Sermon - Ad Te Levavi 2020 - Matthew 21:1-9

G. K. Chesterton wrote the following poem, can you guess the title?

When fishes flew and forests walked

   And figs grew upon thorn,

Some moment when the moon was blood

   Then surely I was born.

With monstrous head and sickening cry

   And ears like errant wings,

The devil’s walking parody

   On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,

   Of ancient crooked will;

Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,

   I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;

   One far fierce hour and sweet:

There was a shout about my ears,

   And palms before my feet.

The title of the poem? The Donkey.

So it was that Christ rode into Jerusalem, as the King of all the world, with cloaks and branches spread across the road, while the crowds shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Here comes Christ, riding in on a donkey, a beast which bears burdens. Christ comes as our humble King to bring us peace.

Looking back on the past year there was a lot of stress and anxiety, fears and worries. Looking ahead to the next year, the forecast doesn’t look much brighter. Here we are, the first week of Advent, preparing for Christmas, and everything is so strange and unusual. Some are calling this a dark winter because of everything going on in the world right now.

But in the bleak midwinter of our cold and lonesome world, a cry pierces the gloom, “Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and He shall speak peace to the nations.” “From the manger newborn light shines in glory through the night. Darkness there no more resides; in this light faith now abides.” 

Typically a king rides in on horse and chariot, limousine or SUV, with pomp and show to make the world take notice. But Christ comes riding on a donkey, a beast which bears burdens. So Christ comes as One who also bears burdens, like a tattered outlaw of the earth, and comes to bring you peace by laying down His life. The world may indeed be dark, but Christ comes to enlighten the world with His peace.

“You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” This long night is ended, the dark winter is a farce, since in Christ there is only light. Cast off the works of darkness, those sins which blind you so, and take up the armor of light, put on the Lord Jesus Christ who shines as a beacon of hope in this ending winter. 

Our Jesus is our King, not a lousy politician vying for your vote, not a wicked tyrant bent on destroying what few liberties you have, not a lazy bureaucrat with a title whom no one knows what he does, but He’s our one good and true King. He descends from the Mount of Olives, with the oil of mercy and gladness to anoint upon all. He humbly rides on a donkey, since He comes not in all of His glory but as a servant who dies. He comes not hidden behind riches, but in simplicity as our friend. Yet He comes accompanied with a victory song and procession, since he’s truly our King and rules with justice and peace.

Something we must keep in mind is that Christ is currently our King. We’re living in His kingdom right now as His subjects. We might be American citizens, and that’s good, but this citizenship is only temporary. More importantly, we’re eternal citizens of heaven and owe greater fealty to our heavenly King. If you’re patriotic, that’s a good thing, but take a look at your house, heart, and life; is it more obvious that you’re a citizen of America or of heaven? 

Remember, even though the world, Satan, and our flesh want us to believe it’s still night time, and that Christ hasn’t come yet, the truth is that we’re children of the day since Christ has already come. “The night is far gone; the day is at hand… Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.” Instead of living like a child of the darkness, let us put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. I know the world wants us to believe we’re coming into a dark winter, but we’re not; we live in the light of Christ and in Him there is no darkness at all.

I know the world wants us to cower in fear, afraid of our enemies like death and sorrow. But Christ is your King and He gives you peace not fear, strength not frailty, courage not cowardliness, wisdom not foolishness, hope not despair, and light not darkness. When fear and anxiety seem to overtake you, lay down your garments, your troubles before Christ. See that He tramples over them with a donkey, with a cross. Then put on the armor or light, put on Christ, and be at peace.

Follow the example of the crowds, who when they saw that Jesus was coming, they opened their lips in song. Now is not the time to sing less, it’s the time to sing more because Christ is here and has come into His kingdom! Song makes glad the hearts of God’s children! Our hearts are so quick to despair that we need to calm our hearts by opening our mouths, filling our lungs with air, filling our minds with God’s Word, and letting loose our tongues to sing it aloud for all to hear! 

For the reason we sing is that Christ has come to bear our burdens. In His humble body riding on a donkey, He took up our sins, our fears and diseases, and bore our burden upon the tree. He came in humility and simplicity, not because He Himself is little or nothing (it’s actually quite the opposite) but He emptied Himself of His glory so that He could carry all of our troubles to the cross and leave them in the grave. 

Such is the hope and peace which may fill your hearts and minds this advent. Your God has come as your King, simple and humble on the back of a donkey, with peace and joy for all. Do not fear, but lift up your heads, see that God has come. The night of terror is far past, it was all just a dream and dissolves like a mist. Gone is the night, here is the day, and Christ who lights the way.