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Sermon for Palm/Passion Sunday Yr C, 4/04/2004
Based on Lk 19:28-40 &
Lk 22:14-23:56 By Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson Pastor of Grace Lutheran
Church, & Chaplain of the Good
Samaritan Society’s South Ridge Village,
Medicine Hat, Alberta “The Passion” This day in the church year is an
extremely eventful one—almost too eventful! In fact, the gospels for
today cover the entire last week of Christ’s life. We move from Jesus going
up to Jerusalem and being welcomed by the jubilant crowds on Palm Sunday to
his crucifixion and burial on Good Friday. This last week of Jesus’ life on
earth fills us with the whole spectrum of experiences, thoughts and emotions.
Today I invite you to join me in placing yourselves in the story—not only as
observers but also as participants. Rather than stand in judgement of all who
played a part in crucifying Christ; we can, if we look at ourselves honestly,
see something of ourselves in them.
First of all, Luke tells us Christ
had already planned his journey to Jerusalem ahead of time. He sends
two disciples ahead, giving them a question and answer password to pick up
the colt for Jesus to ride on. Jesus in Luke is single-minded in his
journey to Jerusalem. Nothing can stop him. This is his divine destiny. Have
you ever felt this way about your life too? Has there been something that you
had to do; that nothing and no one could stop you from accomplishing your
mission or destiny?
Have you ever wondered about the
people who borrowed the colt to Jesus? They may well symbolize a mighty host
of faithful followers of Jesus throughout history. Perhaps they symbolize all
disciples of Jesus who love and serve him without our even knowing them—they
have each done their part, which contributes to the well being of the whole
Church, yet without fanfare or pretension—the are members of “the invisible
Church.”
In Luke, notice that the people
welcome Jesus as he enters Jerusalem not with palms, but by spreading their
cloaks on the pathway. This is their version of rolling out the red carpet
for royalty. Here is a picture of joy and celebration likely because they
viewed Jesus as an earthly Messiah-King who would free them from Roman rule;
yet their joy and celebration was very short-lived. Soon the people will
either shout, “Crucify him!” Or they will beat their breasts as a sign of
deep sorrow and repentance for their part in crucifying Jesus.
Our next scene is Jesus with his
disciples celebrating the Passover meal. This time though he adds to it by
instituting the sacrament of Holy Communion. There is one cup of wine that
symbolizes the future kingdom of God. Then the bread is eaten “in
remembrance,” just as Israel remembers God’s deliverance from their Egyptian
slavery—so the Church remembers Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross as a
remembrance of our deliverance from sin, death and evil. Then Jesus speaks of
the second cup of wine as the “new covenant in my blood.” The Jewish people
of course placed blood on the doorposts of their homes so that the angel of
death passed over them. Christ’s shed blood on the cross for us Christians
makes it possible for God to “pass over” our sins and regard us as forgiven.
In Luke, Jesus also predicts the
betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter. In both cases, have you ever
wondered what was going on in Christ’s heart as he spoke those sober words?
Can we feel something of Christ’s sorrow when those we are closest to; those
whom we love dearly betray and deny us? Is there not something of Judas and
Peter in us too? When do we betray and deny Christ? Could it be whenever we
fail to serve the least of his brothers and sisters; the two-third’s
world; the homeless, the unemployed, the sick, the widow and orphan, the
single-parent families, the outcasts of our society?
Now we are with Jesus and his
disciples on the Mount of Olives. We, like Jesus and his disciples cannot
always pray easily. Prayer is a discipline in addition to being a gift.
Prayer is our ongoing struggle and debate with God. Prayer also is the occasion
to be our true selves by pouring out our deepest agony and pain and seeking
God’s help and guidance. Prayer helps us, like it did Jesus, to accept God’s
holy will.
While at the Mount of Olives, Luke
tells us “the power of darkness” is having its influence upon Judas, the
crowds, and some religious leaders who come with swords and clubs; expecting
Jesus and his followers to resist violently. Yet, in this tense scene, when
the slave’s ear is cut off, Jesus in a moment of love and tenderness towards
the enemy, heals it.
The Passion continues as Jesus is
brought to the high priest’s house, where outside in the courtyard Peter
denies Jesus three times. In this denial however, Luke hints at Peter’s deep
remorse and repentance, telling us that he “wept bitterly.” We too can
empathise with Peter; for we too have denied Christ by lacking courage to
publicly confess Christ in the presence of those who are hostile; or perhaps
we lack the moral-ethical backbone to do the right thing; or perhaps political
correctness causes us to deny Christ for fear that it will have an adverse
effect on our career and reputation.
In the next scene, we encounter some
men mocking and beating Jesus. Here we cannot help but think of Isaiah 53;
where the “Suffering Servant” faces all kinds of abuse and affliction, is
clearly innocent, and in silence endures it all. Jesus here then is
fulfilling Isaiah 53, which is for the good of us all, and divinely ordained,
for: “the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa 53:6b)
As the next day begins, Jesus appears
before the Sanhedrin. They ask him questions about his Messianic claims to
which he tells them of their own scepticism and their own ironic admission of
his identity as “the Son of God” as they make their charge against him.
Believing they have a case against Jesus, the assembly then takes him to
Pilate and Herod and back to Pilate a second to for further interrogation.
Luke, a Gentile writing for Gentiles, emphasises the reticence of both Pilate
and Herod to charge or execute Jesus. This rather glowing description of
Pilate and Herod may be an attempt on Luke’s part to gain the favour of
political authorities to legitimize Christianity. At any rate, according to
Luke, it is only after Pilate makes three appeals to Jesus’ accusers of his
innocence that he caves in to the crowds’ loud shouts; demanding that Jesus
be crucified and Barabbas an insurrectionist and murderer be released. Is
there something of “the mob mentality” in us all? Why are crowds still so
easily worked up to commit acts of hatred? Why are people not satisfied until
they “get their pound of flesh” and orchestrate unnecessary bloodshed? Jesus
continues to be beaten, mocked and crucified whenever the world’s innocent
peoples are victimized by lies, hatred and violence and political authorities
sanction such injustices.
Next, Luke tells us Jesus is led away
and crucified with two other criminals. On his way of the cross, which is
born by Simon of Cyrene, Jesus encounters women “beating their breasts” as an
act of sorrow. Then, when he is hung on the cross he prays his memorable
prayer: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
Even when he faces more mocking and insults from his enemies; he prays a
prayer of forgiveness. Surely there is no greater love than this—to forgive
one’s enemies; not take up violence against them or condemn and curse them.
While Jesus continues to hang and
suffer on the cross, Jesus grants the one criminal’s request, telling him:
“Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Here there is hope for even the
worst of criminals; here there is an unconditional love. Here Luke powerfully
underscores one of his favourite gospel themes—namely, that Jesus came to
welcome and save sinners.
Next, Luke tells us that the earth
became dark from about noon until three in the afternoon and the temple
curtain was torn in two. To crucify the innocent Jesus, God’s Messiah is the
epitome of evil—so much so that it casts a darkness on the whole creation.
The temple curtain being torn in two is likely a symbolic reference to the
new access that we have to God the Father through Christ’s crucifixion. This
access to atonement for our sins is available every day for all people;
thanks to the once for all sacrificial offering of Jesus on the cross.
After the darkness and the torn
temple curtain, Jesus, completes a final act of love and trust in God by
praying: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” and dies. So moved by
this is a Roman centurion that he says: “Certainly this man was innocent.”
The crowds too, leaving the scene, go home “beating their breasts” as a sign
of deep sorrow and perhaps even repentance for their part in the crucifixion.
However, in Luke, Christ’s “acquaintances (i.e. his disciples), including the
women who had followed him” remain at a distance witnessing the crucifixion
up to the very end. Here Luke paints a very hopeful picture of loyalty,
sympathy and love among Jesus’ disciples—not cowardice or abandonment.
In the final scene of Christ’s
Passion in Luke, Joseph of Arimathea, “a good and righteous man” and “a
member of the council (who) had not agreed to their plan and action;” is
granted permission from Pilate to remove Christ’s body from the cross and
bury it in a tomb. Here Luke underscores a very important fact—namely, that not
all of the Jews, not even all of the Sanhedrin were responsible for Christ’s
crucifixion. This is a most timely point. In our day antisemitism is,
tragically, on the rise. We as Christians must stand with our Jewish
neighbours and resist this horrible evil. It is evil, unchristian, and a
distortion of the Gospel accounts to blame all the Jews collectively in all
times and places for the death of Christ. According to Scripture, the Jews
are still, and shall remain God’s chosen people who have “an everlasting
covenant” with God.
Luke concludes his Passion with the
faithful women disciples of Jesus witnessing Joseph bury Jesus in the tomb
and then they go to prepare spices and ointments to come back after the Sabbath
and perform their final act of love by giving Jesus proper burial rites.
According to Luke, women were key participants in the life and ministry, the
death and resurrection of Jesus. What role do women play in today’s Church?
Are they treated as equals in every way with men or are they still overlooked
and marginalized by men?
May God bless each of you as you
read, study, pray, and re-live the Passion of Christ during this Holy Week.
Amen.1 ____________ 1 In place of a sermon, preachers may
prefer, with the assistance of congregants, to dramatically read or act out
the Palm-Passion Narrative. One excellent resource for this was prepared by
Greta Jensen and available on the Kir Shalom website at: http://www.spirit-net.ca/sermons/c-passion-narrative.html. |
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