King of Fools

For this Palm Sunday / April Fool's Day Gospel notes posts this appropriate reminder:

April 1st - April Fool’s Day - a fitting day to be telling the story of Palm Sunday - of Jesus entry into Jerusalem.

Here is a King - who rides on a borrowed donkey, cheered into the power centre of Israel and Judaism but a motley collection of fisherman, women, children, tax collectors, publicans, prostitutes, ex-lepers, ex-demoniacs, samaritans and cripples. What a joke - what a fool!

Here is a King of Fools - but one who is not afraid to upset people. Here is a King of Fools who comes into Jerusalem on a donkey - from the Mount of Olives the place where the Messiah was supposed to come from (Zech 14:4) and riding a donkey - as the Messiah would do (Zech 9:9-10), whose disciples acclaim him with the words of a Psalm (Ps 118:26) adding the word ‘King!’ instead if ‘he’. Here is a King whose procession also mocks those of the conquerors and Ceasers

“Then all the Jews together greeted Alexander with one voice and surrounded him . . . [then] he gave his hand to the high priest and, with the Jews running beside him, entered the city. Then he went up to the temple where he sacrificed to God under the direction of the high priest” (Josephus)
Here is a King of Fools who has just told a parable about a greedy blood thirsty King who went away - telling the story of Herod’s rise to power in response to those who were anticipating the immediate coming of the Kingdom of God.

Here is a King of Fools who through the telling of the parable, his staged entrance into Jerusalem taking on attributes of both the Messiah and a conquering Ceaser mocks the rich and powerful of his day - no wonder the Pharisees take offence!

But here is a King whose coming would be acclaimed by the very stones if people did not shout it.

Here is a King who turned out to be the cornerstone that the builders rejected (Ps 118:22)

Here is a King who in his mockery of the powerful showed who he was King for - not for them!

Here was a King who rejoiced in being the King of Fools - the King of the poor, the helpless, the outcast, those who no-one else would be King for.

Here was a King who came to seek out and to save the lost.

Here is a King for those who gladly call themselves fools for his sake and his kingdom’s.

Will you also be his fool?