I confess to being overwhelmed by all the possibilities for Palm or Passion Sunday each year. Most will agree that the core of this observation is the affirmation that life, for Jesus, is drawing swiftly to a climax. Perhaps those in the pews or chairs of Bible study are not yet willing to consign their own lives to accept the unceasing flow of events which necessarily define them. I’ve chosen two readings from the “Passion” side, plus the Gospel account of the Entry to Jerusalem. Some will merely want to watch the parade–but we can’t; it’s calling us now!
“Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me,” says the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 50 (4-9a). The Servant doesn’t hide away from trouble, nor does he/she go into exile. The one who enters the stream of life fully is one who boldly goes into the arena, perhaps with no armor but faith in God: “He who vindicates me is near; who [then] will contend with me?” There are many who will try to contend, and they’re all represented in the street-crowd of Jerusalem, the Big Apple of its day.
Philippians 2:5-11 has been described as a parabola of the emptying of Jesus in order that God can affirm him as Christ. Barbara Brown Taylor calls our attention to the space between verses 8 & 9–“While the first half of the passage is full of verbs [about Incarnation], in the second half of the passage, Jesus does nothing. The verbs all belong to God.” (FEASTING on the WORD, C 2:171) What Jesus did best was to present a model of emptying in order that he could be filled with God. We can make a jump to our individual journey; but what would happen if an entire congregation would empty itself in order to take the form of a slave? And Richard Rohr tells us that this ancient hymn of the Church, whether Pauline or not, “boldly describes that ‘seecret hour’ when God in Christ reversed the parabola.” (WONDROUS ENCOUNTERS) “However Christians decide to respond to this Christ hymn, either individually or communally, they die at verse 8. After that, God takes over.” (Taylor, op.cit.:173)
Don’t neglect the Bold Entry, this year found in Luke 19:28-40. So many paintings, dramas & movies…are there folks who don’t know this story? Just like Christmas Eve, I’m always amazed that there are one or two brave souls who admit that they hadn’t heard that before! As I grow older, I emphasize the “triumph” less and lean on the “bold” more. I’m realizing more ‘n’ more that joining the parade isn’t an option: we’re in it already.
There are so many levels to the Palm Sunday narrative–and just as many dimensions of those on the Journey. Some are more ready than others to jump into the passage of life, which includes the acceptance of death. And that’s OK. Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again.
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My encounter with lectionary passages assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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