Year B
Mark 14:1-15:47
The Very Rev. Denise Vaughn
Today on Palm Sunday, we enter what the Christian Church has regarded since the 4th century as Holy Week. Like Christians through the centuries we began this day much like that first crowd so long ago, waving branches of palm or olive trees as we celebrate the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We joined with voices through the centuries, their enthusiastic cries: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”! Yet, very quickly our shouts of praise for the King of Kings five days later turn into shouts of “Crucify Him” as we just heard read in the Passion narrative; a tale of sorrow whose power is great enough to disrupt our lives and transform our hearts for it is ultimately a story of blessing.
It may not seem that way because in the Passion story of our Lord Jesus Christ, we encounter the worst that human beings are capable of: the cruel torture and murder of an innocent person. The suffering that Jesus endured is difficult to grasp. Not only did he suffer physical agony, he endured taunts and derisive comments. But, perhaps the most difficult suffering to endure was the conduct of his closest followers who betrayed, denied, and deserted him. In the Crucifixion, humanity reached its lowest point.
Yet, the Passion story also shows the best we are capable of: self-giving love. On the cross we see a love for humanity that knows no limits. The cross is the ultimate act of self-giving, self-sacrificing love. This is a story about God allowing God’s self through Jesus to endure torture and death which makes the cross seem more like a curse than it does a blessing. Yet, God’s power and love transforms the cross into a sign of new life and triumph over death. On the cross it is as if Jesus’ arms embrace the whole world and we are taught what love really looks like. Jesus gave his life for our lives so we could know what it means to love God and love neighbor by the giving of ourselves to the cross.
It is difficult for us to believe that the way to genuine and authentic life is to bear the cross of self-giving, the total giving of ourselves in love for others, because it runs right against the grain. Yet, when we do, we discover the deep satisfaction of self-giving. In the cross, we encounter the great paradox of our Christian faith: when we willingly give of ourselves in love for others, we receive abundant and authentic life. The promise of our faith is that when we take up our cross and bear it faithfully, we receive a life that is more than adequate, it is eternal. This is why the cross is the ultimate blessing.
On this Palm Sunday, and in the days ahead of Holy Week, let us embrace the paradox of our faith and let us claim that our cries of “Hosanna” are cries of love to a God who gave of God’s self totally in love for you and for me. We are rejoicing with Jesus, as he enters Jerusalem, because we know that, resurrection day will come and through the miracle of his resurrection, the risen Lord has entered into our lives to give us abundant life forever. Therefore, the cross is the ultimate blessing for us and for our world.