Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 19: 28-40

From Tree to Tree

Can we use our imagination this morning: letting our minds wander in and out of the story as the Spirit of God prompts; maybe with eyes shut to give blank screens upon which we can make our own pictures. Let us see a crowd of people lining a street. Ordinary people going about their daily business. It is the first day of the week, The roads are extra busy as people come and go. On this day the market-place is the centre of activity.

See others on the road. The feast of the Passover is only a couple days away. For them, the Temple is the focus of their thoughts: a time when they give thanks to God for he is good his mercy endures forever - they thank God for saving them from the Egyptians so long ago.

See also an insignificant wood cutter. He’s been up early preparing trunks and branches and is resting under a tree before he starts to work on it. "Here's a paradox. I cut these trees for the barbaric Roman crosses. I cut them also for take up to the temple to keep the sacrificial fires going. One to kill, the other to set free from sin."

A great roar disturbs his musing. He looks up and sees a procession slowly coming towards him, excitement growing. Children pushing their way to the front so they can see. Others being lifted high onto shoulders for a better view. Some people take off their coats and jackets and throw them down on the track to smooth the journey for the donkey and its rider.

Someone picks up a branch that the woodcutter had thrown to the side and begins waving it in the air. Others do the same. He hears voices. People are calling out, "The King is coming! The King is coming!"

"Who is it?" another says. "It's that Jesus man, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee," another replies.

Some moan "Is that all," as they throw down their branches and walk away to go about their business for the day. "What sort of kingly procession is this?" they think to themselves.

Momentum gathers as the procession moves on. More people call out. Hosanna! Hosanna!

What does that mean? The woodcutter turns to ask the person next to him. "Why are they chanting "Save! Save! Save! Save! Save!" like that?"

"Some think that this Jesus is a man whom God has sent to save us from the Roman oppressors. Don't you remember the prophet Zechariah described and this exact event years ago about the Messiah King coming to us riding on a donkey." He listens to the cries: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Not to be outdone the wood cutter siezes the opportunity out of this spontaneous occasion and quickly gathers up branches he has stripped from the trees and springs into action and sells them. What a profit! What an unexpected bonus out of today's work!


Almost as quickly as it started, the procession moved on into the main part of the town and the noise becomes but a distant commotion. He turns and jollied on, he puts a little more energy into his work as he starts to swing his adze to chip away at the logs to make the beams for this week's cross contract. This little bonus would make up for what he would miss out on in this shorter week because of the Friday Passover public holiday.

The woodcutter was conscious all that week of unrest. Passing people talked in whispers.

Others were really irate. "The man must be a fraud!" he overheard in one conversation. "He talked of peace, of turning the other cheek and yet he came into the temple grounds angry as anything and turned loose all the animals and birds. He tipped up all the tables and the money flew everywhere. So much for respect for people and their religion!"

He heard other stories about this Jesus: stories of a wedding breakfast, ten virgins, talents, sheep and goats, paying taxes. This Jesus was obviously annoying the Pharisees and yet seemed to be almost a Pharisee himself in his thinking. He heard snippets of other things Jesus said about the end of the world, being prepared for the future. He was intrigued.

Before he knew it, Thursday had arrived. His tasks were done and he could relax over the long weekend away from all this Jesus talk. But it wasn't a relaxing night. There was much activity in the street. Comings and goings kept him restless all night.

Then he heard the crowd calling out again. Their blood-thirsty cries sent a chill up him. "Crucify him, crucify him". As he lay on his bed he thought how different it was from what he had heard earlier that week. His thinking was rudely interrupted by loud insistent banging on his door. It was still dark!

He went to the door. He was needed. There was to be an unexpected crucifixion first thing that morning and they needed another cross in a hurry. "Must be something important that it can't wait," he thought as he reluctantly collected his tools and made his way in the dark out of the city gates to work.

Branches were still lying around the side of the road and he remembered back to the first day of the week and all the excitement. There were only two trees left from all of those whose branches he had stripped that day. One was too close to a precipice so he decided not to risk working on that one in the dark. He cut down the other, it was big and solid. He measured it and attached it to his donkey but decided to rest before dragging it into town.

In the dark he saw movement. He was not alone. Something was happening at the other tree. A man threw a rope over the branch crying all the time: "I have sinned. I have betrayed an innocent man". Before the woodcutter could do anything, the rope was around the man's neck and he jumped off with a cry into the darkness. There was a faint thud. All was quiet.

Shaken, he got up and slowly returned to the city, the beams were heavy. With his donkey he arrived at the Praetorium and handed over his load and turned to go. Something made him stop. He saw the soldiers forcibly load the timber beams onto a man's back. He knew the weight of those beams. "Surely no-one deserves their cross like that" he thought.

Blood was pouring from the man's head: a crown of thorns had mockingly been placed there, others soldiers belted him round the head with a stick. He saw and stood aghast. This was the man Jesus.

And as this Jesus, crowned as King, again led the procession, but this time out of the city, the wood cutter stood transfixed. Their eyes meeting, just for a fleeting moment.

There was love and compassion. And the woodcutter, crying, left everything and followed him all the way to the hill of Golgotha.