Readings for Palm/Passion Sunday, 3/29/15:
Mark 11:1-11 (Palms), Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 (Palms),
Isaiah 50:4-9a (Passion), Psalm 31:9-16 (Passion), Philippians 2:5-11
(Passion), Mark 14:1-15:47 (Passion)
Mark 11:1-11
- This is a passage that aches to be
visually depicted in our congregations. That's why, I think, we wave the
palms, or have processions on Palm Sunday. We need to see it, experience
it, and be part of it. In our church, the choir and the children process in
the opening hymn, waving branches. Do you have some visual marking of this
text?
- "Go into the village ahead of you,
and as you enter it you will find tied there . . . " Not necessarily
Jesus prophesying, as some have interpreted. Just Jesus telling them of
the plans he has made ahead of time. We never seem satisfied with things
just happening in the realm of the natural - we always seem to want to add
a supernatural element to scripture, as if it is not powerful enough
otherwise.
- Make sure to compare Mark's text with
Matthew's and Luke's account of events. What do you notice that is different?
What's the same? Significance?
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29:
- Gate/entry imagery - This is good Palm
Sunday imagery - entering in to give thanks to God.
- "The stone that the builders reject
has become the chief cornerstone." Such a powerful verse, used to describe
Christ by the prophets. But good for us too: when others reject us, God
accepts us. In God, we can become the cornerstone, not a rejected scrap.
Hope!
- "This is the Lord's doing."
Giving credit where credit is due. We're not so good at that many times.
- "This is the day that the Lord has
made." This is such a popular opening to worship. Why do we like this
verse so much? I think it does a good job of truly reminding us of the
fact that each day is God's precious gift to us.
Isaiah 50:4-9a:
- "The tongue of a teacher, that I
may know how to sustain the weary with a word." Sustaining the weary
with a word. That's a gift; that's power. Who can accomplish this feat?
Isaiah, apparently! :) But seriously - perhaps this is the gift we're
called to live into as preachers. With God's Word, we can sustain the
weary.
- "I gave my back . . . and my cheeks
. . . I did not hide the face." Let us not think that there is
nothing of Jesus' 'turn the other cheek' teaching in the Old Testament,
that the OT only speaks of 'an eye for an eye' - this passage show us its
just not so!
- "I have set my face like flint." Nice image.
Psalm 31:9-16:
- "My eye wastes away from grief, my
soul and body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with
sighing." This verse jumped out to me personally one year when our congregation had lost 5 dear
parishioners all close together in time. The congregation as a whole
seemed to be 'wasting away from grief' in body and soul. I think grief often
comes in groups like that, so much all it once that it seems difficult to
bear. I have to notice, though, that this psalmist is speaking about very
individual grief that comes not from loss of others, but from a seeming
rejection by others. This reads almost like a school kid who is being
picked on by everyone. I don't mean to make it less important because it
is such a personal pleading. God knows we all have personal pleading. But
an observation...
- This psalm comes in all three years of
the Passion Sunday readings. How come?
- "I have become like a broken
vessel." Nice imagery, given all the biblical language about
potter/clay/jars/vessels. Last year I attended the Northeastern Jurisdictional UMW quadrennial
meeting in Baltimore, where the theme was 'vessels for mission.' We talked
about empty vessels and full vessels. Refilled vessels and pouring out our
vessels. And cracked vessels. What shape is your vessel in right now?
- "My times are in your hand."
Giving God our times. That simply, that completely.
Philippians 2:5-11:
- "Let the same mind be in you that
was in Christ Jesus."
- "did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited" I find this such a unique statement.
Imagine if Christ had used his equality to exploit? What would that look
like? Perhaps this is what the devil was tempting Christ
to do - to exploit his equality.
- "emptied himself" Emptying
ourselves.
- "every knee should bend . . . every
tongue should confess." Hm. This is one of those passages often used
by people who are seeking to convert non-Christians and those of other
faith traditions as proof or encouragement about the task at hand.
Frankly, it makes me a bit uncomfortable. If the idea is that people will
ultimately be moved to worship Jesus even against their will, I'm not sure
I'd want to see that display...
Mark 14:1-15:47:
- I guess you have to ask: why this huge,
all encompassing text, when much of this material will be included later
in Holy Week? The answer, on the practical side, is that the sad fact is
many in our congregations won't be back again until Easter Sunday - won't
be at Maundy Thursday or Good Friday. They need to know how we get from
Palm Sunday to Easter Morning. But on a deeper level, for me at least,
nothing beats the contrast of starting a sermon with the joy of the Palms and
ending with the reality of the cross.
- This text as a whole is almost too huge
to comment on, hence my note at the top of this page on my practice of
just reading/hearing the text. It is the story. How can
we elaborate? I guess I'm not going to try!
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