All Shook Up -- FPC sermon excerpt
My hands are shaky and my knees are weak
I can’t seem to stand on my own two feet
Who do you thank when you have such luck?
I’m in love
I’m all shook up!
Hard to believe, but it’s been 50 years since Elvis Presley’s song “All Shook Up” was at the top of the charts. Yes, it reached the pinnacle of Billboard magazine’s charts in April of 1957, and it stayed there for eight weeks.
Elvis, who died 30 years ago this August, shook the American music scene like no other pioneer of rock and roll. He became known as “The King of Rock and Roll,” or simply “The King.”
A lot of folks worship Elvis, and have compared him to Jesus. Consider these connections:
Jesus said “Love thy neighbor.”
Elvis said, “Don’t be cruel.”
Jesus is part of the Trinity.
Elvis’s first band was a trio.
Jesus walked on water.
Elvis surfed.
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
Elvis had mutton chop sideburns.
Jesus is alive.
Elvis is ... alive?
Luke 19 contains the Palm Sunday procession of Jesus the king, one that leaves the city of Jerusalem “all shook up.” And why not? Jesus has just finished telling his followers a parable — the parable of the vengeful king. This is a shocking story which ends with the monarch giving the command, “as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them — bring them here and slaughter them in my presence” (Luke 19:27).
That’s right: Slaughter them. Kill ’em all, and let God sort ’em out. That’s the standard approach of numerous ancient kings, and the followers of Jesus are wondering if this is what their ruler will bring to the enemies of Israel. Jesus knows what is in their hearts, and tells this story “because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately” (v. 11).
At this moment, it’s hard to predict what Jesus is going to bring. Salvation or slaughter? Reconciliation or revenge? Peace or a sword? The disciples are feeling the anxiety captured so well by Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll:
A well I bless my soul
What’s wrong with me?
I’m itching like a man on a fuzzy tree.
You can picture that, can’t you — disciples “itching like a man on a fuzzy tree.” They’re nervous wrecks. It’s hard to tell what Jesus is going to do as he approaches the city of Jerusalem. Some hope he will drive out the Romans, and rescue the Jews from oppression. Others long for him to push out the corrupt King Herod, and become God’s own king — the Messiah! Either way, some heads are going to roll.
But as he approaches Jerusalem, it appears that Jesus has another agenda. From the Mount of Olives, Jesus dispatches two disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here” (vv. 28-30). He picks a colt, because he wants to fulfill the words of the prophet Zechariah, “Lo, your king comes to you … on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). He hungers to show the crowd a sense of humility, instead of arrogance — he enters the city as Zechariah predicted he would, “humble and riding on a donkey” (v. 9). The choice of a donkey also sends the message that he is the bringer of peace instead of violence. If he had wanted to take down the Romans, he most certainly would have entered on a war horse.
It looks this king named Jesus is more interested in reconciliation than revenge.
I can’t seem to stand on my own two feet
Who do you thank when you have such luck?
I’m in love
I’m all shook up!
Hard to believe, but it’s been 50 years since Elvis Presley’s song “All Shook Up” was at the top of the charts. Yes, it reached the pinnacle of Billboard magazine’s charts in April of 1957, and it stayed there for eight weeks.
Elvis, who died 30 years ago this August, shook the American music scene like no other pioneer of rock and roll. He became known as “The King of Rock and Roll,” or simply “The King.”
A lot of folks worship Elvis, and have compared him to Jesus. Consider these connections:
Jesus said “Love thy neighbor.”
Elvis said, “Don’t be cruel.”
Jesus is part of the Trinity.
Elvis’s first band was a trio.
Jesus walked on water.
Elvis surfed.
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
Elvis had mutton chop sideburns.
Jesus is alive.
Elvis is ... alive?
Luke 19 contains the Palm Sunday procession of Jesus the king, one that leaves the city of Jerusalem “all shook up.” And why not? Jesus has just finished telling his followers a parable — the parable of the vengeful king. This is a shocking story which ends with the monarch giving the command, “as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them — bring them here and slaughter them in my presence” (Luke 19:27).
That’s right: Slaughter them. Kill ’em all, and let God sort ’em out. That’s the standard approach of numerous ancient kings, and the followers of Jesus are wondering if this is what their ruler will bring to the enemies of Israel. Jesus knows what is in their hearts, and tells this story “because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately” (v. 11).
At this moment, it’s hard to predict what Jesus is going to bring. Salvation or slaughter? Reconciliation or revenge? Peace or a sword? The disciples are feeling the anxiety captured so well by Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll:
A well I bless my soul
What’s wrong with me?
I’m itching like a man on a fuzzy tree.
You can picture that, can’t you — disciples “itching like a man on a fuzzy tree.” They’re nervous wrecks. It’s hard to tell what Jesus is going to do as he approaches the city of Jerusalem. Some hope he will drive out the Romans, and rescue the Jews from oppression. Others long for him to push out the corrupt King Herod, and become God’s own king — the Messiah! Either way, some heads are going to roll.
But as he approaches Jerusalem, it appears that Jesus has another agenda. From the Mount of Olives, Jesus dispatches two disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here” (vv. 28-30). He picks a colt, because he wants to fulfill the words of the prophet Zechariah, “Lo, your king comes to you … on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). He hungers to show the crowd a sense of humility, instead of arrogance — he enters the city as Zechariah predicted he would, “humble and riding on a donkey” (v. 9). The choice of a donkey also sends the message that he is the bringer of peace instead of violence. If he had wanted to take down the Romans, he most certainly would have entered on a war horse.
It looks this king named Jesus is more interested in reconciliation than revenge.
posted by Henry Brinton | 1:21 PM
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