Palm Sunday Yr C Luke 19:28-40
I have chosen to say a few words at this spot today because
it makes more sense to me to talk about Jesus' grand entry into Jerusalem, and
then to receive the story of Jesus' passion in silence. Liturgically, we do
something very odd here. We begin our worship together with waving palms, with
the parade, and with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, and we end our worship in
quiet, as we prepare for the unfolding of this passionate story through out the
week. Please know that it takes all week to hear this story, to participate in
this story, to be able to approach Easter and resurrection. This week carve out
time to participate, you all have full lives, but this week, of all the weeks
of our lives, is the week to be here.
In this culture of go, go, go, the only time we ever seem to slow down, or even stop, is when a loved one dies. So many of you have been there. We gather, we tell stories, about who they are, about the last time we were together, about the last things they were doing. We grieve and are sad, we cry, we wait, we celebrate their life, we eat, and we do all these things together. This is that week, this death is that death, and we need do it together.
In this culture of go, go, go, the only time we ever seem to slow down, or even stop, is when a loved one dies. So many of you have been there. We gather, we tell stories, about who they are, about the last time we were together, about the last things they were doing. We grieve and are sad, we cry, we wait, we celebrate their life, we eat, and we do all these things together. This is that week, this death is that death, and we need do it together.
But for this moment, I need to reflect on the Palm of Palm
Sunday. Jesus and the disciples and thousands of other pilgrims have made their
way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus hailed as a king. Not Caesar, not the
appointed Roman governor. But a new king – one for the poor, for those
without voices, for those left behind. Jesus is hailed as King, riding on a colt.
The disciples welcome him into their city, Jerusalem, and shout "blessed
is the one who comes in the name of The Lord – the king of Israel" for
now. They lay down their cloaks, holey as they are. And for the time being, we
are all willing to follow. But are we also willing to follow into trouble,
controversy, trial and death?
When we look closely we see the people gathered for this
parade, this march, this entrance into Jerusalem. They are not the important and
powerful, but the poor and marginalized, maybe even the young, many of them Jesus'
disciples. This very important but very brief story shows us that Love does not
win by the world's standards. Jesus comes as the fulfillment of the nation's
hopes, answering our longings for a king who would bring peace to earth from
heaven itself. Jesus brings the peace that surpasses understanding, and much of
what is about to unfold in the next few days will be the price he pays to bring
it. Jesus’ disciples, of course, have seen things that have changed their lives
forever and have raised their hopes. Indeed, our lives our changed.
This is not about the powerful Pharisees, grumbling about
what will happen if the authorities in Jerusalem think that there's a messianic
demonstration going on. From now on we see them no more. It is about Mary, who
sang at the beginning of this story, “He has shown strength with his arm; he
has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts, he has brought down
the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly, he has filled the
hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty” and cries at the foot of
the cross in just a short time. It is not about the powerful or wealthy people
of the day, it is about the Kingdom of God in which the last will be first and
the first will be last. It is about the woman who anoints Jesus with a very
costly ointment of nard. It is about Judas, one of the twelve, one of Jesus’
friends, who makes a choice of power and greed over love. It is about bread and
blessing, it is about prayer and emptying, it is about betrayal and it is about
love.
Love wins by God's defeat of evil, and our participation in
the new life made possible by the work of Jesus. God gives up Godself for us,
those God loves, thus empowering and emboldening us to do the same.
This is the holiest of weeks. We have prepared ourselves
throughout Lent for this journey with Jesus. We come to this Passover festival with
Jesus' disciples, we come lean and fit, free of all the stuff that has held us
hostage, as that is what our Lenten discipline has done for us. We have carried
our own cross with us, by the cross traced on our foreheads, we have remembered
who and whose we are. We have left behind that which keeps us prisoner to the
world's wants and wills, we have disassembled brick by brick the walls that we
had build to shield us from God's love, we have learned about forgiveness, we
have been forgiven. We make this journey with Jesus, and revel in the
pre-Passover party.
Rejoice in this moment. This moment of welcome, when the
shouts of "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in
heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” is heard throughout the cosmos. This
moment is fleeting. It turns quickly to the terrifying shouts of the crowd,
"crucify him."
After the story this morning, we will sit in the silence for
a time. As we leave this space today, we enter into a Holy Week. Please don't
wait to come back until Easter, come back to walk these steps to the cross with
Jesus, and your Easter joy may be complete. Amen.
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