I can tell that everyone must be glad just to have another Sunday
behind her/him, but I was thinking about selecting the John passage
for Passion/Palm Sunday, looking at the topic "Caught up in the
Moment." Many Americans have gotten caught up in the moment in the
issue of the custody battle over a six year old Cuban boy. I have a
lot of ambivolence about this hot issue and wonder when will the
slow news days end so that we can move on. It seems to me that this
is just another media driven news item, and many are caught up in
the moment. Don't get me wrong. I am not standing in judgement of
those who have intense opinions about it. It just seems to parallel
the human dynamics involved in the scene of the Palm Sunday
spectacle. (I wonder if Tex Samples would allow me to call it a
spectacle). What do you think? Tenn. Mack
Elian is a real human being who has become a symbol of the Cuban-american
experience. His arrival by sea embodied courage, endurance, and
tragedy. His family's fight to keep him displays the unity of the
"exiles" against a common enemy ( Castro, not the dad, primarily ).
The question of his staying or leaving is the underlying dynamic of
a people who sacrificed home, family, tradition for the value of
freedom. I do not think this is a media event. The media can barely
capture the intensity of the Cuban community's attachment to the
issues the little boy embodies. So perhaps this is a good sermon
illustration for Palm Sunday. Jesus captured the hopes and dreams of
an occupied people; a people who had lost their homeland to an
invading army; a people who desperately desired their freedom, who
clung to their heritage in spite of the forces that tried to destroy
it through courage, endurance, and tragedy. I would guess that in
Jesus' case, in the minds of some -especially Judas, he betrayed
them. He refused to take up arms to be crowned king to allow the
mantle of military savior to be put upon his shoulders. He allowed
"the enemy" to win. No wonder they shouted "Crucify Him!" Pam in
Tampa, and formerly a pastor in Miami (siete anos)
Every Palm Sunday I am tempted to preach on the story as relayed in
Jesus Christ Superstar. The picture of the crowd as they are
shouting, the displeasing look of the religious leaders and the
music of Hosanna, Hasanna, sanna sanna Ho. Yes, the theology of the
play is rather watered down, but the scene seems to catch much of
the moment. Especially poignant is the final stanza that ends with
"will you die for me" along with the shocked look of Jesus (at least
in the movie). It seems to set the scene for the week ahead. We need
to sing hosanna for Good Friday is but 5 days away, followed by the
rememberance of the resurrection. Hosanna indeed! Clint in
Pittsburgh.
My first post, but befor I begin...THANK YOU! Comments and direction
found on this site have been helpful. Now for the "post:" I am
struck with John 12:18 "The reason why the crowd went to meet him
was that they heard he had done this sign. My thinking is to show
the difference between miracle based faith and a faith grown out of
a relationship with Christ. Thoughts on this? Sue from SA, Tx
My apologies in advance - Pardon the length. I was just typing my
thoughts when I read what I typed I suddenly realized I thought too
long.
In looking at this passage I was drawn to the three
characterizations: 1) The Pharisees, 2) The Crowd and 3) The
Disciples.
The Pharisees are doing what they always seem to be doing - they are
worried about how they are going to maintain and defend their
position. They are, after all, the "Religious Leaders." It is their
privileged task to uphold the current practice, to stand against
unorthodox viewpoints, to see to it that the power structures are
not upset (for the good of the people!). They take a great deal of
pride in just being who they are - God's chosen ones. They are
extremely cautious, somewhat fearful and very aloof - if not
amazingly arrogant at times. More often then not, we are them. The
Church generally doesn't like to see itself as pharisaic, but "If it
looks like a duck..." Well, you know the rest.
Now the Crowd is different. They are not at all wary of Jesus and
his new ways of doing things. In fact he is just what they have
always hoped for. He can stop suffering, feed hungry people, and
even raise the dead. He is almost too good to be true, but here he
is in the flesh - and he is one of us! The crowd sees Jesus as
theirs. He will take care of all those dirty little problems that
have made life crummy, and they will finally get what God has always
said they should have. They will live the good life and the rest of
the world will be left wishing they had Jesus on their side!
Interestingly enough, this seems to describe another prevalent
Church mentality.
In fact, the Church that resembles the Crowd and the Church that
resembles the Pharisees often like to take pot shots at each other,
because their faults are so obvious.
Now, The Disciples are confused... like always. John tells us that
they didn't understand what Jesus was up to that day, not until much
later. They rarely seemed to know what Jesus was up to, like when
Jesus decided to return for Lazarus' death, or when they found Jesus
talking to a Samaritan woman, or etc. etc. etc. They don't
understand, but they are pretty sure that Jesus has "...the words of
eternal life..." and that Jesus is "...the Holy One of God."
(6:68,69) So they keep following, hoping that they will catch on.
And this is a tiny portion of the Church - am I right? But, this is
a potentially explosive portion, should they come to an
understanding of what Jesus is truly up to.
So, the question must be, "How does a disciple of Jesus really come
to understand the sort of things Jesus does and says?" And the
answer, I believe, is there in verse 16.
To fully understand Jesus as a Disciple, to stop viewing him from a
Pharisaic position or as a member of the Crowd, we seem to need to
view him through his glory. We need to see him through the events of
the coming week. Through the cross and through the resurrection, and
through the realization that he received glory from the Father by
being humbly obedient to will of the Father and not his own desires.
Now, this isn't "new" news, it is just the same old "good" news...
but, it is all right there in this passage.
Tom in CA
Could use some help here! The verses preceeding this lection and the
several after it relate to the raising of Lazarus. The people in
Jerusalem who come out to meet Jesus are those who have heard of the
raising of Lazarus. I wonder if they know any more than the
disciples, who don't understand. Jesus is on the way to the cross,
so does all this celebration make sense. Today, the church likes to
celebrate. We love Easter and want to by-pass the cross. Is this
what's happening on Palm Sunday? Philip in Ohio
