The story of the tortoise and the hare turns the idea of a race completely on its head. The speedy hare should of course finish first, but shockingly does not, because the slow and steady tortoise maintains focus and triumphs over the arrogant and haughty hare. In like fashion, the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry turned the very notion of a triumphal entry on its head. Pastor and author Brian Zahnd is fond of saying, “There’s always a guy on a horse,” in reference to some ostensible conquering hero immortalized as a statue for some martial victory. The exception of course is that one time when the triumphal entry was made by a lowly peasant who ridiculously rode a donkey into Jerusalem in a poignant juxtaposition of Roman military might. The Roman occupation forces would have made a public show of force prior to Passover as Jews made their way into Jerusalem. Some of the Jewish faithful would have been hoping for a violent overthrow of their Roman oppressors in keeping with the biblical stories from their past.

Jesus however, chose to ride a donkey and not a war horse. Matthew’s gospel is even more absurd as the writer has Jesus riding a donkey and a colt simultaneously. This mistake is likely because the author of Matthew relied on the Septuagint, which makes a translation error from the Hebrew, for his reading of Zechariah 9:9. The writers of Mark, Matthew, and John have people lining the road to Jerusalem shouting “Hosanna!” as Jesus makes his way into the city on a humble donkey. This choice of animal was in keeping with his radical ministry of nonviolence, vulnerability, grace, and love. I doubt Mark Driscoll, or those of his ilk who preach an anti-gospel of a vengeful, violent, white Jesus, actually ever preach about Jesus’ triumphal entry into the holy city of Jerusalem. Such is the obvious symbolism of Christ’s triumphal entry that Driscoll’s entire perversion of Jesus’ teachings must be exposed and obliterated. There is no one on a horse in Jesus’ story, least of all, Jesus.

This morning during the Palm Sunday service I learned that the original meaning of the word hosanna, as it was shouted as Jesus sat peacefully on his donkey, meant “save us!” Pastor Brent Richards, the Associate Pastor at Grandview Church in Lancaster, PA, made that point during his sermon when he described the scene from Mark 11:1-11 and contrasted it with more modern versions of the word’s meaning. That gave new poignancy to the well known narrative of Jesus riding into Jerusalem knowing that he was going there to suffer and die. “Hosanna” (Save us!) the people cried and with good reason. They were an occupied people under the yoke of the brutal Roman Empire who mere days later would execute the peasant rabbi from Nazareth as an enemy of the Roman state. Crucifixion was state sponsored terrorism which the Roman authorities used to terrorize local populations into compliance in the name of Pax Romana. “Hosanna!” (save us) from the trials, tribulations, sins, debts, and trespasses of this life. “Save us Jesus,” such were the varied cries that accompanied Jesus as he meekly entered the city, preached Pastor Richards.

Fast-forward to today, and those who follow Jesus should once again be shouting “Save us!” as we begin Holy Week. The total perversion of Jesus’ message of love and nonviolence, of enacting the kingdom of God, right here, right now, of mercy, of empathy, of compassion, and grace, is rampant in the world. Christian nationalists pervert his message with racism, misogyny, bigotry, hatred, violence, oppression, domination, and the willful destruction of God’s good creation. “Hosanna, save us,” from those who seek to deport 10 million Christians from the United States because their skin is brown and their first language is not English. “Hosanna, save us,” from those who have made white supremacy and American citizenship into idols. “Hosanna, save us,” from those who make cisgender heterosexuals an idol. “Hosanna, save us,” from those who make capitalism an idol while billions starve, lack clean water to drink, safe shelter, and living wages. “Hosanna, save us,” from the dispensationalists and dominionists. “Hosanna, save us,” from our own apathy, fears, and complacency.

To begin, we must cry out, “hosanna, save us!” and then we must act, both individually and collectively. Jesus can save us only if those who choose to follow him, actually enact following him. The Gospels have already provided the blueprint. Christians must reject the power grabbing, oppressive, anti-gospel of capitalistic Christian nationalism. Christians must enact peace while caring for the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and anyone today who among those whom Jesus would call “the least of these.” Christians are called to bring down empires with love, grace, meekness, and peaceful noncompliance. They are not called to participate in empire building nor are they called to force others to live according to a legalistic, dominionist, bigoted theocratic laws. Christians are not called to destroy the planet, nor are they called to force the rapture to happen. They are called to love as Jesus loved.

“Hosanna, save us!” for this is our call to mount our donkeys to ride into the teeth of the empire…