- We pray you to bless these palm branches as today we acclaim Jesus our messiah and king. May we reach one day the happiness of the new and everlasting Jerusalem by faithfully following Him, who live and reigns forever and ever. 

- Lord increase the faith of your people and listen to our prayers, today we honor Christ, our triumphant king by carrying these branches. May we honor you everyday by living always in Him, for he is Lord forever and ever. Listen now, to this gospel reading, taken from the book of Mark, chapter 11, beginning with the first verse. When they were approaching Jerusalem at Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount of olives. He sent two of his disciples 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. If anyone says to you, why are you doing this? Just say this, the Lord needs it and will send it back immediately. They went away and found the colt tied near a door outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, what are you doing untying the colt? They told them what Jesus had said and they allowed them to take it. Then, they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those that went ahead and those who followed were shouting, Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David. Hosanna in the highest Heaven. 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 12. This is the word of the Lord, thanks be to God. (organ music) (choir singing) (triumphant music) (choir singing) 

- Please be seated. Now let us join in the prayer for illumination. Open our hearts and minds, oh God, by the power of your holy spirit, so that even as Jesus led the disciples into Jerusalem, we might follow him where he would lead us, amen. The epistle lesson this morning comes from the book of Philippians, chapter two, verses 5 through eleven. Let the same mind be in you, that was in Christ, Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness and being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death. Even death on a cross. Therefore, God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name. So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, in Heaven and on Earth and under the Earth and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father, this is the word of the Lord. 

- This is the day that Jesus, the young prophet about whom we have heard so much, led his disciples into the capitol city, into Jerusalem. Previously the work of Jesus has been confined to the Hinterland and out of the way places like Capernaum. Today the small town boy from Nazareth, comes into the big city to claim his prize. Today is like the day of that Olympic skier, that practiced in some out of the way corner of Vermont for years, only at to last stand at the Olympic podium and receive the gold. Crowds go wild, as Jesus and his people enter the town. They cut palm branches and they wave palm branches, a sign of honor, a sign of welcome. Hosanna, hail Jesus! Hail king Jesus! And yet here is the Palm Sunday question, are we ready to welcome this Jesus? Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a brave, persecuted Russian intellectual. From the gulag, he dared to criticize the evils of Communism. And so one of the big events of the 70's was when Solzhenitsyn decided to defect to the West and he was welcomed in our country with open arms, this persecuted refugee, this intellectual, this saint of anti-Communism. And he was welcomed here as a triumph of our system over their system and when he came here, he paraded right to Harvard where he gave a speech. And in his speech Solzhenitsyn said that he worried about the soul of people under Communism, but he had to come to worry more about the soul of people under Western Capitalism. Solzhenitsyn told us at Harvard, you're going to Hell, right behind Lee Iacocca and Mickey Mouse, General Motors and Walt Disney. And a lot of us decided we like Solzhenitsyn better in the Soviet Union. (congregation laughing) We have this convocation every year here in the chapel in the Fall, Founder's Day, and usually someone important is invited and gives a speech. And the speeches are usually of the same theme, about how great Duke is and how wonderful it is to be here, and how great our founders were for getting us started and two years ago, we all marched in here in the chapel, the president, the various deans, members of the faculty, scholarship recipients, and the speaker was Reynolds Price, the president got up and said how honored we were to have Reynolds Price speaking to us, he was one of Duke's finest products, he was one of our most noteworthy professors, great teacher, wonderful novelist. And then Reynolds got up at the podium, he was wheeled to the podium and there he was in his Oxford robe fur trimmed, he looked all the world harmless and he started to speak. And he told us, that Duke students in the 50's were 10 times more interesting intellectual than Duke students in the 90's and he called the Duke faculty a bunch of laggards and sluggards for not demanding enough of our students and he spoke of the glazed over eyes in his seminar classes and the inane comments that were made. And he challenged us, get on the bus between East and West campus any day and I challenge you to try to hear one more interesting conversation than simply, I can't believe how drunk I was last night. (clears throat) I had a great view from where I was sitting of the faculty. You could see the deans, as their faces got redder and redder, one dean's face got so red, you could have roasted wieners on it. (congregation laughs) And after the speech, as Reynolds was wheeled back next to me, there was sort of polite, but decidedly restrained applause. He leaned over to me, he said, do you think they're going to kill me for that? And I said no, but I wouldn't count on being invited back a second time. (congregation laughs) (clears throat) A few years ago, my family and I, I was teaching out in Southern California, and one Sunday we went to the Crystal Cathedral and to our surprise, the customary preacher at the Crystal Cathedral was not in residence, I think he was out spreading the gospel in Hawaii or something. And so they said they would have a guest preacher. And to my consternation, the guest preacher was none other than Charles Colson, reborn Evangelical of Watergate fame. Great, I thought, I've come all the way out here, I'm at the Crystal Cathedral and here's some jail bird friend of Richard Nixon stand up and preach. Well there was this glowing introduction, and the person told about how Charles Colson had after his serving his time, he had been born again, how Jesus had transformed Charles Colson's life, how he was now had founded an international prison ministry. Colson began his sermon by thanking people at the Crystal Cathedral. Telling them what a great honor it was for him to preach at such a beautiful building and such an attractive congregation arrayed before him. Such a glorious setting. He told them that it was quite a contrast from where he had spent yesterday. Yesterday, he said, all day Saturday, I was at the Los Angeles prison camp and there I did not see nice people, coats and ties, Sunday best. There, I spoke with rapists and murderers and thieves. Sort of a pause, Colson said, of course you know in which setting Jesus would have felt most comfortable. You know if Jesus were given a choice between speaking at the Crystal Cathedral or working out at the Los Angeles prison camp, you know where he would be, don't you? And then for the next 30 minutes, he had us by the throat. He worked us over right and left, he told us we ought to be ashamed of sitting there in our Sunday finery while little children starve. He told us the only the difference between that congregation and the congregation he saw at the prison camp was we happened to make most of our money legally. On the way out, I managed to shake Mr. Colson's hand. I told him that I hope he enjoyed his first sermon at the Crystal Cathedral, because I thought it would probably be his last at the Crystal Cathedral. I saw him a couple years later in Raleigh and I remembered that event and he said, you know it was my last. Now Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is a great turning point in Mark's gospel. There is sort of a pivot that occurs right here, chapter 11, Mark's gospel. Heretofore, all of the action has been out in the Hinterlands, out back, in little backwater towns like Capernaum. Thus far, Jesus' great revolution has been little more than a rag-tag bunch of poor fisherman and tax collectors and others trotting around after Jesus out in dusty little towns. But, now you get the feeling that the pace is quickening. You get the feeling that everything is coming to a head. Previously, Jesus walked. But, now Jesus commands a colt to be secured. Before Jesus has confined himself to the alleyways of small hick towns like Nazareth. Now, he rides into the capitol city. Time was, Jesus would perform some spectacular miracle and then he would tell his disciples, don't tell anybody about this, keep it quiet. But, now he openly displays himself, riding into Jerusalem, the crowds are shouting, people are claiming that he is the long awaited king. He rides up Pennsylvania avenue, the crowds go wild, hailing the coming kingdom of our ancestor, David, royal enthronement psalms from the Old Testament are quoted. Jesus is riding in like some victorious, conquering general. He is hailed with waving palms, and shouting crowds and little children hailing the one who comes in the name of the Lord. The conqueror is come to town to seize his prize, ride on king Jesus! And what happens next, is a shock. Jesus re-enters Jerusalem, not on Palm Sunday. But, he strides into the chapel, the temple. He disrupts the service with shouts, he turns over the tables, he curses the people there. He tells them a nasty little story about the parable of the wicked tenants. He tells them that God's vineyard is gonna be taken away from you and given to somebody else. He accuses the clergy of vile corruption. He threatens the inhabitants of Jerusalem with doom. He curses the department of religion for being a bunch of ignorant fools without a clue. And finally, he tells everybody, have a good time today in the chapel because every stone of this building will be turned upside down. How would you feel if you had been in the Palm Sunday parade that day? Talking about wearing out your welcome about, to having rolled out the red carpet, only to have it besmirched by Jesus. To have their town and their religion and every thing that they cherished, trashed by this ungrateful intruder. How would you feel? You can almost feel it right now in this service. This service is starting to turn right about now. And we're starting to wonder if it's such a good idea to have invited Jesus into our world. Couple of Falls ago, I had Jesus at not one of his better moments. I had to preach Jesus' parable, the story of Jesus and the rich, young ruler. And, if you notice in this story, it's where this upwardly mobile, nice, talented young man is called to follow Jesus. It's just Jesus says, I want you to do one little thing. I want you to go sell everything you have, give it to the poor, then come follow me. And Luke says, it was that, the young man slumped down and got real depressed and left. And Jesus says, it is hard to get one of these rich people in my kingdom. And I just kind of retold the story. I just kind of left it like that. Monday morning, I was in the U room for breakfast, with the students. I was moving through the cafeteria line. Professor in the department of religion comes to me and says well what happened yesterday? And I said, excuse me? And he said, well just sort of got it all out on the table, did not know what to do with it, did we? Just sort of couldn't think of an ending for the sermon, could we? And I said, really? And he said, well don't worry about it, you're normally quite adequate on Sunday mornings, you can't be good every Sunday, can you? (congregation laughs) And I said, okay, before I could get through the line, ran into a professor from the divinity school and he said to me, well I felt sorry for you yesterday, I tell you, after that dead anthem by the choir, there was nothing you could do in the sermon to redeem that service, right? I mean, you know, of course the sermon was gonna be flat and dead, but I mean after that anthem. You've got to tell those musicians kinda to help you. I felt sorry for you up there, just dying up there. I staggered over there, took my seat. This sophomore, he said to me after we started eating breakfast, I wanted to talk to you about the sermon yesterday. I said, look kid, don't mess with me. (congregation laughs) I might have to take this off some people, I don't have to take it off sophomores, all right? He said, you know, I just, I went home just sick. I just went home ill. I said, really? I went home and had lunch. What was the problem? He said, I just, I had this religious experience when I was a freshman and I just I wanted to give my life to God, I wanted to serve Jesus and I just said, Jesus, what the heck do you want from me? Is it not enough that I try to love you, that I pray to you, that I try to serve you as best I can? What do you want? I mean, I've got a bicycle, can I keep the bicycle? What is it you want? I just felt sick. You'd think he'd make it a little easier, you'd think it would be. I said to him, you see that aging man, sitting over there having breakfast across from us? I wish you could go over there and sort of explain it to him. I think you got the point. I think you kinda know what it's like to have Jesus intrude. The Jesus whom we welcome with loud Hosannas and waving palms, is not the Jesus we get. The kingdom whose advent we so excitedly proclaim with Hosanna, is not the kingdom we receive. It is a rude intrusion into our kingdoms and that's why now you get the impression this service has shifted from Palm Sunday joy to a foretaste of Good Friday grief. That's why when we sing this last hymn, it's hard to know whether it's to be sung, it's hard to know whether you're supposed to dance or you're supposed to rend your garments in grief. What will you do with this Jesus? Later this week, down at the courthouse, the judge will ask us, what will you have me do with this Jesus? What will we do with this Jesus? We shall see as this week progresses, what shall become of Jesus. ♪ Ride on King Jesus ♪ ♪ No man can-a-hinder you. ♪ ♪ Ride on King Jesus. ♪ ♪ Ride King Jesus ride to me... ♪ (choir singing) 

- The Lord be with you. Let us pray. Oh God, we welcomed you today with shouts of Hosanna. But, you know how quickly our accolades of praise turn into words of condemnation. We welcomed you as a king who could give us what we want, but you confront us as a God who exposes the truth about our lives and calls us to be what you intend us to be. Lord, open us to receive you as the pushy, confronting, transforming God that you are. Rather than the obliging, giving king that we expected. Enlarge our narrow vision of your kingdom, free us from small hearts and closed defensiveness. Open our hearts and minds and lives to you that we might hear what we would rather not hear. And see what we would rather not see. Help us see the truth about our lives, reveal the stark truth about our selfishness and greed. Expose our self centeredness and self righteousness. Show us the idols that we serve, disrupt our complacency, intrude upon our settled lives and tell us what you want of us. What do you really want of us? And give us the courage to follow. Help us hear what we would rather not hear, and see what we would rather not see. Open our ears to the cries of the needy and despairing in our midst. Show us the homeless who live in cardboard shacks under our bridges, the children with distended stomachs and hopeless eyes, the multitude of prisoners who are throwaways from our society, the unwelcome refugee and immigrant, the lonely neighbor. Help us hear what we would rather not hear, and see what we would rather not see. For we know that it is your desire not to condemn us, but to save us and to free us for abundant life. Show us the vision that you have for each one of us and for our world. Give us the courage to follow you wherever you lead, even to the cross. Help us not fear being crucified with you. That we might also rise with you to new life. Reveal the possibilities for abundance that you have seen that our lives and our gifts might be used to establish your righteous realm, in the name of our Lord, and our savior, Jesus the Christ, amen. Let us offer ourselves and our gifts in praise and thanks giving. (organ music) (choir singing) (organ music) 

- As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, are you the king of the Jews? He answered him, you say so. Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you. But, Jesus made no further reply so that Pilate was amazed. Now, at the festival, he used to release a prisoner for them, any one for whom they asked. Now a man called Barrabas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection so the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then, he answered them, do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews? For he realized it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But, the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the king of the Jews? They shouted back, 

Congregation: Crucify him! 

- Pilate asked them, why? What evil has he done? But, the shouted all the more. 

Congregation: Crucify him! 

- So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barrabas for them. And after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace. That is, the governor's headquarters, and they called together the whole cohort, and they clothed him in a purple cloak, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, the put it on him and they began saluting him. 

Congregation: Hail, king of the Jews. 

- And they struck his head with a reed, spat upon him and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. Then, they led him out to crucify him. They compelled a passerby, who was coming in from the country to carry his cross. It was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then, they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means the place of a skull. And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o' clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, the king of the Jews. And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, 

Congregation: Ah, You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross. 

- In the same way, the chief priests, along with the scribes were also mocking him among themselves and saying, he saved others, he cannot save himself. Let the messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe. Those who were crucified with him also taunted him. When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o' clock, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, Eloi, eloi! Lema sabachthani! Which means, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? When some of the bystanders heard it, they said listen! Listen he is calling for Elijah! And someone ran, filled the sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick and gave it to him to drink, saying wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down. Then Jesus gave a loud cry, and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom and when the centurion who stood facing him saw that, and in this way, he breathed his last, he said, truly this man was God's son. (organ music) (choir singing) 

- And now may the peace of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ and the love of God be with us now and ever more, amen. (organ music)