April 13, 2025 "Rejecting Empire"

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A note: there are some audio issues in this one that are unfixable in editing. Our apologies! Palm Sunday! There's a connection between Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent, and Palm Sunday, as the season of Lent draws to a close. Both will lead us into contemplating our own mortality - the fact that all of us will one day die. THAT always leads us to the realization that we live in a complex, uncertain, and sometimes unfair world. That's what makes Palm Sunday so odd. It starts with a celebration - a parade - then ends in the unjust death of Jesus. And the entire parade - the entire celebration, Jesus knows what's ahead, knows he's going to die. So we're going to notice how Jesus carries himself as he makes his way in a complex, uncertain, and unfair world. We'll notice that he comes to bring peace and reconciliation. Jesus rides into the city on a donkey, not a horse, indicating a nonviolent intention. He didn't come looking for a physical fight, so does he force the issue? Yes, but the world didn't have to kill him - and yet it did. This leads us to notice that Jesus was going to fulfill the Father's call on his life no matter the consequences. What does that mean for us? If we're following Jesus and living as passionately and as fully as he did when he walked on this planet - it'll look like we don't quite fit in - like we're fish out of water. We live in a world where violence and aggression rule the day - if we're living like Jesus we're living on a different plane of existence, where peace and reconciliation rule the day. How do we do that? We pay attention to our cultural moment. That's what Jesus was doing. He was protesting Roman occupation - he was protesting empire - he was protesting might makes right. What does that look like in our day? Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: Luke 19:28-40 https://www.bible.com/events/49420259

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