Palm/Passion Sunday
April 5, 2009
Mark 14:1 – 15:47

　Palm/Passion Sunday

We began this morning with a procession, recalling the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem to the shouts and praise of his followers. Processions very like ours are taking part all over the world today, in remembrance of that parade that took place so long ago.

It’s very likely that another procession took place in Jerusalem – right about the same time as the one we remember on "Palm Sunday." That was the procession of Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea.

Pilate preferred to spend most of his time at the beach – in the spanking new city of Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast. But every year at Passover time he was obliged to take up residence in the Roman fortress built next to the Temple in Jerusalem – built so close, in fact, that its high towers overlooked the Temple walls.

Pilate came with a surge of Roman soldiers to reinforce the army of occupation and to prevent any notions of insurgency.

What a contrast these two processions make: Jesus and his ragtag gaggle of followers, making up their parade as they go along, and Pilate with rank upon rank of seasoned Legionaries. Hear in the first the shouts of men, women and children: "Hosanna to the Son of David." Hear in the second the creak of leather, the clatter of chariot wheels, the blasts of trumpets, and the thud of heavy sandals.

It’s very clear from these two processions who holds the upper hand, and who is in charge – clear, at least, to those who think they know how the story of Jesus will end.

Today we have entered the Holy Week story, have heard it unfold in the reading of Mark’s gospel. Even you and I, who know that on Saturday we will turn another page, and on Sunday will join a very different procession – even we should not move too quickly from what has become for us Passion Sunday as well as Palm Sunday.

Mark has already preached all the sermon any of us can bear. All that remains is for me to offer you an invitation to the rest of Holy Week – to Maundy Thursday, to Good Friday, to the terrible silence of Holy Saturday and the glory of the Easer Vigil.

Whatever you do, don’t move casually from this Sunday to the next. If you do that, you will easily fall into line with that other procession – the one that celebrates the violence of the cross without the victory of the cross, the one that reminds us that brute force always thinks it has won, the procession that leads to a dead end, with Jesus in the tomb and no one expecting another page to turn.

Don’t turn the page just yet. Remain in the story. When the time is fulfilled, the good news will burst out.

　　

 

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