April
14, 2019
Palm
Sunday
Isaiah
50:4-9a
Psalm
21:9-16
Philippians
2:5-11
Please
pray with me,
Gracious
God, as you led the Israelites through the wilderness, as you were with Joseph
and Mary as they journeyed to Bethlehem, and as you journeyed with Jesus to the
cross….you are with us now. Guide our
hearts, minds and bodies on this Lenten journey. Continue to turn us toward you, creating
within us clean hearts, marking us with the cross, lighting our paths and
guiding us every step of the way. In
Jesus’ name we pray amen.
A
friend of mine shared this story recently and I’m allowed to share the story,
just not the name of the friend and in a moment, you’ll know why.
So,
my friend was at a coffee shop, a place where you can get coffee, baked goods
and light lunch options. She noticed a
bowl of small wrapped ‘chocolates’ by the cashier.
She
figured perhaps a college student or local resident was starting a business and
these were out to help that person out.
So,
she picked one up.
After
her bowl of soup, she unwrapped the chocolate, popped it in her mouth, and
began to chew.
In
the next 5 seconds she had all of these thoughts pretty much at the same
moment.
Wow,
that’s a weird consistency for chocolate, that’s a bizarre taste too, almost
floral, oh good gracious, I’m eating soap!
Needless
to say, she was in a crowded coffee shop, so she couldn’t make a scene.
She
headed to the bathroom.
She
tried to get soap out from between her teeth, I don’t know if you’ve ever bitten
soap, but from her description, I don’t recommend it.
I
picture her frantically, yet not efficiently picking soap from between her
teeth.
She
finally realized she needed to rinse her mouth out…
With
warm water….
You
guessed it, then she was foaming at the mouth….
I
can only imagine that it took quite some time to completely rid her mouth of
the soap.
She
may be shy of trying sample anything anytime soon.
But
for her, it was not what she expected.
Nothing
is what we expect.
Think
about that as we look around the sanctuary with palms in our hands.
A
parade that leads to a cross…
Palms
that become ashes…
Nothing
is what we expect…
It
sounds like an episode of the twilight zone.
Because
isn’t that the way the gospel works in our lives…
How
we see and experience God’s love for us through Jesus is nothing like what we
expect.
Even
though we shouted hosanna today, this parade that we reenact isn’t one that
ends with a king on a throne. It is a
parade that ultimately leads to a cross.
Where God will show us the great love that God has for us in the death
and resurrection of the only son. This
final journey of Jesus begins today.
The
folks gathered around Jesus that day were hopeful that he would flip the world
upside down! They were ready for change
and hopeful that it would come through the presence and leadership of
Jesus.
And
the change did come. And the world would
be flipped.
Just
not the way they expected.
Their
shouts of hosannas would change to shouts of crucify him before the story would
end.
Nothing
is what we expect.
The
palm branches that we wave this day as we shout hosanna, will one day be
transformed.
Our
Sunday School youth learned about it at the Lenten Fair as they took part in
burning the palms to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday.
They
remembered shouting hosanna last year and that the palms were a reminder of
Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
Then we burned them.
Then
we talked about how those ashes would be on our foreheads on Ash
Wednesday. That is how we would be
marked with the cross.
These
palms will become crosses, either on foreheads or in our own hands before the
end of the service. Some of you may be
turning your palms into crosses as I speak.
Nothing
is what we expect.
And
so why Palm Sunday? Why sing the
Palms? Just kidding….we have to sing the
Palms!
But
why this reenactment of this parade when the gospel of Luke doesn’t even
mention palms! Today’s gospel only
mentioned cloaks.
Cloak
Sunday anyone?
So
why?
Because
just like the crowds we wonder, who is this, this Jesus?
Who
is this messiah coming into our world this day?
We
live and work among people who wonder who Jesus is.
Heck,
we worship with people who wonder who Jesus is.
Maybe
you, definitely me, wonder how and when I will see Jesus this day…and what is
Jesus’ call for my life? Who is this
Jesus?
Better
yet, if I’ve experienced Jesus, or should I say, since I’ve experienced Jesus,
how to do I tell others about him and his love for the world and for me?
So
yes, we are roped into this procession, remembering his triumphant entry into
Jerusalem, because we too, want to follow this King, this messiah because we
too have hope for the future.
We
enter into this procession because we, too, are excited by the energy that
surrounds Jesus and his teachings and healings and we want more.
We
enter into this procession because we still seek a savior, one who will bring
justice and peace, healing and wholeness into our hearts and lives and world
today…right now, preferably.
So,
we follow and we shout hosanna. And do
we realize this day that our shouts will change as the week goes on?
On
Maundy Thursday, our shouts of hosanna will quiet when we see Jesus kneeling at
the feet of his friends and washing their feet.
Our
shouts of hosanna will quiet when he talks about his body being bread and his
blood being wine.
On
Good Friday our voices will return as we shout not hosanna, but crucify
him! As the palm parade ends at the
cross.
And
on Saturday, we wait.
We
wait in grief and longing and hope.
As
we enter this most holiest of weeks, I encourage you to invite others into this
place to hear this story.
Who
is this Jesus?
Let
us hear his story.
Let
us welcome others to share in a meal at this table.
Let
us welcome others to see his death.
Let
us welcome others so that the whole world knows that through this whole story,
God shows God’s love for each and every one of us.
We,
who know the story, are empowered to share this story with others. We help people see where Jesus is at work in
the world by telling our friends, our family and our neighbors about God loves
us.
We
know we are loved.
We
can tell people that we are loved and that they are loved just the same.
You
can do this; I know you can.
Pick
a service, invite a friend, heck, bring a friend.
Show
them this place and the love of God that flows through worship, fellowship,
service and time together.
And
now may the peace, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say, amen.
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