4/11/65

Scripture: read Mark 8: 34,35; Luke 19: 29-44

This week, I went to see a repeat showing of one of the older motion pictures, “Quo Vadis”. Like most Hollywood-produced pictures it is an elaborate spectacle, depicting the magnificence of Nero’s Court in first century Rome. One watches with disgust the antics of the mad emperor; the fawning of his court and the effort of each courtier to maintain the state in which his privilege, and the emperor’s favor, has placed him.

An especially interesting part of the picture is the way it depicts the lives of early Christians, living under that despotism. It appears that Rome was then a city in which there was so much official disapproval of Christians that it behooved one to keep it a strict secret from the general public if he were Christian.

By that time, there had emerged secret signs or symbols among Christians wherewith they might identify one another. One of these symbols was the fish. The first letters of the five Greek words for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior” spell the Greek word for fish (ichtheus). So it became a guarded, but general practice for a Christian to use the sign of the fish if he wanted to know whether or not another whom he met was Christian. The Christian man or woman might make a few lines representing a fish in the dust of the road, or the sand of the seashore or the gravel of the garden walk, or the food from the kitchen or the powder on the dressing table. If the other person recognized the symbol, it was nearly certain that he or she was Christian. It would be safe to talk about the movements of other Christian people, about meetings of Christians, about the teachings to which they adhered and the faith which they declared and the comings and goings of their spiritual leaders.

If, after making the sign of the fish, one found no sign of recognition one had better unobtrusively erase it and assume that one was not talking with a Christian. In that case one must be very guarded in utterance or conduct.

Part of the story of “Quo Vadis” has to do with the Imperial plot to blame the Christians for the burning of Rome. Common people of the city readily believed the charge, and there was immediately a movement to round up and exterminate all Christians, as ruthlessly and systematically as Hitler’s Gestapo tried, 19 centuries later, to eliminate the Jews.

The aging apostle, Peter, was walking away from Rome when he became certain that the spirit of the Lord was speaking to him. Falling to his knees, Peter speaks out: “Quo Vadis, Domine” --- “Where are you going, Lord?” And the answer comes back as though a voice were saying, “I’m going to Rome to be crucified again.” Peter promptly turned his own steps back to Rome where hosts of Christians were being thrown to the hungry lions in the great Roman arena. Others were to be put to death by fire and by crucifixion.

It may be that the motion picture script takes liberty with what historians can know of Peter’s last days; but the motion picture story has Peter appearing in the arena to speak words of hope and encouragement to the doomed Christians, bidding them approach their death with trust and a song. Peter, of course, was seized; thrown into the dungeon and later crucified with his head down. This last bit is a tradition in some parts of the church.

Quite aside from the spectacle involved in the motion picture, this much is emphasized: those first century Christians in Rome were determined and faithful followers of their Christ! So long as they could be circumspect about it, they did not seek to antagonize the emperor or his people with their beliefs. But whenever they were presented with a clear choice between the Christian spirit of love, and respect for life, or the ruthless disregard of life common to most Romans, they witnessed their Christian faith. And thousands of them died for it! That is what it came to mean to be a Christian in those dangerous and evil times.

Whenever Palm Sunday comes around, we are confronted anew with an attempt to understand what it means to follow Christ. There is something strangely compelling about that man, Jesus. He was no emperor. He was no captain or even a corporal. He was a teacher of extraordinarily simple, uncomplicated and forthright wisdom. He had a marvelous ability to heal the hearts and hands of sick and wounded people. He could look right through the sham and deceit behind which most of us hide. Without hatred, but with utmost candor, he could point out evil and right and make them stand in their places.

Those who met and heard him knew by instinct: “Here is a leader!” When he said to fishermen, “Follow me,” they dropped everything to do just what he had commanded. The same thing happened to a tax collector. There were others who felt that same compulsion to go with him wherever he might take them. So it is not at all hard to understand the enthusiasm of people who saw Jesus approaching the city of Jerusalem, as the time drew near for the feast of the Passover.

It wasn’t much of a parade! No chariots; no flags or banners; no drums or trumpets; no uniforms or swords; no prancing horses. Just one noticeable person in ordinary civilian dress, and a few followers walking along. He was riding a donkey; and that plodding little beast of burden was the only mount to be seen.

But that strangely compelling figure seemed to demand a following! People got excited! It seemed like the fulfillment of some biblical prophesy --- this riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. People began to shout. Others threw flowers, or leaves, or their garments on the way to be a carpet over which he could ride. Some plucked whole branches from the trees and waved them like banners. The little procession made quite a stir! Everyone who saw it seemed to join in the excitement, and their shouts could be heard even inside the walls of the city where thousands had gathered for the celebration of the Passover.

Do you think you would have joined in the cheering? I think it most likely that I would have been part of the excitement, had I been there. Here was a man to follow! Great things were about to happen!

Well, I was not there, just outside Jerusalem, on that day a little over 1900 years ago. Neither were you. We missed the show. And yet --- did we? Is there not a perfectly real sense in which the Christ spirit rides toward our Jerusalems today, on this Palm Sunday? We sing about it -- “Ride on in majesty.” We read again one of the three gospel accounts as though his riding were now.

What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ today? Is it just a mystical inspiration? Or is it something quite rational and real? Honest questions like these call for fair answers from us. It is well to look again at the Gospel records to find out, if we can, why people followed Jesus then; what they found in him; what he came to mean to them. The reason these gospel accounts have endured permanently is that they speak the truth about human experience in the light of God’s will. When we perceive what people found in Jesus, and what he meant to them, we are in a better position to determine what it might mean to us to follow him today.

Jesus asked, and wanted, people to follow him --- this is clear. One can read it again and again, in all four Gospels. Over and over again, Jesus is saying to people of every sort, “Follow me. If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” [Matthew 16: 23; Mark 8: 34; Luke 9: 23; John 10: 27]. These words, in this exact form, occur in each Gospel, and with slight alteration, they appear several other times. Jesus addressed his appeal to every sort of person who came to hear him --- teachers, fishermen, tax collectors, critics and questioners, even his enemies.

Some turned away thoughtfully, even sorrowfully; some scorned him; some did follow him. And they followed for a variety of reasons. (1) Some were simply curious to see what would happen. Maybe a good revolution was in the making! (2) Some followed because they believed a Messiah was coming soon -- and he might be the one! (3) Some were ill and followed him because they heard he was a healer. (4) Some were hungry and heard that he had fed people. (5) Some were lonely and he seemed to have time for all who needed him. (6) Some were so hungry and thirsty of spirit that they craved the bread and water of life of which he spoke. (7) Some were confused and lost, and wanted God -- he seemed to know and love God.

What did all these people find in Jesus? Well, for one thing, they found someone who was sure of God. He seemed to have a strong, intimate peace with God. He felt called of God for his work, and he went about it in complete, faithful confidence. Further, they found a man at peace with other people -- friend and critic and enemy alike. He did not look down on those who were considered sinners and outcasts. And he did not look up to holders of prestige and power. He looked to people for what they were in truth. He went among them with the joyful news that he had what above all else they needed -- a new relationship with God and a place in His kingdom.

Again, they found one who was at peace with himself. He was poised and confident. He proved ready for the tricky questions of crafty men. He could forgive the blunders of his sincere disciples and even the cruel malice of those who hated him. He never learned to hate his enemies; he never ceased to love all people.

One more thing they found: Jesus was not accepting their ideas about what he ought to say and do. He had just one idea for pressing his invitation upon people. He wanted helpers in the task of proclaiming the way, and the will, and the kingdom of God. He demanded that people deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow him. This was some time before he was to carry a real cross of heavy beams up Calvary’s hill. But everyone who lived under Roman rule knew about crosses and what they meant.

It is true that multitudes, when they understood what he meant, turned away from following him. But some did follow. And it is to them that we look for the full answer to our question as to what it meant to follow him; what it was that gave them faith to fashion the church. The realities they found are to be found today by those who will not turn from following after him.

The faithful followers of the Lord seem to say: “We found new meaning for life and death alike. He made God live for us. As we followed him, the love of God, and the will of God, and God’s claim on our lives became very real to us. We tried to do what he wanted us to do. We proclaimed the gospel with our whole lives. And we found an amazing assurance of his presence with us.”

Many of us today; probably most of us in this room, would be willing to settle for the Christ who rides, in simple triumph, into Jerusalem. We welcome his strong, peaceful person. We are glad that he condemns wickedness in high places. We are assured, that he is on such confident terms with God. We are eager and hopeful over his healing ministry, his simple, direct teaching. We welcome some of his miraculous results. We even want to be like him --- to share in his work, his ability, his confidence, his greatness. Tell us how to do it, and we’ll follow him as devotedly as we can.

If we are serious about it, the way to do it is straightforward. And it goes farther than joining the Palm Sunday morning procession into Jerusalem.

We begin by getting acquainted with Jesus Christ -- with his teachings, his mind, his spirit, his life. No one can do this for another. Each one must do it for himself; each generation of people for themselves. It is not enough to read, or hear, about him. We must know him well enough to take seriously the great guiding ideas that we shall find in his life and teachings. If we remain his followers, we shall find ourselves not just approaching the city, but presently within our Jerusalems where there are all sorts of need for him - and for us his followers. There are temples, in our souls and in our society, to be cleansed of blindness and corruption. There are desperate human needs to be dealt with. There are untold opportunities to be met.

He is likely to show us that religion is a vital, spontaneous, creative force. We may be surprised at how brittle and form-ridden our own religion has become. Remember that his religion is pliable, open to questioning. It demands growth!

Recall how he was criticized for letting his disciples gather a few handfuls of grain to eat on the Sabbath, and how he reminded his critics that the needs of people are the important elements in the situation. Recall his assurance in finding God in seemingly insignificant, but poetic and beautiful elements of life. He spoke of God’s care for sparrows; of offering a cup of cool water to the thirsty; of seeing in little children symbols of the trustful approach to God. He expects his followers to discover, as he did, the meaning and beauty of commonplace things as evidence of great religion.

Jesus was not an enemy of form. He was faithful to the synagogue and to the temple. But they were not ends in themselves. Indeed they had to be constantly re-vitalized in Spirit. For his followers seem never to “arrive”; they must keep right on growing!

Christ emphasizes -- demands -- loyalty to God as Lord of our lives. He had worked his own relationship with God through to affirmative conclusions. He had wrestled through temptations in the wilderness. He had become clear that the Kingdom of God was not in the wistful future but is at hand -- here and now. “Prepare ye for it.” He invites his follower now to “take up his cross and follow.” He has a job to do and he wants helpers who will stay with the job farther than a Sunday morning procession toward a city gate. He leads toward a Kingdom characterized by the absence of bitterness, prejudice, hatred, jealousy, selfishness; -- characterized by gentleness, love, understanding, cooperation. God works at these things! Why else should Jesus say “My Father worketh and I work?” [John 5: 17[.

Any follower of Jesus, who is going to stay with him, not only to Jerusalem, but in the city and in all of life that continues, is going to realize that vital religion must concern itself with the needs of mankind, both personal and social. This emphasis certainly got him into serious trouble with the custodians of religion in his time. They were mightily concerned with the finely-worked-out details of religious observance. But the weightier matters of justice and mercy and faith, in concern for the needs of ordinary human beings --- these were lacking. Without this vital concern, religion is too shallow.

Here on our corner of the earth, a mounting number of people have become concerned with the human need of everybody to have a voice in the way they are governed in our land, by open access to the elections by which so much is decided. When it appeared that a significant number of people were being denied that right and were not even going to be allowed to walk to their capitol city to assert and plead for that right, there were some Christians who felt it a clear call to witness even in danger. Some were beaten, a few lost their lives. It may be significant that among the ministers and lay people who went from the north to join the march from Selma to Montgomery, there were some 87 from the United Church of Christ. Not everyone has heard the call of Christ in the same way. But to these, it became clear that following Him meant witnessing, by sustaining those in need of full, responsible liberty now.

The needs of people are not all located in distant places. A lot of them are close at hand. Vital religion must be concerned with them.

Vital religion can not leave untouched the personal and social evils of our time. The church can not be indulgent toward the habits, the drugs, the attitudes that weaken and finally destroy wholesome personality. Vital, ethical religion is concerned with the rights of all persons, and all groups of persons. Jesus, today, finds himself and his followers heavily involved with every major problem that now taxes the energy of man.

The invitation to “follow Jesus today” is much more than a Palm Sunday morning greeting. It is an invitation to come with him, to stay with him, to work with him, to serve with him, to suffer with him, to triumph with him. Will not our response be to join him and to say “Lord, won’t you use my hands, too?”

Amen

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Dates and places delivered:

Wisconsin Rapids, April 11, 1965 (Palm Sunday)

Kalahikiola Church, March 30, 1969

Waioli Hui’ia Church, March 26, 1972