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Scroll down for the Luke 22 lesson
 LITERARY FORM OF THE LESSON - The specific genre of
this gospel lesson is narrative-we’re hearing a retelling of an event that, like a
story, has a beginning, middle and ending. As with most stories we have a main
character-Jesus, the development of the story through details and narrative asides, the
eruption of a problem-Pharisees, and the "story behind the story"-"If these
were silent the rocks would cry out."
MOVEMENT TOWARD DEATH - The setting for the story is critical: the entire story is a
slow movement toward a destination; throughout the entire story we never stop moving-Jesus
moves from the outside to the inside, from acclamation to recrimination, from triumph to
magnificent defeat.
STRANGE ENTRANCE - This is really an interesting narrative. Parades for returning
conquering heroes were well known in the 1st century Roman Empire. Even in Jerusalem many
anointed kings and generals had entered Jerusalem like this, but this entry is odd. None
had ever witnessed a king like this one. He wears no armor. Brings no prisoners in tow. No
chariots. Or foot soldiers. He enters just a lone man staged on a donkey.
 For many of us a parade is enjoyable in two ways. We first go to enjoy
the sensate experiences that greet our five senses-the marching bands, the silly, colorful
clowns, the children walking behind the Shriners and bugel corps, etc. But we also enjoy
the parade in a vicarious sort of way. We are a part of the event, share the communal joy
and anticipation. We love to see the children in parents’ arms bug-eyed as they
experience their first parade!
 Below is one possibility for a homily
based on the palm lessons . . .
"Rag Tag Army"
I THINK God must be very old and very tired. Maybe God used to look splendid and fine
in that general’s uniform, but no more. God’s been on the march a long time, you
know. And look at that rag-tag little army! All God has for soldiers are you and me. Dumb
little army. Listen! The drum beat isn’t even regular. Everyone is out of step. And
there! You see? God keeps stopping along the parade to pick up one of the tinier solders
who decided to wander off and play with a frog, or run in a field, or whose foot got
tangled in the underbrush. God will never get anywhere that way. And yet the march goes
on.
Do you see how the marchers have broken up into little groups? Look at that group up
near the front. Now, there’s a snappy outfit. They all look pretty much alike-at
least they’re in step with each other. That’s something! Only they’re not
wearing their shoes. They’re carrying them in their hands. Silly little band. They
won’t get far before God will have to stop again.
bOr how about that other group over there? They’re all holding hands as they
march. The only trouble with this are the ones on each end of the line. Pretty soon they
realize that one of their hands isn’t holding onto anything-one hand is reaching,
empty, alone. And so they hold hands with each other, and everybody marches around in
circles. The more people holding hands, the bigger the circle. And, of course, a bigger
circle is deceptive because as we march along it looks like we’re going someplace,
but we’re not. And so God must stop again. You see what I mean? God will never get
anywhere that way!
If God were more sensible he’d take this little army and shape them up. Why,
whoever heard of a soldier stopping to romp in a field? It’s ridiculous. But even
more absurd is a general who will stop the march of eternity to go and bring her back. But
that’s God for you. God’s is no endless, empty marching. God is going somewhere.
God’s steps are deliberate and purposive. God may be old, and may be tired. But this
God sure knows where we’re headed. And God means to take every last one of these tiny
soldiers along. Only there aren’t going to be any forced marches. And, after all,
there are frogs and flowers, and thorns and underbrush along the way. And even though our
foreheads have been signed with the sign of the cross, we are only human. And most of us
are afraid and lonely and would like to hold hands or cry or run away. And we don’t
know where we are going, and we can’t seem to trust-especially when it’s dark
out and we can’t see God! And God won’t go on without us. And that’s why
it’s taking so long.
Listen! The drum beat isn’t even regular. Everyone is out of step. And there! You
see? God keeps us stopping along the way to pick up one of those tinier soldiers who
decided to wander off and play with a frog, or run in a field, or whose foot got tangled
in the underbrush. God’ll never get anywhere that way! And yet, the march goes on.
Like God’s rag tag army, Jesus comes into Jerusalem unlike any other king in
history; can’t even afford his own donkey. Those who followed Jesus were a ragtag
bunch,
These followers were clearly "pathetically unfit for the grand hopes that danced
in their imaginations. There were woman who now leaped with joy, a Samaritan leper with
heart full of gratitude, a crippled woman who had been unable to stand straight with
dignity for eighteen years, and a blind man who had followed Jesus all the way from
Jericho." [2]
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[1] Martin Bell, The Way of the Wolf: The Gospel in New Images (NY: Random House,
1968), page 89-90.
[2] New Interpreter’s Bible IX (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), page 370.
CAMEO OF THE LIFE - In a sense, Paul’s hymn is a cameo of the life of
Christ, an abridged version of Luke’s story of Jesus. I wonder if the hymn may have
functioned as other hymns today function: as a teaching tool, to fortify faith. The hymn
is most certainly a rehearsal of the salient features of the Christ story stated
chronologically-the pre-existent Christ, the existence of Christ, and the post-existent
Christ.
THE GREAT EXCHANGE - Christ did not cease to be ‘in the form of God’ when
he took the form of a slave, any more than he ceased to be the ‘Son of God’ when
he was sent into the world. On the contrary, it is in his self-emptying and his
humiliation that he reveals what God is like, and it is through his taking the form of a
slave that we see ‘the form of God.’ [1]
THOMAS AQUINAS [FL 11th] - If you are looking for an example of humility, look at the
cross.
If
you were to look for what some literary critics call "brokenness in the text"
what would be the brokenness be in this lesson?
How is that brokenness also part of our own world?
How does this passage challenge society’s definition of success?
Who can you recall who truly puts the interests of others ahead of their own interests?
Below
are several possibilities for a homily based on this passage . . .
First, the hymn provides a teaching about Christ. Like John’s prologue,
incarnation begins outside of time and space and becomes particularized in our own
time/space world.
The piece could also present for us Jesus as the model of humility; the entire movement
would have astonished readers of the first century; such a heavenly narrative could never
have resulted in a servant’s harness. Yet, that very journey has inspired thousands
of those who bear his name to follow down that road of humility.
In either case this piece might simply teach that "This is the gospel. This is
what God is like. This is what God has done for you, and this is what God expects you to
be like. Work out what that means yourselves!" [2] Move to Jesus Christ as
God’s Exemplar for humility and as a way we can fully enter into the season of
Christmas.
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[1] Ibid, p. 508.
[2] Ibid, p. 516.
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