PALM SUNDAY/SUNDAY OF THE PASSION
March 28, 2021
“From Hosanna! To Crucify Him!”
. . . They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mark 11:7-10)
The celebration that accompanies Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem seems to set the tone of the Passover visit, as he is hailed as the one who comes in God’s name, who will return Israel to the glory of King David’s reign. It appears that the crowds are in a celebratory mood, perhaps hopeful that, at long last, the Messiah, God’s chosen one, has arrived.
These significant days of Holy Week fit naturally into the back-and-forth pattern of spring, sunny and promising for a few days, and then withdrawing to chilly and wet. Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to praise and celebration, and then spends time continuing his usual activities — telling parables, healing, teaching and telling those closest to him what lies ahead. A simple meal of bread and wine marks the first day of Passover, and then Jesus and his disciples go to the garden of Gethsemane, where he spends time in close, intimate prayer with his Father.
The shocking arrest, the brutal treatment, the mock trial, are part of our Palm/Passion Sunday observance. We are sharply reminded that celebration turned to condemnation in a very short amount of time, and the praise and cheers of the impromptu parade have faded like the palms along the roadway.
Gathering for this particular worship service is a unique experience, and I’ve come to accept and at least somewhat understand the harsh reality of what takes place. Several individuals provide the voices of the main characters, reading the account of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion, while those of us sitting in the pews have the uncomfortable task of speaking the words of the mob gathered before Pontius Pilate. As Pilate asks which prisoner to release, we call out for Barabbas, a thief and violent criminal to be freed. And when he asks how to punish the apparently harmless Jesus, we shout for him to be crucified — several times. Saying those hateful, vicious words, I feel guilt wash over me, along with the realization that my sins and the sins of all people are the burden Christ took to the cross, where he made the ultimate sacrifice for every one of us.
Even during this strange, disorienting and difficult year, we are still God’s people, and we come together in spirit, to once again hear the words of hatred and the act of love.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. . . . When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land, until three o’clock in the afternoon. . . . Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. (Mark 15:25, 33, 37)
Thoughtful and prayerful this week,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers