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Palm Sunday, 04/09/2017
While we still were sinners, Christ died for us.
Sermon on Mattew 26-:, by Beth A. Schlegel
Isaiah 50:4-9a; Philippians 2:4-11; Matthew 26-27 (The Passion of Christ)
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Where do we find ourselves in this story we’ve heard today?
It was fun parading behind Jesus with our palms waving!
Were any of us among those who laid down our cloaks to give King Jesus something like a red carpet welcome?
Sure. . . .
We were so excited, we would do anything for Jesus.
He was the renowned healer
the preacher for the people
crowds followed him everywhere
in his day he would have been in the top 10 for Twitter or Facebook following
We wanted to be as close to him as possible
But then, something changed.
Here, in the capital city – the seat of ruling power and control
– Jesus challenged business as usual.
He stepped on the toes of those in leadership.
He protested the injustices of those entrusted with setting an example.
He spoke words of condemnation and judgment against them.
And suddenly Jesus was no longer welcome.
Those in power decided he needed to “disappear.”
And there we were
– our resolve to follow Jesus drooping like the palms from the parade –
It was too much for us
– after all, to go against those in power would cost us socially, economically, and even fatally.
1st. c. Palestine was a corrupt and oppressive place, both as a Roman realm and as a Jewish stronghold.
So we joined the crowd crying “Crucify him” because that’s the safe thing to do.
It’s easier to make Jesus disappear from our lives than to follow him.
It’s easier to go with the flow established by those in power than to risk a life of faith in Jesus.
It’s easier to do business as usual than to change course,
Isn’t this still the challenge today?
We love to celebrate and have fun and go with the flow.
But when Jesus calls us to follow him beyond the parade
– to Gethsemane and the time of trial,
To the cross
We find it easier to run away,
To make him disappear from our lives.
Like the disciples, we fail to pray
– we hide our faith
– we flee from his presence.
We don’t want to be held accountable for our sins, our failures, our unbelief.
And yet we will – whether we like it or not.
The story of Jesus’ suffering and death – his Passion – is the only case we have for our defense.
Where do we find ourselves in this story?
we find ourselves in the mess
– and we find God who with his right hand of mercy grabs us by the neck through the Spirit and says “Where do you think you are going?”
And with the other hand – the left hand of judgment – we see Jesus hanging on the cross.
We know it should be the other way around – but this is how God’s love for us works.
God chooses people
who have trouble following,
who are stubbornly selfish,
who like to have fun without suffering,
and who tend to run away from the holy
People like Peter, Andrew, James and John – Mary Magdalene and Martha – and you and me.
And choosing us,
God makes believers of us,
makes disciples of us,
makes us witnesses of the greatest act of mercy we can ever experience – being freed from death row by someone who died with our dogtags around his neck and placing his on us.
During this Holy Week
– the most profoundly sacred time for those claimed by faith in Christ – I encourage you to stay with the journey through the valley of the shadow of death.
Come on Thursday evening to experience the love of Jesus for us that stoops to wash our feet – and our hearts.
Share the sacred meal by which Jesus forgives us and feeds us with himself for our life.
Pray with him the Psalm of committal as we experience the humiliation of his being stripped of his garments.
Come on Friday evening to experience the mercy of God for us as Jesus is crucified for the sins of the whole world.
Enter the darkness of the tomb and know the truth of Christ’s love for you.
Come on Saturday evening for the ancient vigil –
experience the lighting of the new fire that gives light in the empty tomb.
Hear the ancient stories of God’s deliverance and salvation of his beloved people.
Remember your baptism as your birth into this holy people for whom the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the source and ongoing life and end.
And then share in God’s great surprise as the Lamb’s High Feast is set before us.
Then, when next Sunday comes – Easter Sunday -- we can say from experience --we died with Christ and now we live in him.
I hope there are some among you who have never observed Holy Week who might try it this year.
No, it won’t get you into heaven any faster or make you any more holy than God has already made you.
But it will increase the opportunities the Holy Spirit uses to draw you more closely into relationship with your Lord and with the community of faith.
And it will strengthen your witness to what great things Jesus has done and is still doing in our world.
Because as you will discover – your place in the story of Jesus – and mine – does not end with our cries of “Crucify him!”
No – God has much more in store for us as we learn that Jesus was innocent of the charge of blasphemy because he spoke the truth.
As the Roman officer exclaimed when the earth quaked and the graves opened and the dead rose – “Truly, this man was the Son of God!”
May God grant that we each come to be convinced by the Gospel that Jesus is our Savior and Lord, the one promised to come and restore all things.
In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit . Amen