March 16, Passion/Palm Sunday

Lesson: Psalm 118.1-2, 19-29; Matthew 21.1-11

Sermon Title: Tell Me the Old, Old Story

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INTRODUCTION:

  1. Tell Me the Old, Old Story is from a long poem on the life of Jesus that was written in 1866 by A. Katherine Hankey. (Retrieved from the Cyber Hymnal)

    1. The poem is in two parts.

      1. The first part is a poem of fifty stanzas, and is titled, "The Story Wanted," being dated January 29, 1866.

      2. The second part is titled "The Story Told," and is dated November 18, 1866.

    2. Certain verses were taken from Part I. by Dr. W. H. Doane in 1867 to make the popular and familiar hymn beginning, "Tell me the old, old story," for which he composed the familiar tune to which those words are commonly sung.

    3. From Part II. certain verses have been selected to make the hymn, "I Love to Tell the Story," the tune to which was composed by W. G. Fischer.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. I Love to Tell the Story

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.

I love to tell the story; 'tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God's own holy Word.

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
'Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

    1. Is the story pleasant to repeat?

    2. Is it more wonderfully sweet?

    3. Are you hungering and thirsting like the rest?

  1. So Tell Me the Old, Old Story!

Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in,
That wonderful redemption, God's remedy for sin.
Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;
The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.

Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;
Remember I'm the sinner whom Jesus came to save.
Tell me the story always, if you would really be,
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.

Tell me the same old story when you have cause to fear
That this world's empty glory is costing me too dear.
Yes, and when that world's glory is dawning on my soul,
Tell me the old, old story: "Christ Jesus makes thee whole."

    1. I Love to Tell the Story.

      1. Tell Me, the Old, Old Story.

        1. The Old Story is the one that is freshest and complete.

        2. Are you ready to listen once again?

      2. In my Bible is titled: Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

        1. Is it a triumphal entry.

        2. What is triumphant about it?

        3. Ought not it rather be titled: The Triumphal Tragedy.

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  1. What is a tragedy?

    1. First of all it is a genre of literature (The following on tragedy is retrieved from Wikipedia.)

      1. In a figurative sense a tragedy (from Classical Greek , "song for the goat", see below) is any event with a sad and unfortunate outcome, but the term also applies specifically in Western culture to a form of drama defined by Aristotle characterized by seriousness and dignity and involving a great person who experiences a reversal of fortune

(Peripeteia). (Aristotle's definition can include a change of fortune from bad to good as in the Eumenides, but he says that the change from good to bad as in Oedipus Rex is preferable because this effects pity and fear within the spectators.) According to Aristotle, "the structure of the best tragedy should be not simple but complex and one that represents incidents arousing fear and pity--for that is peculiar to this form of art."

[1] This reversal of fortune must be caused by the tragic hero's hamartia, which is often mistranslated as a character flaw, but is more correctly translated as a mistake (since the original Greek etymology traces back to hamartanein," a sporting term that refers to an archer or spear-thrower missing his target)

[2]. According to Aristotle, "The change to bad fortune which he undergoes is not due to any moral defect or flaw, but a mistake of some kind."

[3] It is also a misconception that this reversal can be brought about by a higher power (e.g. the law, the gods, fate, or society), but if a character's downfall is brought about by an external cause, Aristotle describes this as a "misadventure" and not a tragedy.

      1. Tragedies of Shakespeare.

        1. Who is not moved by the story of Romeo and Juliet

        2. The story of the Montagues and the Capulets.

        3. The tragic ending to the story brings a lump to your throat and tears to your eyes.

    1. A tragedy may be any event with a sad an unfortunate outcome.

      1. A modern tragedy is unfolding in the life of Eliot Spitzer who has resigned as the Governor of New York State.

      2. He has a major character flaw.

  1. How is the triumphal entry of Jesus entering Jerusalem a tragedy?

    1. The tragedy is not to be found in the person riding into town.

    2. It is to be found in the response townspeople.

    3. It is to be found in the misunderstanding of the disciples who are attempting to force the issue of the monarchy.

    4. It is found in the attitude and opposition of the power structure with which Jesus has to deal.

    5. It is to be found in the fickle nature of human beings.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, writes: (1)

Jesus Christ must suffer and be rejected. This must is inherent in the promise of God - the Scriptures must be fulfilled. There is a distinction here between suffering and rejection. Had he only suffered, Jesus might still have been applauded as the Messiah. All the sympathy and admiration of the world might have been focused on his passion. It could have been viewed as a tragedy with its own intrinsic value, dignity and honor. But in the passion, Jesus is a rejected Messiah. His rejection robs the passion of its halo of glory. It must be a passion without honor.

      1. The hosts of people were led by people who had no honor.

      2. The honor belongs to God.

  1. Jesus is not a tragic figure.

    1. He is the one who is in control of himself.

    2. He cannot control circumstances, but he can control himself.

    3. He has a mission to perform.

      1. It makes no difference how it is performed; it will be performed.

      2. He will complete the task.

  2. Is it possible for us to see life as a tragedy?

Peter Gomes, professor of homiletics at Harvard Divinity School and preacher at the Memorial Church there, writes in his book, Sermons, we like the "festival frenzy of the palms, that marvelous chaos which we organize each year … a festive dress rehearsal for an Easter triumph … Palm Sunday addicts like the procession, they like the anticipated glory of Jesus, and they love the sense that the Lenten gloom imposed these last six weeks has at least risen if not fully departed" [68-69]. … That is the only reality: that God's love is the only thing that makes sense out of suffering, conflict or tragedy. God's love does not do away with conflict, or suffering, or tragedy … God's love is the thing that makes it possible to bear it, to see it, to share in it, to understand it, and to pass through it" [70].

    1. What is life without Jesus?

    2. What are flawed human beings without a Savior?

Many years ago John Something-or-other, a gold prospector, at last believed himself rich. But he was starving amid the shifting dunes of Death Valley, California.

On a scrap of paper John scribbled, "Died rich." Then hugging a small boulder of mica, whose pyrites, resembling gold, apparently had deceived him, John passed away. Decades later, a party of motor tourists discovered the skeleton. An old miner's pick lay near by. A rusty watch was also found, but was not running.

The miner's decision to justify his life with wealth gained only at the end would have been merely sad if it had been real gold that was clutched between his fingers; it becomes tragedy when one realizes that what he had sought and paid for with his life was worthless glitter.

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CONCLUSION:

  1. Jesus is triumphant.

    1. Because he is triumphant, so may we be triumphant.

    1. Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates, George Weissel

Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates;
Behold, the King of glory waits;
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here!

A Helper just He comes to thee,
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.

O blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the Ruler is confessed!
O happy hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!

Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple, set apart
From earthly use for heaven's employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.

Redeemer, come, with us abide;
Our hearts to Thee we open wide;
Let us Thy inner presence feel;
Thy grace and love in us reveal.

Thy Holy Spirit lead us on
Until our glorious goal is won;
Eternal praise, eternal fame
Be offered, Savior, to Thy Name!

AMEN!

1. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, trans. R.H. Fuller (Great Britain: SCM Press, Ltd., 1959), 76.

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