Grace and peace to you, from our God of Hopefulness and from our Lord and Savior Jesus, who is our Christ. Amen.
In ancient days, when I was a kid, today was Palm Sunday. We would wave the palms, process and shout. Hosanna! Hosanna to one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna!
And we would sing Palm Sunday songs. The pastor would preach about the hopefulness of this day, the fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
Holy Week was a week-long emotional journey. From the celebration of Palm Sunday, to the disciples’ final meal in the Upper Room and the arrest of Jesus in the garden on Maundy Thursday. And then the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Friday, before a triumphant “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” at sunrise on Easter morning.
I remember being up, rain or snow, in my Easter Sunday best, part of the youth group that celebrated the Resurrection by re-setting the altar in white, re-hanging the banners, and placing Easter lilies to signify our Lord lives. He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
But here we are today, celebrating Palm and Passion Sunday, reading the Gospel from Palm Sunday to Good Friday. What happened?
What happened? Life happened. The world happened. School events were scheduled on Wednesday nights, which used to be a faith-centered night. Workplaces and schools stopped taking Good Friday off. So the faithful stopped filling the sanctuary today, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday AND Easter. What happens if you miss worship on Holy Week Thursday and Friday? You get a distorted message of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection: going from the celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the celebration of Jesus triumphant resurrection on Easter, without the grief and pain and death in between.
If we miss the cross, we miss everything. If we miss Jesus’ death, Easter is pointless. So I really encourage you to make the time this week, this Holy Week, to attend the services on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, to experience the depth of sorrow and loss, before celebrating the Resurrection Easter morning.
But for those who cannot, I’m not willing to let you go from celebration to celebration, and miss the Cross, the center of our faith. I care about you too much for you to miss the whole point! Hence the long Gospel reading today.
Let’s back up again, to the outskirts of Jerusalem. What you may not realize is that for the Jewish faithful, these were the lead-up days to Passover. Passover, when the Jewish faithful came to Jerusalem, to the temple from everywhere, if they could. So, imagine two parades in Jerusalem that day. Coming into Jerusalem from the west side (right hand) was a military parade, the show of Roman power, led by Pontius Pilate, the regional governor over Judea and Samaria and the surrounding area. Pilate made his presence and authority known from the saddle of an imperial warhorse, followed by a column of centurions, soldiers and cavalry. The message: Remember that you are Subjects. The well-to-do and Roman loyalists showed up in force.
But if that left you out, perhaps you showed up on the east (point left) side of town. Coming in from Bethany and the Mount of Olives, the second parade, much smaller, a non-descript man on the back of a donkey. His disciples, along with those who had heard of Jesus of Nazareth, and those who just happened to notice this unusual procession jumped in. “This is Jesus, the one that healed people, who fed thousands, who brought Lazarus back from the dead. Hosannah, Messiah! Save us!”
And the people threw cloaks on the ground for this coming King. And they stripped branches from palm trees and whatever trees were on the road to wave in joy and honor. Finally, some hope. Perhaps an anointed one to rescue them from their lives of being ruled by Caesar. Hosanna, Messiah, the anointed one! Save us now!
For a few hours, the people had a bit of hope. This young man had Something*. He didn’t look like someone who would take on The Roman Empire. He didn’t dress like a powerful successor. He certainly had no warhorse or legions. But the people were drawn in by the contrast. Maybe something will change. But within the crowd, the Pharisees and Roman officials were watching. This Is Trouble. This is a spark of resistance. And a little bit of hope is dangerous.
Hope. When the people are hopeless, they go about their lives with their heads down, toiling, expecting nothing more than years and decades of the same. Paying their taxes to Caesar, going to the temple, struggling to just get by. But give them a little hope, and it’s different. People start talking about a life of freedom, of self-determination, of potential. Maybe their lives will be better. Maybe they can shake off their oppressors.
A little hope is a dangerous thing. The Romans knew it. And the only way to keep the status quo, the Peace of Rome, the Pax Romana, was to stomp out any hope and any possible uprising, before it could turn into a movement. This Jesus was dangerous. We need to make an example of him, and the sooner, the better. During Passover, when all the Jews are gathered in Jerusalem. We need to show them what happens to rabble-rousers who teach about justice, so that this rabbi’s followers move on.
And Rome’s goal played out over the next week. After Jesus overturned the money changers’ tables outside of the Jewish temple, the Jewish high priests were on board, as well. This Jesus is a nuisance, a threat to the faithful, not to mention our treasury.
And so, Judas was talked into betraying his teacher. Jesus’ Passover supper with his disciples became his Last Supper. Jesus was arrested while praying and put on trial. Strange how the people chanting “Hosanna! Hosanna to the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” within five days would become a part of the crowd yelling “Crucify Him!”
And instead of standing up for this young man who taught them about love, they became the ones watching the spectacle of an arrest, a trial, a beating, and a crucifixion. A Jewish young man, an innocent man who preached what he was taught in the Torah, Wisdom, the Prophets. To us, however, Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified for living out his beliefs.
Mob mentality. It happens so fast, in First Century Jerusalem and in 21st Century America. We line up on this side or that side of what is right. We take actions and say things about others that don’t always fall in line with love, grace, mercy, and truth. And again and again, we are called back to examine ourselves, to repentance, to love.
This week – this Holy Week – passes so quickly. From two parades to a crucifixion. From an outraged rabbi who thought the temple should be a house of prayer and a servant rabbi who washed his disciples’ feet, to a betrayal and a denial. From a dinner gathering where Mary anointed her friend’s feet, to that friend crucified and sealed into a tomb.
This week – this Holy Week – from a celebration today to a gathering around a table Thursday, to a time of remembering the cross Friday, until finally, another celebration. When we take the bread and the cup, the body and blood, and remember that it didn’t end there. Our Lord is a Resurrected Lord, a Living Lord, who is present in our World and with Us, Here.
This week, take the time to experience the whole story, the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Here, or wherever you are. Because without the Cross, there wouldn’t be an Easter Morning.
Amen.
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