A colt tied near a door

Mark 11: 1-11, NT page 47 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. Sermon It matters sometimes who is watching. Take prayer for example. Some people pray before meals, which is good to do, but when the preacher comes over to eat – everyone prays – so a friend of mine, a preacher, was invited over to dinner. The father sat down at the table like he does every night, picked up his knife and fork ready to dig in, but the mother gave him a particular kind of look that made him freeze in his tracks, so he asked his five year old daughter if she’d like to say the blessing. “Let’s bow our heads,” she said, “I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America…” The difference between this being hilarious and this being embarrassing is in the “who’s watching.” There are plenty of things that seem OK, but whether or not you want to do them depends on who will be watching, and that’s really true when it comes to prayer. I know plenty of good Christians who pray, but don’t want to be caught in prayer. They’d hate for you to walk into their office while they’re in prayer, would hate even for their children to walk into their bedroom while they’re in prayer, because prayer is good to do, but you might not be comfortable doing it if there’s a chance you might have to explain what it is that you’re doing. The same is true for me when it comes to exercising. I’ve been exercising a lot lately. My cholesterol is higher than Dr. Power’s wants it to be, so I go running and sometimes I get tired of running so I walk, which is fine. Its fine to walk, but walking is something I’ll only do on the side roads – because I’d hate to get caught walking when there’s a chance someone I know might drive by. There are a lot of things that seem good to do, but you might feel uncomfortable doing them depending on whether or not there’s a chance you’ll get caught at it. So a fourteen year old girl invites a fourteen year old boy she likes over to her house to watch a movie, which is good to do. He likes her as well, so while they’re watching the movie in the living room he scoots right up next to her on the couch. After a few minutes pass he pretends that he’s yawning and puts his arm around her, which is a fine and good thing to do – only now he’s not watching the movie anymore. He’s watching the door, which opens to the kitchen and he’s ready to move that arm the second her mother walks back into the living room. Jesus told his disciples to go get him a colt. You can tell they didn’t feel entirely comfortable with the request, because rather than just obediently charge off to get it he has to explain to them what they should do if someone asks them what they’re doing. “If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately,’” which probably sounded good enough while they were standing there, but as they walked farther on these two must have wondered who would ever accept such an explanation. “I’m just going to borrow this colt” – now who would buy that? If Jews can be executed under Roman rule for speaking out against the Emperor, what will happen to a horse thief? Despite their anxiety they go on – and “found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street.” If I were them I would have preferred the colt to be out in a deserted field, or one among a herd of a hundred so that its absence wouldn’t be noticed immediately, but this colt is tied up right next to a door which is significant, because isn’t it one thing to obey the Lord’s command when you know no one is watching and quite another to obey the Lord’s command right near a door that could open at any minute? In high school I was member of a religious group called the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which was fine. We met early on Friday mornings in the gym. No one saw us go in, no one noticed us go out, but every once in a while the speaker would inspire us to do something during the school day. There was the “true love waits campaign”, which was a good idea – but it’s one thing to talk about something in the safety of a gym before school even starts and it’s another thing to walk around the cafeteria talking to people about that same thing when you know are going to talk about you as soon as you turn to walk away. Jesus sends these two disciples to fetch him a colt, and it just so happens that the colt is tied up next to a door that could open any minute – which leads me to reflect on the idea that we don’t truly understand what it means to follow Jesus until we’re compelled to do or say something that pushes us beyond what’s comfortable. As they approach Jerusalem, these disciples who have already left behind mothers and fathers, family businesses and traditional expectations, surely they had already known that this path they chose disappointed some and concerned the respectable, but is not this the call of all Christians? To step beyond what feels comfortable and towards what feels true? Every step that Christ takes towards that temple brings him closer to the Cross. This parade of palms and cloaks, every step that the borrowed colt takes leads him closer to the very heart of the establishment which his way of life challenges, and his way is no different now. If we follow where he leads, we will join our brothers and sisters in worship tomorrow at 12:05 for a Holy Week service at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. No doubt many of you will be there, but if I were you, working at a bank or a high school, I can tell you exactly how it would be for me. At about a quarter till I’d slip out without telling anyone where I was going. If there was a group going to O’Charly’s I’d simply decline by telling them that I had an appointment that I had to get to – why? Because we Presbyterians were born and bred to keep our faith a private matter. But the classic joke goes like this – what do you get when you mix a Jehovah’s Witness with a Presbyterian? Someone who knocks at your door but doesn’t know what to say. Now there are some who were raised in the Baptist Church here this morning who might not get the joke because they were raised to talk about their faith, but I assure you of this, the decline in the mainline denominations has more to do with Presbyterians like me who refuse to step out beyond our comfort zones than anything else. We’ve forgotten that following Jesus demands something of us – it demands that we take one step beyond caution to live our faith out in the open. Maybe we pray – but are we more concerned with making a mistake, being caught in the act, or being faithful? We hear discrimination and bullying – but are we brave enough to speak out against it? There is a truth within us – but do we speak it or do we keep silent? The colt is tied there, and Christ has asked you to go and get it, but the colt is tied near a door. Find the courage to get it anyway. Amen.