The Church of St.
Paul and Incarnation, Jersey City NJ
April 5, 2020
Year A: The Sunday of
the Passion – Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 27:11-54
Crisis: A Time of Decision
In
this time of crisis, there is so much that we miss.
We
miss our usual ways of doing things.
We
miss work and school.
Maybe
maybe most of all, we miss being with our people – we miss just being together
with family and friends, neighbors and parishioners.
Technology
like what we’re using right now is great but it doesn’t quite cut it, right?
Sue
and I are doing our best, but this morning I’m missing our usual way of
beginning this service.
I’m
missing our gathering in the garden, with some people lining up carefully along
the walks and others roaming around aimlessly.
I’m
missing handing out the palms to all of you and I’m missing our ragtag little palm
parade singing “Ride On, King Jesus” not quite in unison, slowly making our way
into the church where we transition to “All Glory Laud and Honor” – with a
little time in-between that’s usually a kind of mash-up of those two hymns.
People
who arrive late are often confused by what’s going on, wondering where they
should stand or walk, looking around anxiously, trying to find their place in
this once a year service, hoping that there are still some palms left for them,
too.
It’s
generally a confusing start to the service.
And,
being a bit of a control freak, in my first couple of years here I tried to impose
some more order on all of this but then I realized that it was hopeless – and,
more important, I recognized that the confusion and disorientation are a big part
of what this holy day is all about.
The
confusion is even in the name of this holy day: The Sunday of the Passion –
Palm Sunday – a kind mash-up, just like our two opening hymns.
We
begin with a triumphant parade as this most unlikely King enters his capital
city.
The
people shout for joy, eager to welcome Jesus of Nazareth, or maybe just swept
up in the excitement of a parade.
But, the mood
quickly changes as Jesus is arrested and soon enough the people shout again,
not with joy this time, but out of anger and disappointment.
A journey that had
begun with so much hope now seems to end in despair as Jesus dies alone, crying
out, quoting Psalm 22, “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?”
Yes, even in the
best of times, this is a most confusing and disorienting day.
And, of course, we
are not in the best of times.
But, maybe our own
troubles, our own sense of disappointment, our own despair – our own time of
crisis - can actually help us see more clearly the events of two thousand years
ago – and what they mean for us today.
Jesus entered a
city in crisis.
The city was under
Roman occupation and governed by Jewish authorities trying their best to keep
the peace no matter what, knowing that the Romans wouldn’t hesitate to brutally
crush any sign of rebellion.
Jesus entered a
city in crisis, a city on edge, a city filling up with people preparing for
Passover, people remembering God’s long-ago acts of liberation and looking for
God to unchain them once again.
Jesus had been
teaching and healing for a few years, getting at least a few people to wonder
if he might be the one who was to come and save his people.
But when he
entered the city in crisis, when he rode the colt in the palm parade, he made his
decision – whatever name we give to this disorienting day, it was and is a time
of decision.
By entering the
city in crisis, Jesus decided to see his mission through, all the way to the
cross and beyond.
By riding in the
parade, Jesus decided to humble himself, not using his divine power or
authority, but instead submitting to the authorities of the world.
Jesus decided to
humble himself – humbled himself so fully that he cried out in despair, for a
time seemingly unable to feel the loving presence of his Father.
Jesus decided to
humble himself, dying alone on the cross.
Crisis: a time of
decision.
But, it wasn’t
just a time of decision for Jesus.
No, everyone in
this story had to decide, too.
The crowd gathered
along the parade route welcoming Jesus and the crowd that rejected him.
The Roman and
Jewish authorities that chose to destroy an innocent and holy life rather than
risking their own power and security.
And, yes, it was a
day of decision for Jesus’ disciples, too – the disciples who had been given
front row seats for all the teachings and healings – sight for a blind man, the
raising of a dead man – the disciples who had spent so many days with Jesus,
coming to recognize that he was their friend, teacher and Lord, the One who had
been so long awaited.
Yes, it was a time
of decision for the disciples, too – and one decided to betray Jesus and
another denied him three times and the rest decided to save their own skin by
making themselves scarce.
All who remained
were a few brave and heartbroken women, keeping their distance, looking at the
cross where it must have seemed like hope itself had died.
Crisis: a time of
decision.
And now here we
are in our own time of crisis.
We miss so much –
we miss each other – we miss our little chaotic palm parade – we miss hearing
lots of different voices read the Passion – we miss a sense of security that is
perhaps gone from our lives forever.
But maybe our time
of crisis can help us see this confusing and disorienting day more clearly.
Because the truth
is, this is a time of decision for us, too.
In our time of
crisis we can be like the characters in Jerusalem that day long ago – paying
for our security at the expense of others - welcoming Jesus when everybody else
shows up for the parade but then turning on him at the first sign of trouble or
when things don’t go the way we want or expect – abandoning Jesus when it looks
like following him might cost us something.
Or…we can decide
to follow Jesus’ lead and ride boldly into the future, knowing that it will
often be hard and painful and we will sometimes feel very sad and alone, and
yet trusting that God is at work in the midst of even the worst suffering, somehow
turning even the deepest despair into the most unexpected hope.
If Gail were here
right now, I’d ask to her to play a few notes of, “I Have Decided to Follow
Jesus.”
You’ll just have
to sing or hum a little on your own, because…
In
this time of crisis, during these most difficult and yet holiest days, let’s decide
to follow Jesus - follow Jesus all the way to the cross, follow Jesus all the
way to the tomb, follow Jesus all the way to Easter.
Amen.
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