Symposium–Lord, sit on me!
Socrates (470-399 B.C.) was a famous Greek philosopher from Athens, who taught Plato, and Plato taught Aristotle, and Aristotle taught Alexander the Great. Socrates used a simple but cleverly profound method of teaching by asking revelatory, psychologically probing questions. The Greeks called this form Dialectic – starting from a thesis or question, then discussing ideas and moving back and forth between points of view to determine how well ideas stand up to critical review, with the ultimate principle of the dialogue being Veritas – Truth.
1st Palm Sunday: Jesus Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem (*Note: the Donkey’s outrage at the self-righteous, hypocritical religious leaders of that day-the Pharisees and Sadducees).
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
~ Zechariah 9:9
“When I need to do the right thing, I need the Holy Ghost [to] sit on me. When my flesh is at the other level, sit on me. When that woman looks too good, and I can’t get around it… sit on me.”
~ Bishop Noel Jones, 2006 Sermon: Lord, Double My Anointing
Characters:
Socrates
Bishop Noel Jones
{Setting: Jerusalem, circa 33 A.D.}
Socrates: We are gathered here today at my Symposium in the ancient Holy land of Jerusalem in the Judea just after the Triumphal Entry of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; an entrance that was in fulfillment of the Scriptures by the Prophets Zechariah and Mathew. Thus, the dialectical question for this Symposium I propose this day: What is Humility? The general dictionary definition is “the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance, rank, etc.”
Before Bishop Noel Jones brings the sermon, there are two scriptures you must take heed to consider both regarding the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. The first scripture, written between 520-518 B.C., is from the Old Testament Prophet Zechariah 9:9 – Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
The fulfillment of this ancient prophecy occurred over 500 years later in the New Testament, written between 60-75 A.D. – according to the Gospel of St. Mathew 21:7-11:
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Socrates: Bishop Noel Jones, tell us what the Holy Ghost teaches us about humility, about comforting us during this existential Age of Tyranny… until Christ’s Second Advent redeems whosoever will by His precious blood He shed on the Cross for the sins of the world?
Bishop Noel Jones: Saint Paul says, “The Spirit helpeth our infirmities” which means the Spirit comes together and takes on the yoke. In other words the Holy Ghost is feeling your drive. The Holy Ghost is feeling your temper. The Holy Ghost is feeling your energy. And He didn’t leave you by yourself, but the Holy Ghost is yoking with you and what He is saying is – “I’m not going to take it by myself, but if you will understand it. And all you gotta do is will it, then I will help you through.”
But you can’t be caught between two opinions… leaving and coming back, but you gotta make up your mind, “Lord I’ll be here; I’ll stand with you, until you work it out. Because the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost it sat on them. I feel like preaching in here. Give somebody high five and say, “When I need to do the right thing, I need the Holy Ghost [to] sit on me. When my flesh is at the other level, sit on me. When that woman looks too good, and I can’t get around it {shouting}, sit on me.”
I need you to sit on me until I learn how to control myself. Sit on me; don’t let me up Lord. Don’t let me move. I’m vulnerable right now. I’m real susceptible right now. I’ll do the wrong thing right now. Sit on me. Hold me down. Hold me… ’til I change my mind. Hold me… ’til I change my thoughts. Hold me… ’til I decide I’d rather have Jesus. Hold me, I don’t want to lose my church. Hold me, I don’t want to lose my job. Hold me, I don’t want to lose my anointing. Looorrrd! Looorrrd! Looorrrd! Hold me! … I feel the Holy Ghost. Tell your neighbor, “The Lord knows your heart and he’s sending you a double anointing… that you might overcome.”
This is the Year of your Victory! This is the Year of your Release! This is the Year of your Coming Out! {Shouts of Praise to God}.
Socrates: Why throughout the Biblical narrative did the common Jewish people receive Jesus with gladness and expectation, while the educated, exalted Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Scribes, the Lawyers, all rejected Him, all mocked Him, all slandered Him, all plotted his death throughout his entire 3+ year ministry on earth?
The reason why the common Jewish people welcomed Jesus on his Triumphal Entrance into the Holy City of Jerusalem can be found in Mathew’s Gospel in 21:1-11, which teaches us many lessons we must learn in these Last Days. This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, Zechariah 9:9. When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outward poverty were fully seen in Zion’s King, and marked his triumphal entrance to Jerusalem, how wrong covetousness, ambition, and the pride of life must be in Zion’s citizens!
They brought the ass, but Jesus did not use it without the owner’s consent. The trappings were such as came to hand. We must not think the clothes on our backs too dear to part with for the service of Christ. The chief priests and the elders afterwards joined with the multitude that abused him upon the cross; but none of them joined the multitude that did him honour.
Those that take Christ for their King, must lay their all under his feet. Hosanna signifies, Save now, we beseech thee! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! But of how little value is the applause of the people! The changing multitude join the cry of the day, whether it be Hosanna, or Crucify him!
Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel, but few become consistent disciples. When Jesus was come into Jerusalem all the city was moved; some perhaps were moved with joy, who waited for the Consolation of Israel; others, of the Pharisees, were moved with envy. So various are the motions in the minds of men upon the approach of Christ’s kingdom.
Socrates: Tell me Bishop, in the picture above of Jesus’ Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem, who does the donkey represent?
Bishop Noel Jones: The donkey Jesus rode on represents us absent all of our strivings, absent all of our competitiveness, absent all of our self-righteousness, duplicity, hypocrisy, and pride. The donkey represents all of humanity who have come to the place: “I can’t please God in my own goodness; I need the Lord to sit on me!” The donkey represents mankind whose human nature has the dualism of offering humanity both the best and the most profound grotesqueries of Man through the Ages. That’s why in my sermon, I repeatedly uttered the refrain… “Sit on me…”
Because without Christ’s Holy Spirit resting, ruling, and abiding upon us like the donkey pictured above, then we are condemned to become the unprofitable donkey Job spoke about in Job 39:5 – Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? Job’s donkey, unlike the one Christ rode upon in his Triumphal Entrance to Jerusalem, was loosed, by not led. Job’s donkey was a useless, dangerous, unprofitable, and uncontrollable beast, who Job essentially characterized as, “a wild ass on the loose.”
Socrates: Indeed, wise words you have spoken Bishop. Thus, let us hear the conclusion of the matter. What is humility? Humility is demonstrated in the lesson in this dialogue – A tale of two donkeys; a lesson for all humanity to emulate the donkey that Jesus rode on through Jerusalem; a donkey born for that singular yet transcendent event that lives on through the Ages, even to this day.
The choice we must all make in this Life is to be like the donkey Jesus rode upon – a donkey who was loosed and led therefore profitable, rather than being a crazy, untamed donkey that refuses to be led by anyone – an unprofitable, narcissistic, arrogant, self-willed… wild ass on the loose.
… Lord, sit on me!
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Category: Commentary
