\u201cHe humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death \u2013 even death on a cross.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [Philippians 2.8]<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In the Name of Christ + Jesus our Lord<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It is startling \/ shuddering to be surrounded by events tumbling out of coronavirus<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
World\u2019s people are scrambling to get on top of this infection even as its descent into our lives scrambles ministry of Lord\u2019s parishes<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Even though these parishes can adapt to useful technological tools to maintain their connections with members \/ friends, such connections cannot fully immerse us in Life pouring out from Lord\u2019s Scriptures \/ Sacraments<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Consequently, such parishes are discussing ways in which such immersion may occur so Lord\u2019s people are not left alone \/ can be exposed to his overwhelming salvation \/ strength<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In these holy ways Lord\u2019s Life can spill out from our own so it can plunge into illnesses that are flooding everyone with fear and panic<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This morning, thankfully, we are drawn into Lord\u2019s rock-solid Life through today\u2019s Processional Gospel from Matthew 21<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In many, if not all, parishes Lord\u2019s baptized people cannot receive palm branches associated with this day, grasp them \/ carry them home to go behind Son\u2019s cross \/ pictures<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We trust, though, that faithfulness \/ creativity of these parishes will be exercised so\u00a0 Day\u2019s significance can still be carried out<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
These palm branches mark arrival of Messiah (Anointed One) in Jerusalem on Sunday we now call Passion (it used to be called Palm)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Arrival of Anointed One is not just confined to this Day, it will also spread throughout days of this week<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This coming Thursday, one called Maundy (after Latin word for \u201ccommandment\u201d), will reveal Supper of Anointed One<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This coming Friday, one called Good (because it belongs to Lord God), will reveal death of Anointed One<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This coming Saturday, one called Holy (because it also belongs to Lord God), will reveal resurrection of Anointed One<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\/ next Sunday, one called Easter Day, will unleash resurrection of Anointed One!<\/p>\n
For people immersed in Life of Father, Son \/ Holy Spirit, this week is greatest one of year!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Week causes us to understand why we worship Lord God, why we confront sin in our lives, why we notice trapped life of world<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Imbedded in Life of Holy Trinity, we have been given peace that is beyond our experience, imagination \/ emotion; we have been given redemption that is not triggered by our actions; we have been drawn into Life that comes from \/ runs on into eternity<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Through all of Holy Week, Anointed One pushes into presence of unholy trio \u2013 sin, Satan, death \u2013 dismantling each of them, permanently!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It is true that world is not that aware of this week\u2019s significance, it is frantically dealing with emergence of coronavirus!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But baptized people of Lord God, ones living in frantic world, press through that to let their lives be restored in crucified \/ resurrected Life of Anointed One<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So today marks arrival of Anointed One in Jerusalem<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Our Lord\u2019s ministry is coming to thunderous conclusion, one that is sketched out in today\u2019s Processional Gospel<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There are five things to notice in it:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
First, there is matter of Jesus riding on donkey<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Background for this is detailed in ninth chapter of Zechariah, one of OT minor prophets, )<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In OT times, donkey was mount of Israel\u2019s humble rulers<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Horse had become symbol of arrogant, war-like \/ aggressive kings<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Zechariah proclaimed that Messiah, Anointed One, would arrive riding on donkey \/ ridding country of horses<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Note that horses represented pride in self \/ driving for self \u2013 two realities that still hound us today!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Second, there is crowd<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jesus\u2019 ministry had been impacting people for three years so he was well-known \/ was attracting people<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But there were also pilgrims in Jerusalem from around world for Passover<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This was annual observance of Exodus from Egypt; it swelled city\u2019s normal population of 20-25,000 to 100,000<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Third, there are shouts from crowd<\/p>\n
Hebrew world, \u201chosanna,\u201d literally means, \u201cO save!\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
People are crying for rescue<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We echo that cry every Sunday as we sing Great Thanksgiving before Lord\u2019s Supper (notice that cry reaches deeply into universe with phrase, \u201cHosanna in highest\u201d)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fourth, there is Greek word that Matthew uses to describe city\u2019s turmoil because of Jesus\u2019 arrival<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This is same word that Matthew uses for earthquake at Jesus\u2019 death \/ for shaken guards at his tomb<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Fifth, there is crowd telling one another that One arriving is prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This exposes that they don\u2019t really see \/ understand who Jesus is as Anointed One<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They recognize prophet, but they don\u2019t recognize Son of Man (Son of God) pushing into world to rescue its people<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This lack of seeing \/ understanding is really exposed on following Friday when large crowd of today dwindles to handful of people (such dwindling is also mirrored in liturgies that parishes schedule for that day)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Anointed One is arriving in Jerusalem!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We not only remember arrival, we also see its growing impact on our lives today<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Remembering is stirred with us grasping these palm branches \/ taking them home to be placed behind wall crosses or pictures of our Lord<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Arrival\u2019s impact grows as we see our Lord dismantling unholy trio of sin, Satan \/ death when he crosses our lives with his Scriptures \/ Sacraments<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yes, we are nervously \/ painfully aware of virus sweeping through entire world, but we are also aware of necessity \/ vitality of Lord\u2019s Scriptures \/ Sacraments as they expose real saving, real redeeming \/ real rescuing of peoples\u2019 lives<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As we participate in those holy crossings Lord God is steadily bringing us to see \/ understand what he is doing<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We are persons who are used to taking pride in ourselves \/ to driving for ourselves<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We are used to accomplishing projects \/ drawing satisfaction from them<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But we are also used to being uneasy, jumpy \/ nervous<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We have invested ourselves in things that world told us were vital<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, investments are not delivering what they promised<\/p>\n
We keep looking \/ searching for better things of this world, things that square with our desires \/ needs, but there is emptiness that gets larger \/ larger<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Only reality that can break into these cycles \/ snap us out of them is crucifixion \/ resurrection of our Lord<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He gives us salvation that does not depend on us<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He enters our trapped lives, he forces us to confront sin dominating our lives, he leads us to worship him \/ him alone<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He gives us peace that is beyond any experience, imagination or emotion<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Today marks arrival of Anointed One!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As Lord\u2019s baptized people we are well aware of world in which we live, but we are going to let him pull us away from its life \/ concerns so our lives can be imbedded in dying \/ rising of his Life<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Palm branches associated with this day, whether they are actually or virtually received, are grasped by Lord\u2019s people to signal arrival of Anointed One<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They remind us that Lord God is plunging us into greatest week of year, one that overflows with rescue of world\u2019s people from realities of sin, Satan \/ death!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now may the peace of the Lord God, which is beyond all understanding, keep our<\/p>\n
hearts and minds through Christ + Jesus our Lord<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sunday of Passion (Palm Sunday) – April 5, 2020 |\u00a0Matthew 21.1-11 | Carl A. Voges | \u201cHe humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death \u2013 even death on a cross.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [Philippians 2.8] In the Name of Christ + Jesus our Lord It is startling \/ shuddering to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,157,173,108,110,274,3,109],"tags":[],"beitragende":[],"predigtform":[],"predigtreihe":[],"bibelstelle":[],"class_list":["post-2328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-matthaeus","category-beitragende","category-carl-a-voges","category-current","category-engl","category-kapitel-21-chapter-21-matthaeus","category-nt","category-predigten"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2328"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2329,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328\/revisions\/2329"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2328"},{"taxonomy":"beitragende","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/beitragende?post=2328"},{"taxonomy":"predigtform","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/predigtform?post=2328"},{"taxonomy":"predigtreihe","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/predigtreihe?post=2328"},{"taxonomy":"bibelstelle","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bibelstelle?post=2328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}