Entering In with Compassion
Indianapolis First Friends
Pastor Bob Henry
March 25, 2018
Mark 11:1-11 (NRSV)
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
We make a big deal about “entrances” these days. From inaugural parties to red carpet events, to movie premiers. We still at most wedding receptions continue the tradition of announcing the parties as they enter just like those grand entrances on one of Sue and I’s favorite shows, Downton Abby. If you watched Downton Abby you will remember Mr. Carson strolling into the room and announcing,
“Lord Grantham accompanied by...”
Yet this morning in our text we have one of those grand entrances for Jesus. It seems completely out of place – or at least uncharacteristic of Jesus. Even though I have always loved the Palm Sunday story, it has always made me wonder what was behind this grand entrance into Jerusalem.
The gospel of Mark which we heard read gives a shorter version of this story and then in Luke’s gospel he seems to fill in the details.
What Luke adds is very important when looking at Jesus “entering in.” Let me read some additional verses from Luke 19.
Vs. 41-42.
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
This is a picture of someone with great “compassion” for the people. This was becoming way more than a grand entrance. This was way more than a sign of the arrival of some sort of king or new leader. Jesus knew this entrance entailed much more and was going to ask much more of him. But then, if you have ever studied Jesus, you know this was Jesus’ way. Throughout scripture as Jesus enters a town or looks at a gathered crowd approaching it states,
“…he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Matthew in his gospel even says, that Jesus states this about Jerusalem specifically,
“I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.”
For Jesus to “Enter In” took much more than we see at first glance. Scripture is clear that part of his preparation was to have compassion on the people – he knew what he was getting into because he knew the people in which he was serving. These people had great issues and there was great suffering because they had no direction and were being harassed by the Roman Empire. Thus Jesus had a deep sense of compassion for all the people both Jew and Gentile, follower or Roman soldier, friend or enemy.
In the book, “The Rebirthing of God” by John Philip Newell, he describes this compassion in the following way, he says…
“The word compassion simply means “being with suffering.” “…compassion is about honoring the relationship between two people or between one group and another, and remembering those who suffer. It is about making the connection between the heart of my being and the heart of yours.”
Before Jesus “enters in” to any situation he considers the suffering of the people. And he “enters into” it before actually getting involved.
Before healing.
Before teaching or preaching.
Before making a point.
Before arriving… Jesus is found leading with compassion.
Jesus makes a connection between the heart of His being and the Heart of the suffering person or people.
I believe this may be why too often when the presence of Christ enters our situations – we seem surprised or shocked or even confused. The presence of Christ brings to light, illumines those things that we may not be expecting – because God is connecting with us on such a personal level.
We too often are like the people in our text making Jesus out to be what we want him to be. They turned his simple donkey ride into Jerusalem into a political event. The signs were all there – palms or foliage put down on the road, even laying down their cloaks to make a path, the singing of “Hosanna,” Even the processional and the specific East gate in which he entered --- all were political and would have seemed very out of place and even radical in Jesus’ day.
Jesus had known for quite some time what they really wanted – but he was focused on what they really needed.
Jesus wasn’t connecting to their political need for a king – in reality he was looking at
· their division,
· their lack of peace,
· their anger at their enemies
He was connecting at a heart level and by doing that he was allowing himself to enter their suffering.
Actually, I would go one step further…Jesus was BECOMING THEIR SUFFERING.
His compassion for the people of this world went SO DEEP that it became his passion.
It is not ironic that this week is often termed “The Passion of Christ.” Just like the Mel Gibson directed movie. Some call this week “Holy Week” but it is also interestingly called “Passion Week.”
The dictionary actually notes that “Passion” means suffering. Not only is it a strong and barely controllable emotion, but it also can mean suffering, agony, even martyrdom.
This week leading to Easter was a week of suffering for Jesus. Including sufferings of
· betrayal,
· physical exhaustion and pain,
· emotional anguish,
· torture and exhaustion,
· and ultimately capital punishment and execution.
Henri Nouwen and his co-authors, Donald McNeill and Douglas Morrison in the book, “Compassion: A Reflection of the Christian Life,” point out this connection between the passion of Jesus and his compassion when they write:
“Not only did he [Jesus] taste fully the dependent and fearful condition of being human, but he also experienced the most despicable, and horrifying form of death – death on a cross…he also became human in the most dejected and rejected way. Not only did he know human uncertainties and fears, but he also experienced the agony, pain and total degredation of the bloody torture and death of a convicted criminal. In this humiliation, Jesus lived out the full implications of emptying himself to be with us in compassion. He not only suffered our painful human condition in all its concrete-ness but he also suffered death with us in one of its rawest, ugliest, and most degrading forms.”
This was Jesus’ compassionate way of becoming the suffering – this was his passion. He was laying down his own life for all those suffering in this world.
Yet, I hear people today almost flippantly use that term “passion” – do we really mean that we will “enter into” the suffering of something when we state….
· I have a passion for gardening.
· I have a passion for hats.
· I have a passion for good coffee.
That is honestly not giving this word the credit it is due. Especially, in light of what Jesus went through.
Maybe we need to look behind our “passions” like Jesus did.
When I start to think about this….I begin to ask myself some questions.. Just take for instance my three, kind of, flippant examples I gave of having passion.
I have a passion for gardening. But…
· What about the land, our animals, the natural resources, migrant workers and slave labor, organic and natural foods, people with cancer because of pesticides, maybe I do have a passion for gardening?
I have a passion for hats. (I wear caps much of the time) But…
· Where are my hats made? Who makes them? What are they made of? Maybe I do have a passion for hats?
I have a passion for coffee. But…
· Is my coffee “fair trade”? What big business owns my coffee? What environmental suffering is caused by my K-cups? Maybe I have a passion for coffee.
And that is just the start.
I believe God is calling us to ask these questions of ourselves, but then comes the hard part – actually “entering in” to the suffering as Jesus did. Are we willing to lay our lives down for our friends and family? Are we even willing to suffer with someone, alongside them, through a difficult time? Are we willing educate ourselves, so that we can stand against something that is causing suffering in this world, or to lobby, or to refuse to eat, drink, or wear, or shop or purchase specific items from specific stores?
[Pause]
Jesus in most religions is known for COMPASSION. It is often his most recognized attribute. If we are to follow and live a life in the manner of Jesus – then before we “enter into” any situation – we will need to begin with having compassion on those suffering in our world – and that means in both our feeling and acting.
Again I return to the book “The Rebirthing of God” where John Philip Newell says,
“There is a direct relationship between allowing ourselves to truly feel and the decision to act. Compassionate action is sustained by the courage to feel.”
Jesus felt and out of that acted! He wept over Jerusalem before he entered in to give his life.
What does this look like for us? Again, I turn to the book, “Compassion”
“Often, our lives get so overburdened that it takes every bit of energy to survive the day. Then it becomes hard to value the present moment, and we can only dream about a future time and place where everything will be different. We want to move away from the present moment as quickly as possible and create a new situation in which present pains are absent. But such impatient action prevent us from recognizing the possibilities of the moment and thus easily leads us to an intolerant fanaticism. Action as a discipline of compassion requires the willingness to respond to the very concrete needs of the moment.”
And that is our call this Palm Sunday morning. Let our feelings, our passions, the suffering in this world move us to respond with compassion and action!
As we enter into waiting worship consider the following queries.
· Who are the suffering in your life? Around you?
· How will you “enter into” their suffering as Jesus did?
· What is your “passion” really?