Sermon Outline for Mt. 21
RLD
"Hosanna - God Save Us!"
Focus (What does the text say to its listeners?):
As God brings new and good things into the world, excitement will
build. But this human excitement is not to be trusted. Instead, those
who have studied God''s work in the past will recognize the signs that
God''s will is being accomplished.
Function (How does the text affect its listeners?) Matthew not only
reports on the public celebration of Jesus, he interprets these events
in accordance with God''s scriptural assurances of justice and peace. We
can do the same in our lives, if we allow God''s concerns for a just
society to guide our thinking.
Introduction
Discerning Good and Evil in Popular Movements
Computers and Internet usage is very popular. But what is truly useful
in this fad? What is good and helpful, and what is mere excitement over
something new?
1) I am now able to check dozens of scriptural references for every
short reading from Matthew. In the past, I missed much of that because
my memory was not that good and because I did not have time to manually
look up every reference and type it.
2) In order to organize complicated events, I use e-mail every day. I
can carefully type in every detail I need addressed, and the person I am
working with can receive that e-mail, read it when they have time, and
respond in detail. Unlike phone conversations, I have a written record
of the things we agree to, and unlike mail, I can communicate with
someone several times a day.
The next question, if indeed the computer is a powerful and useful tool,
is how can it be used not just for good, but for evil?
1) Yes, there are websites filled with useful and accurate Biblical
information. But hate groups can also spread their information. Or,
much more commonly, simply inaccurate information can look as
professional as truly accurate information.
2) Just as I can communicate quickly and effectively using e-mail, so can drug dealers
and terrorists. How do we distinguish what is good and evil in popular movements?
The Popularity of Jesus
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he received the excited welcome of the
people of Jerusalem. But how much of that excitement was good and
helpful? The crowds of this same city turned against Jesus in just a
few days. But those who ministered alongside Jesus, saw the quiet power
in his ministry. After he cleared the Temple of religious businessmen,
who were probably very excited about the success of their enterprises,
he welcomed the ones who could never have afforded the sacrifices that
were being offered in the Temple. He welcomed the ones who were
normally excluded from the Temple.
As God brings new and good things into the world, excitement will
build. But this human excitement is not to be trusted. Instead, those
who have studied God''s work in the past will recognize the signs, amid
all the excitement, that God''s will is being accomplished.
Three Prophecies
Matthew is one of those people. Matthew would agree with the crowds
that something truly great and exciting was happening on that day.
Matthew''s thought is guided by his understanding of holy scripture.
Everything Jesus does reminds him of a prophetic promise
Matthew describes three key actions taken by Jesus. First, there is
his prophetically symbolic way of entering into Jerusalem. The prophets
Zechariah and Isaiah told of a time when God would restore justice in
Jerusalem. There would be struggles leading up to that time, but God
would bring a time of peace. That is why Jesus rides a donkey instead
of a war-horse. He is bringing a promise of comfort and peace.
The second key action of Jesus, is his clearing of the Temple. This is
more of a threat. The prophet Jeremiah says that the people who twist
and abuse the worship of God in order to make a prophet will be forsaken
by God. Jeremiah tells them to go to the desolate ruins of a city
called Shiloh. That city, he reminds them, was once a place where God
was worshipped. But when the people abandoned the ways of justice and
love, God abandoned that place.
Third, is the healing of the blind and lame. As in Isaiah 29:18-19 and
35:5-6, this is a promise of restoration.
Matthew''s mind was trained on holy scripture. And so he focuses not
just on the excitement of Jesus entering Jerusalem, but on the result.
Once again, the Temple of God is a blessing to the people of God.
Discerning God''s Action in Our Lives
Examples of these three actions described above.
1) God coming to us with a message of good news and grace. Perhaps the
freedom and prosperity of our nation, which peacefully brings together
people of many different nationalities and religions is a gift in which
we can see God''s action.
2) God warning us that our deliberate parting with God''s ways will lead
to pain and destruction. The Enron debacle is an example of how we can
use the freedom and prosperity of our nation in ways that hurt working
people while allowing the ""ruling class"" to become wealthier.
3) God working to bring healing and health, even after we have gone
astray. We can trust that, if we remain focussed on God''s agenda of
love and justice, we can help the people who were hurt by the Enron
collapse and put in place safeguards to make this kind of disaster less
likely.
Conclusion
As God brings new and good things into the world, excitement will
build. But this human excitement is not to be trusted. Instead, those
who have studied God''s work in the past will recognize the signs that
God''s will is being accomplished.