First United Methodist Church
March 24th, 2024
Rev. Lauren Hall
Reflection: Suffering
Have you ever heard the saying, “How do you like them apples?” It first appeared in the 1959 classic, Rio Bravo. In the film, after chucking some explosives, a character remarks, “How do you like them apples?” Since then, it has appeared and become popularized in other movies like Good Will Hunting, but its origins most likely go back to WW1 to describe a particular mortar called a “toffee apple” that was used to clear barbed wire fence and other obstacles that might be in the way. It had such a low velocity that it was like throwing an apple, and because it didn’t travel very far, there was a significant amount of risk involved when using it, because you pretty much had to be in no man’s land when firing it.
And so, the phrase, “How do you like them apples,” is often used by a person to tease another after gaining some sort of victory over them. In life, these apples can sometimes be overwhelming.
[Pick up apples one by one and show words]
Apples like money, success, relationships, security, control, comfort.
You see, in our own little worlds, there are other forces at work. Powerful forces that we succumb to, that we are swept away by. These forces overtake us, and in turn we crown the king of our lives, so to speak.
[Pick up a Bible and a Palm Branch]
Let me paint a picture for you. It’s 1st century Jerusalem, Passover, and here comes this man, riding into the city on a donkey and the crowd goes nuts. Even though he didn’t look like a king, many of them were proclaiming him to be just that. They waved palm branches. They threw cloaks. They’d made their decision and believed – he was the one that had been foretold about in the scriptures. He was the Messiah.
But the throne of power they were placing him on that day was not the throne he came to sit on. You see, nobody on the road to Jerusalem understood the suffering he was about to endure for their sakes. Yes he was going to be crowned…but with thorns.
[Start to remove the apples one by one from the table and place them in the basket]
But you understand. This is the King who walked on water. The King who gave sight to the blind.
The King who said if no one worships him even the rocks would cry out to praise him. And since you understand, it’s time to decide who you will crown in your life.
It’s time to look at Him with your deepest conviction and declare,
Jesus YOU are the King. [Place Bible on the pedestal] And you are MY King!
[Go back to pulpit]
As humans, we find all sorts of things in our lives to crown as king, but they’re often things that carry us away from the path God sets before us. On Palm Sunday, the people of Jerusalem looked to Jesus as a new king, not realizing that the crown he would bear would be made of thorns. As we celebrate his triumphal entry, as we declare him King of our lives, are we prepared to truly focus our hearts on Jesus?
As we read the gospels, we see the progression of Jesus’ ministry and popularity come to a climax with his triumphal entry. People are laying down their coats and palm branches—a sort of rolling out the red carpet tradition—while praising him and the city is stirred up. The Pharisees exclaim, “Look, the world has gone after him” (Jn. 12:19). Many believe.
But we know the story doesn’t end there. God has a much bigger ending planned. It’s hard to believe that within a week Jesus will be tried and crucified—the crowds turn against him and demand a detestable criminal be released instead of Jesus. What happened? What made the crowds turn so quickly?
Jesus rides this colt into the city of Jerusalem, and his followers walk with him and shout “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” Neither of those were random acts. When a king is going to war, he rides a horse; when he is proclaiming himself a king of peace, he rides a donkey and enhances that statement of peace by choosing an unridden colt. The words that were spoken come from one of the enthronement psalms, used when a new king was coming into power.
“Hosanna” was also a common word in royal psalms. Most folks understood it to be a statement of celebration, a shout of joy and welcome. And it was. But originally it had a translation that meant, “Save us” or “Save now!” For leader after leader, the crowds would shout, “Save us,” to one who more often than not was more concerned about his own safety and prosperity. And now, they shout “Hosanna” to the one who can save them, but most of the city doesn’t know what is going on.
The man the crowds followed healed the sick and performed miracles. It seemed he had the favor of the world on him. But shortly after arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus became more and more a source of controversy. He overturned tables in the temple and drove people out with a whip; he spoke in confusing parables and talked about dying. The people began to doubt, and the Pharisees fueled it with their own darkened hearts. Their promised king wasn’t supposed to die, he was supposed to conquer the Roman Empire and be, well, a king. They had an idea of what God was going to do and how God was going to do it, and Jesus didn’t meet their expectations.
We all have the tendency to put God inside a box. We predict how God is going to move in certain situations, and it can challenge the very core of our beliefs when God doesn’t do what we expect God to do. Our struggle might be confined to just one aspect of our faith, like finances or a troublesome relationship. We can believe God in some ways but not others. The question is, will we be faithful when God doesn’t show up in the way that we expect?
What we need to remember is that Jesus’ triumphal entry wasn’t a first-century version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was meant as a statement. Our Scripture is clear: Jesus rode into town as a returning king. Moreover, the crowds greeted him as such. The hosannas the people cry have both religious and political overtones. They greet him as the Lord’s Messiah and expect him to overthrow the Romans. And the Romans take note. This helps to explain why he was crucified. It wasn’t just an accident. It wasn’t because he simply offended the religious authorities of the day. It was because he proclaimed another kingdom – the kingdom of God – and called people to give their allegiance to this kingdom first. He was, essentially, a threat. And even the briefest of readings from the Passion narrative reminds us of the consequences of Jesus’ challenge to the powers that be.
The tragedy of the day is that the people are half right. He did come as God’s Messiah. But they misunderstood what that meant – not “regime change” by violence, but instead by the love of God poured out upon the world. Through his death and resurrection Jesus would claim and proclaim humanity as God’s beloved people. No more separation.
The other tragedy of the day is that the religious and political authorities are also half right. Jesus was a threat. For that matter, he still is. He threatens our inclination to define ourselves over and against others. He threatens the way in which we seek to establish our future by hording wealth and power. He threatens our habit of drawing lines and making rules about who is acceptable and who is not. He threatens all of these things and more. But they are wrong in thinking that they can eliminate this threat by violence. Jesus’ resurrection – which in Matthew is accompanied by the shaking of the very foundations of the earth – affirms that God’s love is stronger than hate and God’s love is stronger than death. And eventually everyone will yield to the mercy and majesty of God.
We’re not that different from the disciples who followed Jesus that day into Jerusalem. When we lift our palms and wave them on Palm Sunday morning, we too declare our allegiance to the Prince of Peace. But when we do it, we know the risks that Jesus was taking. We know the price that was paid. There is risk involved in taking the side of the marginalized. There is danger in trying to upset the status quo. And Jesus calls us to do exactly that.
So, I ask you again – who are you willing to crown in your life? Are you willing to look at Jesus with your deepest conviction and declare, “Jesus, you are King. You are my King!”
Let us pray…
Loving Lord, as we continue our journey to the cross, be with us in our daily walk. As we face our time of trial, give us the strength to remain faithful. When the hour of sorrow comes, give us the strength to remain faithful. When others fall away, give us the strength to remain faithful. As we journey through Holy Week, give us the strength to remain faithful. Lord, you have promised to be with us always. Let it be so. Amen.
