Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, March 24, 2013.

The Entry into Jerusalem

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40
Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, an allusion to the prophet Zechariah that wouldn’t have been lost on the Jewish throngs: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.!” The Roman rulers and Jewish authorities wouldn’t have been happy about that, but the crowds, says Luke, responded with a song of joy right out of Psalm 118: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”We repeat this song of praise every time we celebrate the Eucharist.

Psalm: Psalm 118
As we read these verses, which are thought to be an ancient collection of Temple songs of celebration and praise titled “A Song of Victory,” imagine a joyous crowd clapping hands and singing loudly. celebrating the Lord their God, whose steadfast love endures forever.

Liturgy of the Passion C

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Grief and pain fill our readings as Holy Week comes near; but there is hope here, too, the hope that lies in faith and trust. To the ancients, Isaiah’s Servant figure probably stood for Israel suffering in exile in hope of returning home with God’s help. It’s not hard for Christians to find Jesus symbolism here, though, particularly in the prophet’s clear call to turn the other cheek against our enemies, knowing that God is with us.

Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16
If you’ve ever suffered from serious depression or known and loved anyone who has, you’ll see that the Psalmist deeply understands this numbing anguish that can sap the strength of body, mind and soul. But even in the black depths, there’s hope! Even when things seem darkest, trust in God and pray: “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
Paul, writing to the people of Philippi from prison in Rome, might very well have had Isaiah’s Servant in mind as he wrote. Jesus’s death on the cross is significant, Paul says, because Jesus “emptied himself,” becoming one with us even in suffering, accepting human frailty as he bore the gruesome pain of crucifixion. We, too, like Paul, are called to serve God and our neighbor in the name of Jesus, who became “more” through becoming ‘less.”

Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:49
Palm Sunday brings us to Holy Week with Luke’s full account of Jesus’s Last Supper, Passion and Crucifixion. And now Jesus, too, calls us to service: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. … But I am among you as one who serves.” What might this look like in your life? How are you called to serve?