Palm/ Passion Sunday 2024

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M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

How do you move forward, when you do not know the way?

Jesus has walked this path all the time. Although from Nazareth, he would have frequented Jerusalem for the religious festivals each year, perhaps from various different abodes.
And yet, this time is different.
He sends the disciples out to get the colt. He even prepares them for the why and wherefore- knowing that it will seem odd. Why are you untying someone’s animal? They should say
The Lord needs it. And it will be returned.
Jesus does this to fulfill a scripture, the words of Zechariah brought to life. To show that he, Jesus, is the true King of the people. Many have made a lot of the fact that two processions were happening at the same time- an imperial parade with chariots and horses, and this humble parade of Jesus’. Palms laid under foot. Hosannas proclaimed!

As Roger Waters says in the Sabeel Pamphlet “Holy Week with Gaza,” “The arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem on a donkey, celebrated as Palm Sunday, was a profound act in a city weighed down by the injustices of Roman occupation. Tradition held that the liberator, the king of Jerusalem, would enter the city on a donkey, symbolizing peace. The crowds cried out ‘Hosanna’—'Lord, save us’ from the Roman occupation and their oppressors. According to tradition also, Pilate would make a grand entrance into Jerusalem on the first day of Passover Week from the west gate—the main entrance—flanked by legions of chariots, horses, and foot soldiers, all clad in battle attire and wielding swords and spears, a clear display that Rome’s authority was unassailable.”[1]

Somehow despite the lack of pomp and circumstance, of Roman armor and stomping feet, of a show of military force, Jesus’ parade seems more popular. Coincidence? I think not.

And yet, by placing himself in the center of the prism, Jesus forces the authorities, Roman and temple authorities alike, to contend with his claim. Not so much that he is a King- those are others’ words. But that there is a Reign of God imminent that will require us to change, to convert our lives and to recommit to God and one another in a new way.

He knows this is dangerous stuff. He has walked this path before. But it is different now, because he is walking it alone.

And yet, amazingly, during Holy Week, there is an invitation. We can walk this lonely walk alongside Jesus.

Roger Waters points out that many Gazans are experiencing this now. He says: “We Palestinians continue to participate in a continuous parade of resilience, demonstrating that the power of the people surpasses the might of any empire. Every day we shout “Hosanna, Hosanna, help us, Lord, and grant us freedom and peace.’”[2]

We too can pray with Jesus as he prepares for His Passion and Death. We can love him as he washes his disciples’ feet, that perfect model of servant leader. We can weep with him as he cries tears in the Garden, knowing and not knowing exactly how all this will go. We can feel the pain, if not fully, at least in part of the suffering savior and of his mother as he goes to the cross, as he dies. As he is laid into loving arms and cared for within community. All of this is not easy. But I guarantee that if you journey this week with us, be it online or in person or even if you just read along in the gospels, you will enter Easter with a different lens.

Journeying this week with Jesus, let us also pray for those in Gaza, Ukraine, and for Israelis still waiting to be reunited with families or who tragically lost loved ones on October 7th. For the many persecuted Christians around the world, but also those who face persecution in our own land due to their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability or other attribute.
Because all of that connection – to Jesus and to our fellow humans- helps us to remember the good news. That no matter what pain there is in this life, God is always there, walking before us, lighting the path, reminding us of the promise of eternal life given in our baptism.

So, walk boldly with Jesus this week. Do not be afraid, though all the powers of the world seem to crash down upon him. Though our world now appears so dark and scary We know who has the last word. Love always wins. Amen.

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