The Star of the Show Keith McFarren March 24, 2024 Matthew 21:1-11 In the film industry they are called “extras.” In today’s politically correct world we’ll call them background performers, or background cast members.They are non-essential people who are hired for non-essential background roles in movies.They show up as one of many people on a busy street or in a hotel lobby or at a large party or maybe to create a mob scene.Some films, especially war films use hundreds and sometimes thousands of “extra’s”…hence the saying “a cast of thousands.” Did you know that the movie industry also hires animals as extras – background animals.Early on in the motion picture industry, animals, especially horses, were used as cheap, disposable props on the movie sets of Hollywood.They were shocked, tripped, forced to run into trenches and even killed when they were forced to run off cliffs. But along came an organization called the “American Humane Association” an animal rights group that became leader in preventing animal abuse and neglect on the sets of Hollywood films and other broadcast productions.Even today AHA still has a presence in Hollywood as its trademark certification stating that “No Animals Were Harmed” still appears at the end of most film and television credits. In honor of an animal, the American Humane Association began what is called the PATSY Award (Performing Animal Television Star of the Year)… an award honoring an animal that starred in a certain movie or television show.The very first recipient of the PATSY Award was Francis the Talking Mule; other winners include a cat named Orangey that played in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, as well as a dog named “Higgins” who starred in the Benji movies.“Higgins” also played a dog named “Dog” on Petticoat Junction. Everyone’s sentimental favorite, Lassie, wonthe award as did the dog Tramp on My Three Sons.And then of course, there is my favorite two time award winner, Arnold Ziffel, the pig who appeared on Green Acres. Matthew tells us that Jesus sent two of his disciples into the village of Bethphage to get a young donkey.This, of course, was to fulfill what the prophet Zechariah said some 500 years earlier, “Look, your king is coming to you,” said the prophet.“He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey – even on a donkey’s colt” (Matthew 21:5; Zechariah 9:9). On the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey a large crowd (perhaps a cast of thousands of unnamed people) was there to meet him.They greeted him like a king, yelling and singing songs and waving palm branches, and calling him the “son of David.” Finally, after waiting for centuries, a man with the power and the charisma of King David had come to save them from economic, religious, and political oppression. This was the king they had been waiting for…and finally, things were going to change!It was a perfect Hollywood setting with their hero entering into town and a cast of thousands lining the streets…something that only great film producers like Steven Spielberg or Francis Ford Coppola or Hal Wallis could produce. Our story has a cast of thousands to say the least and the excitement and confidence among the people is at an all time high.But what can we learn from all of this? We can take a look at the disciples…they had starring roles in this big extravaganza, but they ended up not being very good role models for us to follow.Guys like James and John, were more concerned about themselves and the spoils of victory and whether they would be chosen to “sit in places of honor next to Jesus” (Matthew 20:21) when Jesus’ regime took over. Oh, they were all right up there with Jesus when the big parade came into town and they were feeling good and all that, but that would be short lived and it would all change because in just a matter of a few days one of them would betray Jesus, another would deny him and they would all end up abandoning Jesus and running for their lives. We can’t learn a whole lot from the crowds of people that gathered along the road throwing their clothes and waving palm branches and shouting that day.All told, they were no better than the disciples.They were curious as to what was going on…but they weren’t 100% committed to Jesus.In fact, they were what might be called in politics, “fence sitters” because their loyalties flip flopped back and forth. One minute Jesus was their new found hero and the next minute they were calling for his death…with a “what have you done for me lately” attitude.New Testament scholar Eugene Boring says that the people in the crowd were a lot like the college student who makes an A in a course on ethics, yet fails at living a moral and ethical lifestyle outside of the classroom. The religious leaders – the Scribes and the Pharisees and the Sadducees were no better than the others.They were corrupt and mean spirited and jealous of all the attention that Jesus was getting. It was right after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead that they began to plot how to get rid of Jesus even if they had to create a bogus trial…a trial so corrupt that it would send an innocent man to his death. We look around at all these people, this “cast of 1,000’s” if you will, and all we see are a bunch of self-centered, arrogant, backstabbing people who care only about themselves, people who only want to use Jesus for their own personal benefit, or people who don’t want anything to do with him and would just as soon see him dead. So, who’s the hero of our story?It’s the donkey, the “film extra,” the anonymous, unnamed, unselfish animal that carried Jesus into Jerusalem that day that ends up being the star of the show.It’s the donkey, the first century PATSY award winner, who steals the spotlight and ends up teaching us more about serving Jesus then anyone there that day…all because he unselfishly stepped forward and committed himself to carry Christ out into the world. If you live in Texas, this is the time of year cities and towns are beginning to get ready for their yearly rodeos, rodeos that feature competitive shows, and exhibitions and contests for donkeys. But donkeys are like a horse, they need to be broken and they need to be tamed before they can be ridden and the only way to do this is to teach the donkey to trust and listen to the person training it and over a period of time it can then be guided and finally, it can be ridden. If you just hop on it to try and ride it for the first time, an untrained donkey will turn wild and plant its feet and rear itself back and buck and twist and turn, and attempt to get the ridder off its back by running them into something. Matthew, this morning, tells us that Jesus quietly rode a donkey’s colt, a young untrained, unbroken donkey into Jerusalem that day.Jesus, the Son of God, the one who quieted the raging storm, the one who raised the dead, the one who healed the sick and allowed the lame to walk…Jesus, the Son of God, with the power of God and the love of God, tamed the wild, unbroken colt and peacefully rode him into Jerusalem. He rode into town propelled by God’s love, humbly offering the world spiritual peace, liberation, deliverance, and victory. Today, he does the same.Jesus comes into our world, a world that has become wild and rambunctious and untamed.He comes into our lives…lives that are out of control, lives that need to be humbled and tamed…and he offers us spiritual peace, and liberation, and deliverance and victory…and like the young rambunctious colt, all we have to do is surrender to him and trust him…and let him guide us and teach us. That’s what is so nice about the kingdom of God.You don’t have to be a prominent, recognizable person to serve in God’s kingdom.You don’t have to have a well known name in the community, or have a prestigious job or be financially well off or even be a “perfect person” to take Jesus out into the world.God’s kingdom is open to all people, even the wild and untamed. And that’s what is so neat about Jesus…he didn’t come for just a select few.He came for all of us, and he’s willing to go out into the world with all of us.All that he requires from any of us is an unselfish commitment…an unselfish commitment to surrender ourselves to him and step forward and follow him out into the world. To be a servant of Christ is to be willing to go out the doors of this church and take Jesus along with us where ever we go.But at the same time, it’s not always as easy as it sounds because sometimes being a faithful servant can be stressful. So to go out into the world with him and to serve him faithfully means that we have to: ·Be humble and be anonymous and not really care who gets all the glory or caring who ends up getting top billing. ·Be willing to follow his directions; like the donkey, we have to be willing to go where he wants us to go and do what he wants us to do, when he wants us to do it. ·We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone and be willing to let him lead us and guide us and take us out into what we might call enemy territory, places where Christians aren’t always welcome, places where believers like you and me are sometimes ridiculed and made fun of. To surrender ourselves and go with Jesus out into the world means that, like the donkey in our scripture reading this morning, we too have to be unselfishly obedient to the one who “holds the reins” and let him take control of our lives and lead us to where he wants us to go…which means that not only are we going to be challenged along the way by all the detours and barriers that life and the world around us throws at us, but we are also going to be called upon to lead a different type of lifestyle, a lifestyle that is directly opposite from everyone else. It’s a lifestyle that Paul describes in the 12th chapter of Romans as being one where you, “Don’t just pretend that you love others.Really love them.Hate what is wrong.Stand on the side of the good.Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other…[and] serve the Lord enthusiastically.Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful” (Romans 12:9-12). The story goes that the donkey that carried Jesus into town that day woke up the next morning feeling pretty good about himself.After all, the day before had been the most exciting day of his life.Never before had he felt such pleasure and such pride for himself. He went into town and saw a group of people standing over by the well.“I’ll go over and let these people see me,” he said.“Do you remember who I am?It’s me…the donkey. But the people didn’t pay any attention to him…it was as though he wasn’t ever there. “Those ungrateful people” he muttered to himself.“I’ll go over by the market place.That’s where all the good people hang out.They’ll remember me from yesterday.” But the same thing happened at the market place.“Hey, it’s me, the donkey!Go get your palm branches and wave them at me like you did yesterday!” he yelled.And once again it was as if he wasn’t even there.Once again, he was totally ignored. Hurt and confused, the donkey went back home and told his mother all that had happened to him that morning. “You foolish child” she said.“Don’t you realize that without Jesus you are nothing more than an ordinary donkey?” It’s hard to live without the power God in our lives.In fact, we are nothing and can do nothing without the power of God in our lives.But to have Jesus in you and to have you in him is to go from being an ordinary person or a background person to being the star of the show that is put on and produced by the kingdom of God. When you are the star of the show you will have the deep satisfaction of knowing that you are walking in the ways of God. Make a commitment.Give your entire being to him.Make a commitment to unselfishly go with Jesus.Make a commitment to leave here this morning and take Jesus with you.Go where he wants you to go.Do what he wants you to do.Let him change your life.Let him turn your world upside down. Take Jesus with you and allow yourself to discover the peace, the joy, the happiness and the salvation that can only come from having Christ in your life.Because, like the donkey, you are nothing without him. |