In the Name of the Lord
Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016
Luke 19:28-42
Luke 19:28-42
The Palm Sunday story begins right after Jesus has told a harsh and difficult parable, the parable of the ten mina, in which a stern landowner leaves town to have his royal power confirmed. He is the type of man who reaps what he does not sow and takes what he does not deposit. The citizens of his country do not want him to have royal power. Before he leaves, he gathers ten of his servants and gives them each three months wages, telling them to do business with them until he is back.
Each of the servants does different things with the wages. One of them traded with the money and gained ten times the amount in profits. Another did the same and gained five times the amount in profits. He gave them both positions of power within his royal lands. Another servant had wrapped the three months wages up in cloth and buried it to keep it safe. He humbly offers it back to the landowner, newly endowed with royal power. The landowner is furious, takes the money and gives it to the servant who had gained ten times the original amount. The humble servant says that he was afraid what the reaction of the landowner would have been if he attempted to trade with the money, but had not gained anything. The landowner replies that he should have at least put it in the bank to earn interest. The parable ends with the landowner using his royal power to order the slaughter of all who opposed him.
Luke tells us that Jesus relates this parable because his disciples supposed his entry into Jerusalem mean the immediate inauguration of the Kingdom of God, the long hoped for time when Israel would be returned to self rule, there would be plenty or everyone, the land would flow with milk and honey, and the lion would lay down with the lamb.
The parable parallels what happened when Herod the Great died.[1] His three sons inherited different parts of his kingdom. Herod Archelaus was to rule over Judea, but had to travel to Rome to be confirmed by Caesar. The Jewish leaders sent a contingency on ahead of him to ask Caesar not to confirm him because he, like his father before him, was a particularly harsh person. When he returned, he killed all those who had opposed him. The parallel to the landowner is pretty clear.
The disciples supposed the kingdom of God is near and Jesus responds with a parable that uses Herod Archelaus as the judge of who is a good steward of resources. Puzzling!
It draws to mind the wickedness of the current kingdom- indeed the current king. It shows the rewards given to those who increase the wealth of the current wicked king. Every commentary I read equated the king to Jesus, but I find this problematic.
I can understand the comparison they make between the landowner, like Archelaus, leaving town to confirm his royalty, and Jesus going to God to confirm his royalty when he dies on the cross. Some commentaries read into this parable a foreshadowing of a second coming of Jesus. He, like the landowner, will return after being confirmed.
But I don’t see Jesus being represented by a harsh man, someone who would order the slaughter of all those who opposed him. Either this is a much different understanding of Jesus than I have come to hold in my 21st century heart, or the landowner does not represent Jesus. Both conclusions are possible.
I have much less problem with seeing the servants representative of the disciples. Their Lord will go away and he will leave each of them an inheritance of his power, anointing them with fire to share the good news. In this interpretation of the parable, those who go out and do as Jesus did, who teach and heal and reconcile, will receive rewards. Those who are afraid of doing so, who hold what they know to be true about Jesus as a secret in their hearts, they will be stripped of their inheritance. As a disciple, this makes sense to me, but I still can’t wrap my head around Jesus as the harsh landowner, who would slaughter his enemies. In fact, in the gospels, it is Jesus who is slaughtered.
This parable is part and parcel of the Palm Sunday story. We know this because of the transition phrase between the two stories, the phrase our reading started with today, “After he has said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. This story is an explanation of what will happen in Jerusalem, something that is different from the immediate inauguration of the hoped for Kingdom of God.
We know the palm Sunday story well. His disciples bring a donkey for him to ride on. A newly confirmed king, returning triumphant, would ride on a horse or in a chariot as a symbol of his power. Coming in on a donkey was a symbol of peace. See- Jesus can not be the landowner in the parable who came back and slaughtered.
Without a blanket or a saddle, the disciples throw their utilitarian cloaks over the colt for Jesus’ comfort. As he approached the city, crowds gathered. And they praise him joyfully with Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” In the parable- the people despise the king, here they exalt Jesus. Those in the crowd with some authority recognized by their Roman king, warn Jesus to quiet the crowd. They are afraid of the harsh ruler, they are the third servant.
Jesus responds, “If they were quiet, even the stones would cry out.” There is no hiding the power and authority Jesus brings forth in peace. It is of a different quality, a different substance completely than power and authority given by Rome.
And what does he do when he enters Jerusalem? Does he reward those who have increased his influence and punish those who are against him? No. He weeps.
He says, “If only you had recognized this day the things that make for peace.” He is not the landowner who kills his detractors. He weeps for their ignorance, for the lost opportunity to usher in the peaceful Kingdom of God. The parable is a warning about what happens when we continue to support systems of power that undermine peace.
After weeping, he enters the temple and drives out those who are trading to increase their profits. He drives out the first two servants who had been praised by the landowner, the ones we would strive to be like if we interpreted Jesus as the landowner and the servants as us disciples.
The disciples say, the kingdom of God is near. Jesus says, it is not yet near because people continue to support systems of power that undermine peace. It is right there- this peaceful kingdom- you can see it. You can smell it. You can taste it, but too many serve the wrong master. Too many live in fear of harsh treatment.
Too many work diligently to increase the resources available to continue an unfair system. And Jesus weeps, “If only you had recognized the things that make for peace!”
One common interpretation of this parable that rings true for me is the acknowledgement of a time when we are working for a kingdom that is not yet here, but one that could be here. The kingdom of God is now, just as the disciples believed, but it is not ushered in by Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is not ushered in by our recognition of Jesus as a king with divine power that has nothing to do with wealth and political power.
It is ushered in by recognizing and growing the things that make for peace.
May it be so. Amen.
[1] https://bible.org/seriespage/19-ten-pounds
Each of the servants does different things with the wages. One of them traded with the money and gained ten times the amount in profits. Another did the same and gained five times the amount in profits. He gave them both positions of power within his royal lands. Another servant had wrapped the three months wages up in cloth and buried it to keep it safe. He humbly offers it back to the landowner, newly endowed with royal power. The landowner is furious, takes the money and gives it to the servant who had gained ten times the original amount. The humble servant says that he was afraid what the reaction of the landowner would have been if he attempted to trade with the money, but had not gained anything. The landowner replies that he should have at least put it in the bank to earn interest. The parable ends with the landowner using his royal power to order the slaughter of all who opposed him.
Luke tells us that Jesus relates this parable because his disciples supposed his entry into Jerusalem mean the immediate inauguration of the Kingdom of God, the long hoped for time when Israel would be returned to self rule, there would be plenty or everyone, the land would flow with milk and honey, and the lion would lay down with the lamb.
The parable parallels what happened when Herod the Great died.[1] His three sons inherited different parts of his kingdom. Herod Archelaus was to rule over Judea, but had to travel to Rome to be confirmed by Caesar. The Jewish leaders sent a contingency on ahead of him to ask Caesar not to confirm him because he, like his father before him, was a particularly harsh person. When he returned, he killed all those who had opposed him. The parallel to the landowner is pretty clear.
The disciples supposed the kingdom of God is near and Jesus responds with a parable that uses Herod Archelaus as the judge of who is a good steward of resources. Puzzling!
It draws to mind the wickedness of the current kingdom- indeed the current king. It shows the rewards given to those who increase the wealth of the current wicked king. Every commentary I read equated the king to Jesus, but I find this problematic.
I can understand the comparison they make between the landowner, like Archelaus, leaving town to confirm his royalty, and Jesus going to God to confirm his royalty when he dies on the cross. Some commentaries read into this parable a foreshadowing of a second coming of Jesus. He, like the landowner, will return after being confirmed.
But I don’t see Jesus being represented by a harsh man, someone who would order the slaughter of all those who opposed him. Either this is a much different understanding of Jesus than I have come to hold in my 21st century heart, or the landowner does not represent Jesus. Both conclusions are possible.
I have much less problem with seeing the servants representative of the disciples. Their Lord will go away and he will leave each of them an inheritance of his power, anointing them with fire to share the good news. In this interpretation of the parable, those who go out and do as Jesus did, who teach and heal and reconcile, will receive rewards. Those who are afraid of doing so, who hold what they know to be true about Jesus as a secret in their hearts, they will be stripped of their inheritance. As a disciple, this makes sense to me, but I still can’t wrap my head around Jesus as the harsh landowner, who would slaughter his enemies. In fact, in the gospels, it is Jesus who is slaughtered.
This parable is part and parcel of the Palm Sunday story. We know this because of the transition phrase between the two stories, the phrase our reading started with today, “After he has said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. This story is an explanation of what will happen in Jerusalem, something that is different from the immediate inauguration of the hoped for Kingdom of God.
We know the palm Sunday story well. His disciples bring a donkey for him to ride on. A newly confirmed king, returning triumphant, would ride on a horse or in a chariot as a symbol of his power. Coming in on a donkey was a symbol of peace. See- Jesus can not be the landowner in the parable who came back and slaughtered.
Without a blanket or a saddle, the disciples throw their utilitarian cloaks over the colt for Jesus’ comfort. As he approached the city, crowds gathered. And they praise him joyfully with Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” In the parable- the people despise the king, here they exalt Jesus. Those in the crowd with some authority recognized by their Roman king, warn Jesus to quiet the crowd. They are afraid of the harsh ruler, they are the third servant.
Jesus responds, “If they were quiet, even the stones would cry out.” There is no hiding the power and authority Jesus brings forth in peace. It is of a different quality, a different substance completely than power and authority given by Rome.
And what does he do when he enters Jerusalem? Does he reward those who have increased his influence and punish those who are against him? No. He weeps.
He says, “If only you had recognized this day the things that make for peace.” He is not the landowner who kills his detractors. He weeps for their ignorance, for the lost opportunity to usher in the peaceful Kingdom of God. The parable is a warning about what happens when we continue to support systems of power that undermine peace.
After weeping, he enters the temple and drives out those who are trading to increase their profits. He drives out the first two servants who had been praised by the landowner, the ones we would strive to be like if we interpreted Jesus as the landowner and the servants as us disciples.
The disciples say, the kingdom of God is near. Jesus says, it is not yet near because people continue to support systems of power that undermine peace. It is right there- this peaceful kingdom- you can see it. You can smell it. You can taste it, but too many serve the wrong master. Too many live in fear of harsh treatment.
Too many work diligently to increase the resources available to continue an unfair system. And Jesus weeps, “If only you had recognized the things that make for peace!”
One common interpretation of this parable that rings true for me is the acknowledgement of a time when we are working for a kingdom that is not yet here, but one that could be here. The kingdom of God is now, just as the disciples believed, but it is not ushered in by Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is not ushered in by our recognition of Jesus as a king with divine power that has nothing to do with wealth and political power.
It is ushered in by recognizing and growing the things that make for peace.
May it be so. Amen.
[1] https://bible.org/seriespage/19-ten-pounds