Palm/Passion Sunday
Matt. 21:1-11; Isaiah 50:4-9a; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66
In my journey through life I have come to recognize that there are first impressions and there are lasting impressions. A high school student's first glimpse of a college they are considering attending --A future spouse's first visit to the family farm or suburban home --The new executive's first visit to the main corporate headquarters or factory. Such encounters often become a lasting impression that shades all future thinking about that location or situation. For tourists and visitors it is often the case that there are recommended vantage points that will provide the best or most lasting image of a certain landmark or place. There are also some perspectives that provide a new view of the familiar Last weekend I was in Washington DC for legislative advocacy meetings. At one point on Monday morning I was on Capital hill walking from the Lutheran Church of the Reformation to the Senate office building with our son Tim who had spent last Semester there. We were crossing East Capitol Avenue which is six or eight lanes wide when just as we got to the middle of the street Tim said to me , "You have to stop and look at this. It's my favorite view of the Capital dome." And with that he stopped in the middle of the road and pointed straight down the street where it looked like Capitol Avenue ran straight up the east steps of the capital building some three blocks away. He was right--it was a great view of the Capitol Building and Dome --a view that is now stuck in my head in contrast to the familiar view of the Capitol from the main mall.. Most landmarks and historic locations have their special vantage points. When I visited Israel some years ago the group with which I was traveling actually detoured around the city of Jerusalem to be sure that the first view we had of this holy place preserved the traditional pilgrim's view of Jerusalem from the east. This is a view of the city that every first century traveler had from the Mount of Olives --the pilgrim striving to journey up from the Jordan River valley and the city of Jericho would climb the winding roads and switchbacks until cresting the Mount of Olives where they would look down on the Kidron Valley and see rising on the other side of the valley the walls of Old Jerusalem around the temple mount. This is the vantage point from which Jesus and his disciples begin the palm strewn procession that is the source of our beginnings this morning --It is from the Mount of Olives that Jesus reflected on the fate of the city of Jerusalem --and half way down the slope of this Mount--nearer the Kidron valley at its base --lay the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus often withdrew for prayer and reflection and where ultimately he would be betrayed by Judas and taken prisoner. With palms and praises we enter Holy Week from the Mount of Olives. Vantage point--perspective --Our extended Gospel lessons for this Palm and Passion Sunday provide for us a multitude of images that have been captured through the centuries in the form of paintings, sculptures and through traditions like the stations of the cross. Caught up in the joy of the palm procession --there is a temptation to march down the slope of the Mount of Olives singing Hosannas as we process around the city to the empty grave on the west side of the old city We are tempted to just slip right around the extended events of the coming week to keep the good times rolling as we go seeking the empty tomb. But if we are honest we know too well that life is not all joy and celebration. Part of what makes our happiness so great is that most of life is spent in moments that are more common and routine --Yet there come those unexpected moments that lift us up --open to us an unexpected moment. This past week I was reminded again and again of the range of our emotional cycles. The triumphant heights of unexpected exuberance as a last second basketball shot dropped through the hoop lifting an underdog team into playoff competition while withering the dreams of those who thought they were destined to be the chosen sports elite. In 5--4--3.2 seconds visions and dreams were shattered for some and unexpected joy discovered by others. The chant of Hosannas and the talk of a Messiah lifted the spirits of the crowds in first century Jerusalem--Could this be the one? Could this be the promised messiah to deliver an occupied people to freedom? Hosanna to the new king? But what about those who don't believe? Life is filled with questions of purpose and meaning --There come those moments for each of us when we discover just how much we believe--Who and what we really value. The church learned long ago that there is nothing to be gained by celebrations with palms without the perspective of the passion narrative. We do not just have a palm procession --we are also required to settle into our seats and listen to the extended Gospel reading. Here we are invited to once more gaze across the Kidron Valley and see the whole of the city of Jerusalem --The gate through which the donkey passes carrying Jesus into the midst of the Passover crowd with palm branches and Hosannas Watch him journey into the city --climb the stairs to the upper room--break bread and pour wine for his disciples --See him lead the disciples out of the city again across the valley and up the Mount slope to the Garden of Gethsemane --Watch as Judas leads the arresting troop--a kiss of betrayal --a trial by night with charges of blasphemy and false teaching --a death sentence that needs to be approved by the Roman Governor so a procession to Pilate's court. We see the Roman governor struggle to render a verdict that will not cause riots in the streets --yielding to the crowd and ordering the execution by crucifixion. And then we see a man named Joseph from Arimathea approach Pilate --ask for the body and place it in a new tomb --Then as a precaution soldiers are placed at the sealed sepulcher. His own disciples will be the first to wonder: "What do you really believe--What do you really stand for?" They want to believe that they will stand by their faith in him and his teachings but there are so many distractions and forces working in their lives --So many other things to do--to believe--That claim to give meaning to life. Each year as I approach Holy Week I find myself remembering a book I read in my college years. It is the story of The Last Temptation of Christ. The Greek novelist Nicholas Kazantakis offers as the premise of his story the idea that the ultimate temptation for Jesus--as it may be for us --is that of being comfortable and satisfied. In the novel Satan appears one last time to tempt Jesus by offering him another life --one without the crowds demanding more and better miracles --without the conflicts and controversies--the arrest and torments --the suffering and the cross. Satan offers Jesus a comfortable life married to Mary Magdeline --crafting fine furniture in his carpenter shop --complaining about the taxes with his neighbors and drinking a glass of wine or beer with his friends while watching his children play. A life of simple pleasures--few controversies --the good life requiring no significant sacrifice or risk. No need to think of anyone else --they aren't thinking of you so why not just be comfortable. It is so easy to want to just ride around the city --to go from the heights of the mount to the empty tomb --but there is this week ahead of us--this Holy Week. The passion narrative reminds us --that our lives are more than Hosannas and Happy Easters. There are valleys that we must pass through--that we cannot ignore. The good news is that there are real joys that come from passing through the valley. This is no easy ride but our faith has taught us that we do not journey alone --we do not journey without hope. God's blessing is not an easy comfort or even simple joys --God's blessing is that we do not journey alone --we do not journey without purpose --we walk with all those who are in need, want, pain, hope, expectation --we ride with those filled with the anticipation of something more --the Grace of God that lifts us out of the ordinary and reveals the holy. We have begun the journey this morning down the mount and into the holy city --there are several days to go yet But from this vantage point we already see beyond the valley --even beyond the city--to a hope and promise that lies just ahead. --We know that something special is about to happen --something truly wonderful if we but remain faithful to the journey.
Amen