Sermon by Rev. Holly Baylies: Is the Joke on Us?

It only warrants a simple statements in any of the Gospels. John 12 vs. 12 and 13. King James version, and I quote: “ On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. Took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him and cried Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

And Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Simply arriving in Jerusalem was the least was the least of his troubles. Getting there was a piece of cake compared to what was to come.

I would like to jump for a moment into the present and revisit that little gathering at the gates of the city. Janine and I have re- written the story slightly to bring it into a modern day context.

The scene opens in the year 2007

Jesus and his apostles have arrived in Jerusalem. Unfortunately word has gotten out that there may be a large gathering waiting for them at the entrance of the city. A local constable, concerned about the numbers, welcoming Jesus has sent Mary Magdalene ahead to the city clerk to obtain a parade permit ...

The following conversation ensues:

City Clerk: Good afternoon Ma'am, can I help you?

Mary: umm .. .I, I was told I have to have a parade permit?

Clerk: Just a minute, let me get the application. Here just fill this out with 3 copies and return it to me.

Mary: I can't read or write could you fill it out for me?

Clerk: Sure, glad to help, just a few questions

What is the name of your organization, what is its purpose, are you a not for profit organization and how many are in the assembly?

Mary: It doesn't have a name and there's 14 of us. I would say we are definitely not for profit. Jesus is coming to spread the word, of peace and good will among all people.

Clerk: Oh, leans forward to write ... "no ... name"

Jesus? OOH I've heard of him, Right ... peace and good will, right!

And there's 14 of you ... oooo .. kay, You will need several permits.

Mary: But he's already here, we don't have time for that. Were on a tight schedule

Clerk: You can't parade into the city without the appropriate permits.

Mary: Lowers head looks chagrined

Clerk; Now, are there any animals involved?

Mary: Yes, a donkey, it's outside.

Clerk: Is it licensed?

Mary: No

Clerk: The donkey will have to have a license and will need street shoes. it's a public way you know. You can pick up a pooper scooper

at Public works, down the street It's required.

If the rider is too heavy for the donkey, I'll warn you the

animal rights people are very active here and will give you hard time. Better check with the animal officer on that.

Mary: What about palms, we plan to wave them.

Clerk: Palms are fine, but will have to be removed after the parade.

Who is your clean up officer?

Mary: I guess I am, Is there anything else?

Clerk: Yes, there will be no littering, there a clean up fee You will need one porta-potty for every 100 people Arrange that with public works as well.

you will need to rent barrels to keep back the crowds. The clean up fee includes personnel to remove the trash and dumping permits. I will need confirmation from traffic control, the animal officer and public works, a deposit for the barrels, a license for the donkey and you have to supply your own palm fronds, they cannot be picked from city trees.

Return these signed forms to me in triplicate with a bankers check or cash for $200.00 and I will issue your permit and you are all set!

Have a nice day!

The End!

Simple rules for simple times. Today that is often not the case. However complex our lives may have become, and how irrelevant or significant the social and political circumstances of days past may have influenced our perception of what really may have happened on Palm Sunday, there is a similarity in conditions of the sequence of events that allegedly transpired, beginning with that little procession into Jerusalem. There is a formula here that has not changed over the centuries; the events in our living that has all of humankind guessing, or praying or wishing for what is to come throughout our earthly existence. It is the ‘good news / bad news’ scenario that follows us everyday of our lives. No matter what era we are from, or how simple or complex our lives may have become we all have this fact in common.

A perfect example is the Palm Sunday story; a savior arrived and great celebration ensued and I can imagine with lots of cheering and partying, however they did it in those days, with food and drink and visions of wonderful days to come. It was a moment in time we have all known through the events in our lives that brought us great joy and celebration, be it a job that was hoped for, a healthy new life, a gift we never expected, a windfall of money or a rite of passage that was very welcomed and shared with many. Then the other shoes drops and in comes the bad news and with it all our dreams, visions and joyful memories become distant, cloudy and sometimes forgotten. Some of us just give up and succumb to the gravity of what has befallen us, other manage to see beyond the tragedy, inconvenience or obstacle and push forward inspite of its debilitating hold.

Several weeks ago I came down with that nasty bug that kept me on the couch for 3 days. In my misery I tuned into my favorite TV channels, National Geographic, the History Channel and The Learning Channel.

I must have watched the onset and completion of every expedition into uncharted territories in a decade; from the marine biologists combing the Depths of the ocean, to archaeologists digging up fragments of history in the Arabian desert, to zoologists hunting for unknown species in the jungles of Africa. In every single case, these trips were funded by private sources that were slow in coming often at the last minute before the expedition was to depart. The good news meant the search could go on. The crews celebrated. The expeditions were lengthy, often tedious and sometimes disappointing, and in every single episode, every one of the 20 or so expeditions I watched, on the last day, in the final hour, as it appeared the inevitable the mission would fail and the will to give up began to take over. Decisions were being made to turn back.

Then suddenly- success! Fragments were found, new species realized, uncharted depths were reached…mission accomplished. There seemed to be a message here, always good news… bad news, one followed the next in rhythmic succession. Those who endured and did not give up under incredible odds, bad weather, failed equipment, illness, accident and even death, found what they were looking for. The sequence of natures little jokes was almost predictable and the solution was obvious.

If it is important, necessary to our purpose in life, a pursuit of the very reason we believe to have been put on this earth, then we don’t give up…instead as we mourn and grieve and face what hurt us or flattened us, or took away what we worked for, or loved there is for our taking the next celebration which awaits our participation or rejection. The challenge is to anticipate and prepare for the joy the fun, the levity that falls in between the rapture and the dismay.

It is most certainly appropriate that Palm Sunday should fall on April Fools day! In a sense it is a metaphor for the way life works and always has.

Amidst all the celebrating, Jesus was walking into a hornets nest, but it was one he knew was coming and expected. Still as the crowd roared, and threw palms in his path, the moment was a joy, a time to rejoice. It may be that our lives are not quite that simple as we find so may obstacles in the bureaucracies that control almost everything we do. But the process is always the same. The blessings and the bad jokes, the cycle of life has offered nothing more or less, and we can flow with its nasty little tricks, knowing full well that they are coming. Then prepare to pick ourselves up and head for the next round, the good news and the bad news, with the insight and the awareness that no one is exempt.

Jesus knew it and if there is anything to learn from our biblical legends and characters it is the message that when its time to party, do it well, do it fully, find the joy in the moment and accept it for what it is. Fearing what is to come, only serves to weaken us, keep us afraid rather that ready to run with the punches. Worry and fear between the good and the bad are the biggest enemies we face. It is a fact of life we all have a very hard time accepting.

An April Fools Day dwells in every Palm Sunday, and vice versa. In every twist and turn we bump into, diverting our pathways, throwing out at us obstacles we didn’t expect; the rhythm of life is as predictable as it has always been, in times of trial, in times of joy, in ages past and present, we survive knowing and have always known that the joke was on us.

So be it.

Amen

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