Processional Gospel Matthew 21:1–11
1 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
First Reading Isaiah 50:4–9a
4 The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens — wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5 The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. 6 I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting. 7 The Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; 8 he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. 9 It is the Lord GOD who helps me; who will declare me guilty?
Psalm Psalm 31:9–16
9 Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; my eye is consumed with sorrow, and also my throat and my belly. 10 For my life is wasted with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails me because of affliction, and my bones are consumed. 11 I am the scorn of my enemies, a disgrace to my neighbors, a dismay to my acquaintances; when they see me in the street they avoid me. 12 Like the dead I am forgotten, out of mind; I am as useless as a broken pot. 13 For I have heard the whispering of the crowd; fear is all around; they put their heads together against me; they plot to take my life. 14 But as for me, I have trusted in you, O LORD. I have said, “You are my God. 15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. 16 Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”
Second Reading Philippians 2:5–11
5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Gospel Matthew 26:14—27:66
Chapter 26 14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. 17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. 20 When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; 21 and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” 25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.” 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 Peter said to him, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples. 36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. 38 Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” 39 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” 40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.” 47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. 51 Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. 57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. 59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'” 62 The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spat in his face and struck him; and some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?” 69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Chapter 27 1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2 They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” 7 After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. 8 For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.” 11 Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. 15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. 17 So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” 24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36 then they sat down there and kept watch over him. 37 Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.'” 44 The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way. 45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 55 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. 62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
PRELUDE TO THE PASSION
To be honest, I don’t see the fascination some people have with sports figures, celebrities or even royalty for that matter. However, there are those who seem captivated by the lives that they live. For example, recall the hoopla that surrounded the birth of an heir to the British throne last summer. The tabloids and even mainstream news outlets kept us constantly informed on all the developments. And even now, the royal toddler is back in the news. One thing all this news coverage does is, it serves to remind us that these public figures don’t live like we do: Palaces, mansions, servants, and untold wealth all at their command. And it seems it’s always been that way.
The people of Kenya have an expression for very important people like the Queen of England and other distinguished foreigners. They call them “WaBenzi.” They’re called “WaBenzi” because they ride in luxurious cars like the Mercedes Benz. Still, folks, for their own reasons, like to read about famous people I suppose in the childlike fantasy that they could have been famous, too, but for an accident of birth. It enables us, in our imagination at least, to live lavish lives vicariously through them.
There’s a famous story about the time Germany’s last Kaiser, Wilhelm II, visited the Holy City of Jerusalem. His entourage was so grand that he had to have the main gate in the old city, known as the Jaffe Gate, widened so that his over-sized carriage could pass through. It’s said that after Wilhelm’s parade had ended, someone attached a large sign to the Jaffe Gate. The sign read, “A better man than Wilhelm came through this city’s gate. He rode on a donkey.” It’s an exceptional and very true point; Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Not in a Mercedes Benz, not even in a royal carriage or on an impressive stallion. He rode a humble donkey. This is what separates the King of Kings from the royalty of this world; He came humble, riding on a donkey.
The story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem appears in all four of the Gospels. It was Sunday morning and Jesus and His disciples started out from Bethany, which was located on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives. Their destination was Jerusalem and doubtless, the disciples had no comprehension of what the coming week would bring: the reception they would receive in the Holy City, the adoration aimed at their Master, the subsequent rejection, the persecution, the mockery of a trial to which Jesus would be subjected, the crucifixion and His subsequent resurrection. It was truly the week that changed history. Yet it started out so routinely.
They were making their way to Jerusalem when they came to a place named Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples on ahead, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and . . . you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
Matthew comments, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to Daughter Zion, See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (9:9). The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them. The rest, as they say, is history. When Jesus entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” Thus, this dramatic scene begins the drama we know as Holy Week.
In a conversation this past week, someone said that they don’t bother with the Passions part of Palm/Passion Sunday. They felt that observing the Passion of Christ could wait until Maundy Thursday. However, Palm Sunday can never be understood outside its connection to the seven days that follow. Palm Sunday is the prelude to Christ’s passion and Christ’s resurrection. It’s a unique day in human history. It’s a day for us to wave palm branches, but it’s also a day for somber reflection. Because of this, there are some things we need to acknowledge on this special day. First of all, Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He entered Jerusalem.
Jesus knew the passions He would stir by this entrance into the Holy City. He knew this would be the completion of His earthly ministry. Before Him loomed the cross. It’s obvious that when He sent the disciples ahead to procure the donkey and her colt, He was deliberately fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Matthew emphasizes this connection to Zechariah’s prophecy when he notes that there were two donkeys, not one.
After three years of telling people not to tell anyone who He was, now the time had come for the big reveal. Jesus was deliberately drawing attention to Himself. He was finally, publically proclaiming Himself, King of Israel, the long-awaited Messiah. In doing this, He was setting Himself up in such a way that He knowingly challenged the established order, the established religion, and the established state. The Sanhedrin, as we heard from our gospel reading, couldn’t tolerate His assertion that He was the Messiah. And neither could the Romans tolerate that He was a king. That would make Him a rival to Caesar. The establishment always reacts defensively when they feel threatened by something or someone new that upsets the status quo. And it still reacts that way today.
Look how people react when a mosque is erected in their community. Ask the good folks of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Like most communities in this country, Murfreesboro has had immigrants move into their community before. Some of these immigrants were from Iraq, Egypt, Syria and other Mideast countries. Many of them said that they had always found Murfreesboro to be a welcoming community. However, that was before these newcomers received permission to construct a mosque in Murfreesboro.
Since then the Islamic community in that small southern town has had to deal with public protests, vandalism, arson of a construction vehicle and a bomb threat. Opponents of the project held a protest rally and then sued the county to stop construction of the mosque. Their attorneys claimed in court that Islam was not a real religion deserving First Amendment protections. They also claimed that local Muslims were part of a plot to overthrow the U.S. constitution and replace it with Islamic law. Let me ask you this; what’s the difference between a group wanting to build a Mosque, a Buddhist temple, a Hindu shrine or a Baha’i house of worship? Why are some seen as a threat and others not? None of these faith groups worship the Triune God of the Bible. So why should one group make us feel uneasy and the others not?
Shouldn’t we, as Christians called to share the good news of God’s grace, see this as an opportunity to demonstrate God’s love for others, rather than see this as a reason to protest? Have we failed to hear the new command Jesus gave at the Last Supper, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Are we so busy feeling threatened that we’ve forgotten that Jesus died for all and that we need to share His message of salvation with anyone outside the faith?
People, it seems, always feel threatened when they encounter others who do things differently than they do. Jesus understood that. He knew the evil that resides in human hearts. He knew how it all would end. Indeed, that was why He came into this world. He came to take all the evil in human hearts upon himself; which is the second thing we need to see. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (53:5). Jesus knew exactly what He was doing, and why.
Jesus was displaying, for all the world to see, the evil that resides in humanity. The innocent Son of God, who never hurt anyone, whose every action was guided by love and compassion for the least and the lowest, this innocent Son of God hangs there on a tree with nails driven in His hands and feet and a spear thrust into His side. Every time violence is inflicted on innocent people, that’s what we should see, Jesus hanging there with blood running down His forehead from the crown of thorns and His parched lips crying out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
I’m not saying this to somehow be politically correct; I’m simply being true to the teachings of Jesus. He came to take upon Himself all the evil in the world including the hatred and the cruelty and the bigotry in our hearts. That was the only way He could show us the nature of agape love, the love that created this universe, the love which God has for each of His children. Barbara Brown Taylor recalls one of the legends of Marco Polo’s trip to the Far East.
The famous explorer was seized and brought before the dreadful conqueror Genghis Khan. Desperate for some story to tell the Khan that would impress him, he began to tell the story of Jesus, pretty much verbatim from the Gospel according to Matthew. Genghis Khan liked the story and listened attentively, much to the storyteller’s relief. But as Marco Polo came to the events of Holy Week and told of Jesus’ betrayal, trial, scourging and crucifixion, the fearsome conqueror became agitated. As soon as Marco Polo spoke the words, “And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit,” the Khan exploded.
“What did the Christians’ God do then?” the Kahn demanded. “Did He send His thousands of legions from heaven to smite and destroy those who had so treated His Son?” When Marco Polo explained how God responded to His Son’s crucifixion, Genghis Khan was clearly disappointed, and remained unconverted. Returning good for evil just isn’t in our basic nature. But Jesus came to show us a new view of life. And He knew exactly what He was doing when He entered Jerusalem. He came to take all the evil in human hearts upon himself. Which brings us to the final thing we need to see this Palm/Passion Sunday: Christ came to usher in a new kingdom of love.
Jesus turned the world on its head: a king who comes in humility, a king who doesn’t ask others to sacrifice for Him but offers Himself as a sacrifice for all. Jesus came to show us a king who builds the foundation of His kingdom, not on the power of the sword, but on the power of love.
We’re told that over the entrance to the Upper Room in Jerusalem is carved a pelican. Replicas of a pelican were also found on the shields of the crusaders. Why the pelican? There existed in those days a tradition that when the mother pelican could find no food for her young, she would tear out her heart as food for them. Humanity had never been exposed before to a God who would go to a cross.
Humanity had never before been exposed to a God who loves like that, who would tear out His own heart for His people. And yet, here’s the hope of all who are in pain and call upon the name of God. In Jesus Christ, God has been where we are. In Jesus Christ, God has experienced what we experience.
Pastor Eugene Nelson, tells about being on a retreat sometime back with a fellow pastor named Fran Geddes. Fran, says Nelson, is fairly well known in New Age circles in that area. New Age people have little use for the cross. So as they were talking about the cross toward the end of that retreat, they were absolutely shocked when Fran Geddes of all people, said he still affirmed the cross of Jesus. He then told the tragic story of his son.
When his family lived in San Francisco, Fran’s son went to school in that city and rode the bus every day. One day, coming home from school, he was the last one off the bus. This day, as he was getting off the bus his coat was caught in the closing door. The bus pulled away and before anyone could do anything, the boy was swept under the bus, run over and killed instantly. It was a tragic accident.
Fran described for retreat members the incredible dark night of grief that he and his wife went through. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, he didn’t know how he could ever pick up his life again. He said one night as he was lying awake, as he did so often then, he had this vision, this image of Jesus on the cross. He said in that moment he suddenly realized, as he thought of Jesus on the cross, “that there was no pain I could feel that God didn’t feel, there was no grief I could feel that God didn’t feel.” In that moment he realized how intimately God shared this painful time in his life. He knew, in that moment, “Jesus walks with me.” Geddes concluded, “And because of that, in my ministry, I will always affirm the cross of Christ.” I, too, affirm that cross.
James Denney, the Scottish theologian, once said, concerning the crucifixion, that as a Protestant he envied the Roman Catholic priest with his crucifix. “I would like to go into every church in the land,” he said, “and holding up the crucifix, cry to the congregation, ‘God loves like that.’”
As much as we’d like, we cannot separate Palm Sunday from the week that follows it. Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He entered Jerusalem. He came to take all the evil in human hearts upon Himself. He came to usher in a new kingdom of love. In order to usher in that kingdom, God revealed on Golgotha His immense love for humanity. The cross was the ultimate gift of love and best of all, God loves each and every one of us like that!
Amen