Palm Sunday
March 20th, 2005
Sermon by The Reverend Pamela P. Snare

"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave..." (Philippians 2:5-7a)

"Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?' " (Matthew 26:52-53)

Palm Sunday is a day of contrast and contradiction. It begins with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and ends, a few days later, with his crucifixion. We begin by saying or singing hosannas; but then, our voices which praised Jesus shortly before, are shouting, "Let him be crucified. Let him be crucified." It is, if you will, a liturgical rollercoaster. But a rollercoaster which reminds us of the truth about ourselves. It reminds us of our own fickleness. It reminds us of our own weakness. It reminds us of our sin. It reminds us of our incapacity to be stable, steadfast, constant in our love for Christ, expressed not just with our lips, but most importantly and concretely, in our lives.

One could say that Palm Sunday is a downer. Indeed one could say of all the services this week, at least until the Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday evening, that they are downers. Because at the heart of today's liturgy and Maundy Thursday's liturgy and Good Friday's liturgy is a solemn account of betrayal and disloyalty, suffering and death.

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend - someone you loved and who, you thought, loved you? Have you ever been the object of lies? Have you ever been accused of something unjustly? Have you been ridiculed - the object of others' sarcasm and scorn? Have you ever suffered unjustly - been the object, the recipient, of another's evil, malice, hatred? If so, then you have a point of identification with the heart of God - with Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the story of his life and death.

Why does the church call to our remembrance, put before us, this story of betrayal and disloyalty, suffering and death? It's hard, you know. It's hard to hear the story of Jesus' last days and his death by crucifixion. It's hard not only to hear it, but to live it with him.

It's as hard as seeing documentaries about the Holocaust. It's as hard as seeing news clips from the sixties with fire hoses, police dogs, and clubs being used on civil rights demonstrators. It's as hard as hearing stories of apartheid, genocide, murders, torture. It is as hard as watching the daily news. And that, my friends, is exactly the point.

Could a God who knew nothing of human suffering, nothing of human injustice, nothing of human pain, nothing of the evil which we visit upon each other, could a God who knew nothing of what we see and hear and experience ever win our love? Ever be a source of comfort and strength and hope for us? Ever secure our loyalty, and praise and worship?

As Archbishop William Temple wrote, "Only a God in whose being pain has its place can win and hold our worship. Otherwise the creature would, in fortitude, surpass the Creator." We listen to this story because of what it reveals to us of the heart of God as shown us in Jesus Christ. He is not willing to ask anything of us that he has not experienced and lived himself - including betrayal, and disloyalty, suffering and death.

But let's take this revelation of God in Christ a step further. He who is God freely chooses to share our human lot. He condescends to us. He freely chooses to take upon himself, to be subject to, all the evil that has ever been and all the evil that will ever be, and all of the suffering that results from evil - from the sin of the world. He who has the power to avoid this evil, to escape this suffering chooses not to avoid it, but to undergo it.

When Jesus is arrested in the garden, and one of his followers pulls out a sword to resist Jesus' attackers, he says, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" But Jesus does not appeal to his Father. As he hangs on the cross, those watching taunt him: "You who would destroy the temple and build it in 3 days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!" But Jesus does not. He who could do this, freely chooses not to.

As Raymond Brown writes, "If Jesus proclaims the Kingdom...of God, both in life and in death, he manifests a God whose very being is not acquisitive, but self-giving...God's ultimate power is the power to renounce power."

Or in the words of an early Christian hymn to Christ, "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave...."

However difficult it may be for us, my friends, to hear and to relive the story of Jesus' betrayal and crucifixion, it is the most important thing that we will do this week. It is our invitation to draw near to the heart of God - to see up close how God's way differs from the ways of the world. We can hardly conceive of what it means not to resist evil, but to overcome evil with good. We can hardly conceive of what it means to turn the other cheek. We can hardly conceive of the power to renounce power. We can hardly conceive of the willingness to embrace suffering for the good of another. We can hardly conceive of not returning violence for violence, ridicule with ridicule, sarcasm with sarcasm.

We speak so freely and easily of the love of God. The cross shows us what it costs God to love as he loves; to forgive as he forgives; to be merciful as he is merciful.

The cross reminds us that the greatest disservice we can do to the gospel of Christ is to think that it is easy; to reduce it to a code of good behavior, moral law, human decency or politeness. The gospel is about us being remade from the inside out. The gospel is about us sharing the cross with Jesus. The gospel is about making us a community of people who do not return violence with violence, ridicule with ridicule, evil for evil. The gospel is about us sharing with Jesus the cost of loving sacrificially for the good and the salvation of others. The gospel is about us receiving from Jesus the power to renounce power.
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus..."

Our task this week my friends, is simply to be present at the foot of the cross. To watch what it costs God to forgive as he forgives. To watch what it costs God to love as he loves. To watch what it means to have the power to renounce power.
If we accept his invitation, we will not leave without being changed; we will not leave without being strengthened; we will not leave without being blessed.

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Amen.

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