Sermon preached at St. Alban's, Spirit Lake, on April 1, 2007
(Year C, Palm Sunday, BCP Lectionary)
by the Rev. Carl D. MannThe Liturgy of the Palms:
The Liturgy of the Word:
Isaiah 45:21-25
Psalm 22:1-11
Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 22:39-23:56)
There is really not much to say today. I could point out the differences between the Gospel of Luke and the other synoptic Gospels but that would detract from the point of what we are trying to accomplish.
We began with the Liturgy of the Palms celebrating Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem. Jesus purposely rode into town on the back of the colt of a donkey in order to bring alive and fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9; “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass.” And like his disciples who spread their cloaks on the ground, and wave palm branches, we rejoice at the coming of our Lord and King.
But then the whole tenor of the service shifts when we read the Passion Gospel. Immediately, the atmosphere becomes somber as Jesus prays in the garden, and the disciples fall asleep on the watch. And then Judas betrays Jesus, and the soldiers arrest him. And then Peter denies him and Pilate interrogates him. And finally he is beaten and forced to carry his own implement of destruction to the top of Calvary where he is nailed to the cross, and dies.
This is the dual nature of today’s services; to actively live in the contrast between “the pomp and glory of the triumphal entry in to Jerusalem with shouts of “Hosanna” to our King,” and the sudden change to cries of “‘Crucify! Crucify him!’ as the Passion is narrated and dramatically proclaimed.”
This is the beginning of Holy Week. The rites of this week are very ancient: sometimes daunting, challenging, and convicting, but also sacred, mysterious, and comforting. They are designed to captivate all of your senses and to reel you into a period of timelessness, where the past is present and the present is past. The Alpha and Omega are experienced and we get a glimpse of what eternity will be. That is the purpose of the Triduum Sanctum; the services of the Three Holy Days are in reality just one.
We will not tender everything that is available to us in these rites. We will just experience a taste of what is offered. As the years progress, it is my hope that we will do more and more as we learn together and the Spirit leads us. It is not important that we partake of everything offered but that we participate in what is offered. And it is important that as we participate, that we constantly keep our focus on the Cross.
During this time in Lent we have focused on our inner beings. We have inspected every nook and cranny within ourselves, our bodies and souls, and we have cleared out all of the stuff that has kept us separated from God. It is now time to shift our focus from within to the beyond. We now focus on the Cross just as our Lord did, and we bear all of that stuff, the burdens of our life and we drop it off at the foot of the Cross. The Cross is the next step in the process of our salvation. It is here that our sins are atoned for by the blood of Jesus, the True Paschal Lamb; God incarnate!
Next Sunday we will again shift our focus. This time from the Cross to the empty tomb but we can’t get there except by way of the Cross. It is necessary to go through the suffering so that we can obtain the joy. This is why we prayed in the collect this morning that we may humbly follow the example given to us by Jesus Christ in his great humility. We know that we can only share in his resurrection after we have shared in his suffering and the only way to do that is by way of the Cross.
Let me share a personal story with you. On the morning that my father died, my aunt had a dream. She and my Dad were in a crowd walking around on a platform outside of a gate. The person in charge of the gate called out charging everyone to have their ticket ready if they were to enter through the gate. My Dad said to my aunt, “I don’t have a ticket.” And my aunt said, “Sure you do. Tell him that you were washed in the blood of the Lamb.” When asked for his ticket he told the gate keeper, “I was washed in the blood of the Lamb. The gate opened and he was allowed to enter.
That is why we focus on the Cross because that is where we are made clean by the Blood of the Lamb.
I invite you all to come and participate in Holy Week. The schedule for the week’s services is on the back of your bulletin insert. Try to arrange your schedules so as to participate in as much as you are able. You will experience a paradox; even though the atmosphere is somber, it is the most beautiful week in the Church calendar. Gloria Patri