Passion/Palm Sunday

 This is the sermon I preached Sunday, March 24, Passion/Palm Sunday at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text was the Processional Gospel, Mark 11:1-11.

Passion/Palm Sunday brings us to Holy Week. A significant shift occurs in Jesus’ words and actions as he moves from Galilee into Jerusalem, ultimately to the cross. On this day, we are looking at Mark 11:1-11, the Processional Gospel, detailing the Palm Sunday aspects of this day. We’re using the lens of being Altered by the Spirit, with today’s theme “Victory Altered.”

Let’s think about these words, “Victory Altered.” Jesus was at the peak of his popularity with the people. His followers loved him. On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus is being hailed as the messianic king of the Jewish people. He rode into town, on a colt that hadn't been ridden. This animal was “consecrated to the special task of bearing 'he who comes in the name of the Lord' to the very place consecrated to that Lord” (Bruce J. Malina & Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels). 

These were Jesus’ people, shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” It seemed Jesus had it made. They understood who Jesus was.

Haven’t you wondered why the crowd’s cries changed from “Hosanna” to “Crucify him!” Are they fickle or what? The party that called for Jesus’ crucifixion was a different group of people—the politicians and religious hierarchy, who were threatened by his seemingly frail power. Jesus’ parade into Jerusalem with the people’s praises, was an affront to the powers that be. 

Many people have a misconception of what “Hosanna” means, likening it to shouts of “Hooray!” or “Hallelujah!” The call of the text, however, and the call of the palms is “Save us!” What are we saying when we are waving palms on Palm Sunday? Are we celebrating the triumph of a church? Are we nostalgic for the days gone by? Or are we calling on Jesus and the Holy Spirit to save us? 

In all aspects of our culture, we love a winner. Sports teams, high school to professional, tech gurus, executives and corporations, politicians, parties, and celebrities. 

We love winning. But this trap is deadly to the soul. Jesus offers an alternative narrative of victory, a triumph that doesn’t come through violence or the threat of violence, it comes through laying bare the frailty of empire’s power. Empire will snuff his life out and that usually works — but here it does not. (Lent in a Box)

How do we define victory? Is it having everything we need and being able to say, "But by the grace of God," when others go through difficult times? 

Who gets to tell the story of victory in our community? Is it those with the gorgeous, expensive lakeside homes or school children who now have food for the weekend because of the efforts of Five Loaves and Two Fish? Personally, I was surprised at the numbers of hungry children in our area. On Tuesday night, we packed over 800 bags of food for children to take home for the weekends. Last month, it was over 900. “Hosanna! Lord save us!”

Today, we heard not only of the shouts of “Hosanna!,” but also those of “Crucify him!” By Friday, we will be with Jesus in the tomb, during the time between. Sometimes our lives feel like that’s just where we are, struggling to even get up and get going each day. Life can be hard. 

God is there for us and we, too, can shout together, “Hosanna! Lord save us!” Jesus is just waiting for us to call out to him. There is a contemporary Christian song by Zack Williams, called “Sunday’s Comin’.” In the chorus, we hear these words, “It might feel like Friday, but your Sunday’s Comin’.”

Amen.

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