Psalm 118.1-2, 19-29 The Passover Praise Psalm and Matthew 21:1-11 Jesus enters Jerusalem

An urban legend states that during the 1960’s Space race between Russia and the United States, the US spent over a billion dollars developing a pen that could write in zero gravity while the Russians just used a pencil. This is incorrect; the Fisher Pen Company invested only 1 million dollars in developing the pen. NASA, on the other hand, spent $4382.50 on 34 mechanical pencils, which is so much better… who wouldn’t spend $128.89 on a pencil?

The point of the story is that we often become so focused on doing something one way, in this case, writing with a pen rather than a pencil, we assume there is only one solution to a problem.

On this Palm Sunday, we celebrate. But should we?

As the people cry out “Save me!” which is what Hosanna actually means. They have in mind a particular way in which they want to be saved. The people want a human king who is going to free them from oppression. They want a great Exodus as in the days of Moses. They want an end to famine and frustration as in the days of Abraham. They want a great warrior who defeats all enemies who come at them from both within and without as in the days of David. They want… not Jesus.

Funny thing about the development of a million-dollar pen. Lots of excuses were thrown about as to why a pencil just wasn’t going to work. For instance, did you know that graphite is flammable? I only know this because when I worked on a psychiatric ward, our patients were not permitted to use graphite pencils. As someone who is confused by something and seeks answers, I looked into it. Standard #2 pencils are a unique combination of flammable graphite encased in a nice wooden core. If you stick them into an electrical socket, they can start a fire. You may also electrocute yourself, so I don’t recommend trying this out, but it is possible.

Anti-pencil advocates argued that tiny bits of graphite floating in zero gravity, or a stray pencil left unattended and not fastened down, could possibly make their way to an exposed power source and set the whole space station ablaze.

Personally, I’d be more worried about the exposed power source, but hey, what do I know? I am also not the one who decided that, since #2 pencils were dangerous, as not only are they incendiary devices, you can also stab people with them, golf pencils and colored pencils are acceptable. I liken this logic to the gentleman who assumed that ducks, wood, and very small rocks can float. Short pencils are less flammable, and colored pencils are less stabby to an important enough person that this policy passed.

It’s amazing how we only see problems in a solution that we don’t want, isn’t it? There is always this person on any board of directors or administrative council. That person who finds flaws in everyone else’s solutions but generally only ever comes up with their own flawless solution if it benefits them in some way. They’re important; we need someone to point out hazards we’re not seeing, but if we give them too much power, not only do they prevent any productive changes from occurring, they promote unproductive responses and fail to leave room for God in making things happen.

Palm Sunday is not a happy day as we choose to celebrate it. Palm Sunday is the celebration of the beginning of a massive betrayal. It is the mark of a people so blinded by what their own ideals that they are not seeing the solution God has presented before them. They are seeing what they want, not what they need. Expecting a million-dollar pen, God has freely given them a 15-cent pencil that they thought they were getting at a bargain for $3.89. This story is not going to end well.

A strange thing happens in our lectionary, you see. Tomorrow is Easter Monday. Holy Week is supposed to be celebrated every day of the week, but we’re lax these days about our church attendance. Very few are going to make it to the Maundy Thursday service, even fewer Good Friday, we won’t even have worship on Holy Saturday, and then the worship population will more than double across the globe for Easter Sunday, the end of the story. Tomorrow, the Passion story begins with little to no explanation.

Now, we know that the Sadducees and the Pharisees hated Jesus Christ. He called them hypocrites and fools. Insulted their ways. Turned the Laws of Moses upside down saying that he had fulfilled them so they no longer needed to be followed. For people whose livelihood was based upon judging people for following laws, that would not bode well for them. The part of the story we don’t get is how or why, these people, thousands who amassed to see him ride into town, we don’t get to see how or why they turn.

We don’t have access to the private meetings, and worship services, and campaigning that Jesus enemies are up to that are so effective that in this relatively short amount of time, more than a day, but still a short period of time, why do these people go from shouting acclamations of “Hosanna! Save us!” to “Crucify him!” How did either Jesus piss them off or his enemies, turn an entire population on a dime?

Sure, Judas turned him in to the authorities. But if there was already a warrant out for him, wouldn’t the grand marshal of a parade be an easy enough way to figure out who was leading the rebellion? This betrayal was much bigger than one disciple. The crowds clearly identified him, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” Historically, we remember one kiss and not thousands of fingers pointing and saying, “that’s him.”

It’s easier to blame one man than it is to accept that it was all of us who crucified him. It wasn’t Judas. It was us. Every one of us who was angry that Jesus was not the solution we wanted. Everyone of us who becomes a Christian because we think our life is supposed to all of the sudden be nothing but butterflies and rainbows. All of us who go around telling people to become Christians because your life will get better! Your circumstances will change! It’s amazing! Yes it is, but also, no it’s not!

Worshipping Jesus doesn’t fix your problems! In a roundabout way, it absolutely does but it is not snake oil or a magic wand of believe and you shall be saved. Just believe and you will no longer have crappy relatives or friends! Believe, and you’ll get a fantastic new job, all your bills will be paid, you’ll have food in your belly and a roof over your head! It’s amazing! Just believe, and your illness will be cured, your personality will suddenly be charismatic, and your social awkwardness will vanish in the blink of an eye! No, it won’t!

It can. It might, but it’s highly unlikely. The people Jesus healed were believers already. It was their faith that healed them. Their preexisting belief that already sat inside their soul despite years if not decades of hardship, that life could get better for them. That no matter how hopeless their circumstances seemed, there was still hope.

I do not believe Jesus healed people to make them believe. He healed them because they believed. Miracles do not bring people to Christ, it makes them want easy solutions to life. Instant gratification. Miracles happen for people who open themselves up to the possibility that they can occur. Miracles happen for people who aren’t stuck on the idea that there is only one solution to their problem, and if it doesn’t get fixed their way, then it isn’t a miracle. Miracles happen for people who believe that there is a solution that will appear, but only if you are willing to see it. Only if you are open to the idea that your knowledge base is limited. Only if you believe that there is a God who can make anything happen, therefore there is no such thing as impossibility.

Miracles are not for people who shout Hosanna in the highest on Sunday and then turn around and ignore the darkness of the rest of the week, the work that went into making the miracle of Easter Sunday happen. The faith that, despite adversity and piles of contrary evidence, it was even possible. Easter is not just a resurrection of the dead. Easter is the perseverance of life despite death.

Easter is the simplicity of a pencil not the determination to make a zero-gravity pen no matter what the cost. The cost of a miracle is free. The cost of a miracle was paid for by God through his son Jesus Christ. But you won’t get it by doing it your way. You won’t get the miracle if all you are willing to see is the outcome that you think should be. Sure, there’s a risk of everything blowing up in your face if a stray shard should reach an exposed power source and explode.

But isn’t that faith? Isn’t faith believing despite the risk of catastrophic failure? Isn’t faith a woman risking her life just to touch a man’s robe despite the social ramifications, risk of imprisonment, and death? Faith is an oversimplification of life.

Easter is a Holy Week of dark celebration, followed by 52 weeks of enjoying the benefits. It is not one Sunday. It is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with each day getting darker and more hopeless by the second. It is a week of betrayal. It is a week of the naysayers thinking they have one by pointing out the problems in everyone else’s solution so that only their own can be used. It is a week of teaching us an important lesson in life that faith is not immediately rewarded with salvation.

Faith is having confidence that the miracle will come. The solution is there and it will make itself apparent the moment we get out of own way.