Readings for Sunday, April 17, 2011
Presented by staff and friends of
Sunshine Cathedral
Metropolitan Community Church
affiliated with the Center for Progressive Christianity
Ft Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Rev. Dr. Robert Griffin
Sunshine Cathedral
Chief Programming Minister
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Senior Pastor Sunshine Cathedral
Rev. Dr. Mona West
Director, Office of Formation and
Leadership Development
Metropolitan Community Churches
Rev. BK Hipsher
Virtual Chaplain Sunshine Cathedral
Director of Sunshine Cathedral in Second Life
Rev. Brian Hutchison
Sunshine Cathedral Director of
Volunteer Ministries & Assistant
to the Senior Pastor
The Wisdom of Jeffrey Moses
(Oneness: Great Principles Shared by all Religions)
“In today’s world, it is vital to understand that disagreements
and conflicts between people or nations cannot be resolved
through force. All religions are in complete agreement on
this. Conquering others with force merely imprisons them. It
does not remove the reasons underlying the conflict. Rather,
it increases the tension and inevitably gives rise to even
greater animosity.
Love, in contrast, is a unifying force. It radiates outward to
resolve differences. It is not that the differences dissolve and
are lost, but that they are integrated into a greater whole in
which they are made more useful and beautiful. Love
conquers before there is fighting. Even if channels of
communication have broken down and fighting breaks out,
the underlying attitude should still be one of love and
unification by love.”
From the Wisdom of Kahlil Gibran
“Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it
becomes too proud to weep, too grave to
laugh, and too selfish to seek other than
itself.”
Matthew 21.1-3, 6-11 (NIV)
1As
they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage
on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying
to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you
will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie
them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to
you, tell him that the [Teacher] needs them, and he will
send them right away.” 6The disciples went and did as
Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and
the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on
them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
while others cut branches from the trees and spread them
on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and
those that followed shouted, ”Hosanna to the Son of
David!” ”Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” 10When Jesus entered
Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is
this?” 11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet
from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Rev. BK Hipsher
Themes
 Evil + Evil = Evil
 Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you
 Love is a unifying force even when conflict exists
 Principles are worthwhile only in so far as they are loving
 Hope is vital to our wellbeing
Rev. Brian Hutchison
Exegetical Analysis
Matthew 21:1-3, 6-11
Jesus’ Dramatic Entry Into Jerusalem
•The Matthean authors tell the narrative of Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem as a
fulfillment of scripture (as Matthew so often emphasizes throughout the gospel).
•Matthew quotes the prophet Zechariah 9:9 (in so-called “second Zechariah,”
as chapters 1-8 and 9-14 have different literary forms), “Tell the daughter of
Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
•This scripture expresses the prophet’s desire for a future Davidic king to
rule over a united Israel and Judah (something that had not happened
since the year 922 BCE, probably around 400 years before “Second”
Zechariah was written). Solomon was the last king to rule as Zechariah
explains, from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean Sea.
Rev. Brian Hutchison
Exegetical Analysis
Matthew 21:1-3, 6-11
Hebrew Tradition Roots of Donkey/Colt Image
•We can also trace the image of the “colt, the foal of a donkey” to
Genesis 49:10-11, which is Jacob’s blessing of Judah: “The scepter shall
not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet…
Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine…”
The author(s) of “Second” Zechariah were likely quite aware of this
promise from the Torah, and expected/hoped it to be fulfilled.
Rev. Brian Hutchison
Exegetical Analysis
Matthew 21:1-3, 6-11
Meaning of “Hosanna”: Two Interpretations
1. Though it was originally a prayer, meaning “Save, I beseech you”, it
had by this time been used as a common expression of excitement
like “hurrah!” We can not say for sure that Matthew is tying this
phrase into its narrative of salvation.
2. Variations of hosanna were used in prayers for rain during drought. It
literally means, “Help, please!” Under Roman/Jewish hybrid rule, the
people cry out when they see an alternative leader. It is a
misunderstanding that hosanna is a term used for praise.
Rev. Brian Hutchison
Exegetical Analysis
Matthew 21:1-3, 6-11
A Postcolonial Reading
•(Verse 10) After Jesus enters through the city gates, the whole city was
stirred/shaken/in turmoil. Their main question was, “Who is this?” The
crowds identify Jesus as a prophet, a term not used lightly.
•The role of a prophet is to challenge authority and the people with a
message of truth when leadership and/or the people have strayed from
the principles of the Torah.
•Jesus was not expecting to take a pony ride through Jerusalem; he
knew he was the central figure in a public nonviolent demonstration
against unjust Roman/Jewish rule. He had traveled, teaching an ethic of
love for neighbor, forgiveness, and mutual care giving. It was now time
for a demonstration of nonviolent resistance, holding a mirror up to the
colonizers to show them the horror of their oppression. Jesus’ turning
over tables in the temple and his public execution further demonstrate
the same horror.
Rev. Brian Hutchison
Exegetical Analysis
Matthew 21:1-3, 6-11
Jesus Queers Kingship
•Drag performance reveals the performative nature of gender (an
institution used to oppress women, non-masculine men, and all gender
nonconformists). Drag disempowers gender normativity.
•Jesus’ humble ride on a donkey (not a war horse) shames the notion of
harsh rule and reveals it as unnecessary. Jesus’ message in this act is
that oppression is not required to win the obedience of the people. The
gentle, peaceful, and humble leader wins the hearts of the people
without the use of fear.
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Theology and the Arts
A rural peasant who has made a name for himself
as an itinerate preacher and healer comes to the
big city. His reputation precedes him and he is
greeted like a celebrity. Perhaps feeling
empowered by this enthusiastic welcome, he
makes his pilgrimage to the Temple only to find
greed and usury, and he throws a fit. He is not
only noticed as a celebrity who draws crowds, but
now as someone who dares to cause a public
disturbance in a State sanctioned place.
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Theology and the Arts
And then he has the temerity to draw another
crowd and proceed to teach them in the
courts of that very building. This is probably
the day that sealed Jesus' fate. He can
attract crowds, excite large groups of people,
and he has the nerve to confront institutions
that exist within the Roman system. He could
be a threat. Some people are already
claiming that he is or could be a king, but not
a puppet king appointed by the Emperor. This
is the day that will lead to the final plots
against him, to his arrest, trial, conviction,
and execution.
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Theology and the Arts
In this view of the story, Jesus' death isn't
caused by God, but for the kingdom/kindom/community of God. This view doesn't glorify
the violence done to Jesus, but does affirm
Jesus' courage in the face of violence. And, of
course, at Easter we will celebrate the Good
News that the violent and tragic end wasn't the
end of the story at all! But let's not get ahead of
ourselves. For Palm Sunday it is enough to
remember that sometimes standing up for what
we believe in comes with a price. As followers of
Jesus, are we willing to pay it?
Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
Theology and the Arts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmRII3UwX2c
Ride On King Jesus (Jesse Norman)