Bible Text: Mark 11:1-11 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
When I tell people that my undergraduate degree is in archaeology I can usually catch a flash of excitement in their eyes. Even for just a moment they think of adventure. That archaeologists live like Indiana Jones or Laura Croft using weapons, winning arm wrestling competitions, running from booby traps, following treasure maps, and ending up in a pit of snakes. At the very least they think of a documentary that they saw on the Knowledge network of an exciting discovery in a remote part of the world. I hate to break it to you but the life of an archaeologist is not that exciting. I remember spending an entire semester, 4hrs a week for three months piecing together shards of a large jug from Mesopotamia. Even when we worked out in the field we spent more time on our hands and knees trowelling through dirt one milometer at a time then finding anything. We became so desperate for a discovery that we started hiding loonies in each other’s pits just to keep it interesting. I hate to tell you but most of the time archaeology is mundane work. Cataloguing nail after nail, gathering statistical information, sitting in a lab with a broken piece of pottery. In my five years in the field I never once had to arm wrestle, escape from bad guys nor did I find any snakes (If you are not sure what I’m talking about go home and rent Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark). I think, however, this is the same for most careers, tasks and vocations. There are elements that are exciting, rewarding, and enjoyable but many more times when it is just about getting the job done, about the routine, everyday, unremarkable moments of our jobs. The truth is ministry is often no different. Discipleship is often no different. Today of all days, even with the exciting exclamations of hosannas! And Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, it is quite evident that sometimes it is about the little things.
Of course right before the story of the palms there is some excitement. Right before our narrative begins Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus. Bart cries out to Jesus, “Son of David, have mercy upon me!” His first cry is followed by rebuke and Bartimaeus cries out louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus then responds and heals this man. This is in fact the first time Jesus is called the Son of David in the Gospel of Mark. The juxtaposition is perfect, just as Jesus is about to be paraded in to Jerusalem, the City of David, a man calls Jesus the son of David. Meaning Jesus is the anticipated king, the one who they have been waiting for, the one who will restore the kingdom of God, the Messiah. This is an exciting moment but just as this excitement begins Jesus turns to two of his disciples and asks them to do a very mundane task.
Mark writes that Jesus asks two of his disciples to go get a colt. Of course other translations and Gospels describe this story slightly differently but the point is that Jesus rode in on a small, humble animal. The discourse between Jesus and these two unnamed disciples is quite lengthy. This is out of character for Mark who is usually very abrupt and concise with his stories. This time there is great attention to detail and in fact the description of where, how and why a colt takes longer to read and describe then the procession itself! Over half of this passage is taken up with mundane details about acquiring an animal.
I wonder if when the disciples were called to drop their nets and be fishers of people whether they realized just how basic some of their jobs would be. Thomas Long a professor of theology and amazing homiletic writer once said that when he took his ordination vow, “Will you seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination and love?” he didn’t realize what kind of jobs that would entail. He says, “Such language implies that ministry is a brave white-water romp over the cultural rapids toward global transformation in the name of Christ. Never once is it mentioned that serving the people with energy, imagination and love often boils down to stuff like ordering bulletin covers, changing light bulbs, visiting people in nursing homes who aren’t quite sure who you are, getting brakes relined on the church van, making a breathless Saturday afternoon run to the florist because someone forgot to pick up the palm branches, and as two of Jesus’ disciples found out, finding a suitable donkey at the last minute.” For the record I am willing to do all those things except maybe reline tires on the van. Its best if I stay away from vehicle maintenance.
Often our work as a community seems like we are just fulfilling chores. But at this junction of the mundane, just as Jesus asks these disciples to fetch a colt, a pretty basic chore, Mark also notes that Jesus imparts some of his best theological wisdom. Getting that donkey, fulfilling that chore, is part of preparing the way of the Lord!” The way to make our hearts and minds ready for Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, into our world, into our time and place, is by preparing everything, even the little things, even the dirty jobs. The way to prepare is not by becoming valiant leaders, or defenders of Christendom, but rather by performing humble and routine tasks. When Jesus said, “Follow me” it was leading them into a ministry of handling all the details of every day living.
Tom Long’s words help here as well, “On the one hand, we are called to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry and it is his ministry, not ours that ultimately counts. We are but donkey fetchers. On the other hand, because we are-in ways often hidden from our eyes- preparing the way of the Lord, the routine, often exhausting, seemingly mundane donkey-fetching details of our service are gathered into the great arc of Jesus’ redemptive work.”
Of course as we wave our palms and shout our Hosannas there is a festive flavour to our service, and by service I mean both worship and work. After this passage Jesus will go into the temple not to conquer it but to cleanse it. There is an energy in the crowd that we wish we could maintain as we face the week ahead. We want to keep our hands in the air and say, “Jesus is number one!” We want every aspect of our ministry to be dynamic and exciting and living like every day is a palm parade but discipleship isn’t always that exciting and certainly isn’t always that easy. Sometimes discipleship is a dirty job, like going into a stable and leading a colt to our king. Sometimes discipleship is all those routine tasks.
We are heading into the most holy of weeks. These are not routine services. It is our time to face what will be the most challenging time of the lives of the disciples with Jesus and there was nothing mundane about it. As a result we often think that these little tasks are doing nothing to improve or prepare the way. But in reality, what this passage of the palms tells us is that when we are preparing the coffee, washing the dishes, putting the chairs back, taking minutes, sitting in a meeting, doing our vocal exercises, watering the plants, dusting the sills, hanging our banners, prepping our Sunday School room, putting out toys in our nursery, picking up a friend on our way or even out of our way, vacuuming our carpets, doing our chores in this church, it is all part of our donkey fetching details, a part of our discipleship. This passage in Mark tells us that discipleship is standing in a stinky barn trying to corral a colt for Jesus. Thank you for standing in the stable with me, doing all that you do as disciples of Christ. Amen