and more people follow the One who came in the name of the LORD. 

You can see that but looking at some of the things that Jesus said and did over the last six days of his life.  The day after Jesus entered the Holy City he went into the Temple and kicked over the moneychangers’ tables.  Why?  Because they were cheating and ripping off poor people who were struggling to survive.  Jesus said, “It is written, ‘my house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it into a den of robbers.”  (Matthew 21:12)  Is greed one of the things that’s destroying us today?  You bet it is.

We also know that sometime everyone threw away their palms and went home Jesus climbed a hill that over looked the Holy City and when he got there he began to weep.  “Oh Jerusalem!  Jerusalem!” he wailed.  “Killing the prophets and stoning God’s messengers.” (Matthew 23:37) “Would that you knew the things that make for peace!”  (Luke 19:42) Jesus knew that the people wanted revenge against the Roman.  He also knew that their thirst for revenge would eventually lead to a lot of death and destruction..  Do we live in a world where people and nations try to solve their problems with senseless acts of violence?  You bet we do.

Fast forward a few days go to that Upper Room where Jesus broke bread with the disciples.  After the meal was over Jesus did something that absolutely shocked his disciples.  He shocked them by getting down on his hands and knees and washing their feet.  It was a humble act that illustrated what he meant just a few minutes earlier when he said, “A new commandment I give you.  That you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) Is pride one of the things that’s destroying us today?  You bet it is.

Then Jesus went out to the Garden of Gethsemane and it was there that he was arrested. Judas betrayed him.  Peter denied him not once, or twice but three times.  All the other disciples deserted him.  The Romans beat him and then nailed him to that Cross while the Pharisees taunted him.  In spite of all of that hatred and humiliation the first thing Jesus said from that Cross was, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”  You don’t see a lot of forgiveness these days.  The motto these days is “Do unto others before they do unto you”  Is anger one of the things that’s destroying us today?  You bet it is.

The future ain’t what it used to be but it can be what God wants it to be if we stop counting on the politicians and the scientists.  The future can be what God wants it to be if we stop fawning over our professional athletes and movie stars.  The future can be what God wants it to be if we follow the Jesus who is the light of the world; the Jesus who is the resurrection and the life; the Jesus who came that we might have life and have it abundantly; the Jesus who is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Many years ago a tourist from this country was traveling in the Middle East when he came upon a brook and a large flock of sheep.  The tourist was impressed by the size of the flock until he saw three shepherds standing nearby.  That’s when he realized that there were actually three flocks of sheep that had come together to drink at the brook. The tourist was wondering how the shepherds were going to separate their sheep when one of the shepherds suddenly called out, “Manah. Manah.  Manah.”  Manah is an Arabic word that means “Follow me.”  Immediately his sheep separated themselves from the rest of the sheep and followed him.  Then one of the other shepherds called out, “Manah.  Manah.  Manah.”  Immediately his sheep separated themselves from the rest of the large flock and followed him.   The tourist was amazed by the intelligence of the sheep and asked the remaining shepherd and asked if he could try to get the sheep to follow him.   The shepherd gave the tourist a knowing smile and agreed.  He even let the tourist put on his cloak and turban.  When the tourist was suitably attired he began calling to the sheep.  “Manah.  Manah.  Manah.”  Not a single sheep moved toward him though.  Once again the tourist was amazed and asked the shepherd a question. “Will the sheep ever follow someone other than you?”   The shepherd nodded his head. “Oh yes,” he said.  “Sometimes a sheep gets sick and then it will follow anyone.”

I guess people and sheep are very similar in that respect.  The future ain’t what it used to be but it can be what God wants it to be.  It all depends on who you’re counting on to save you.  Hosanna!  Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. Hosanna in the highest!!  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

March 16, 2008 – Palm Sunday