Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 5, 2020

Liturgy of the Palms A

Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11


Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday were long celebrated separately on the two Sundays before Easter, but in modern times they are combined on the Sunday that begins Holy Week.

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (1617), oil painting by Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641). Indianapolis Museum of Art. (Click image to enlarge.)

This creates a jarring experience as we begin the liturgy with Jerusalem’s crowds celebrating the arrival of Jesus as Messiah and King in the Gospel of the Palms; and then, later in the same service, we hear them shouting “crucify him!” in the Gospel of the Passion. In the Gospel of the Psalms, Matthew tells of Jesus’s triumphal procession into the city riding two animals at once, an odd image based on Zechariah’s prophecy that Israel’s shepherd-king would come “mounted on a donkey, and on a colt.” Soon Jesus will anger the authorities again when he drives the money-changers out of the temple, as the Gospel narrative leads inexorably to his passion and death on the cross.

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

We often sing this Psalm as we process into church on Palm Sunday, waving our palm leaves. This ancient hymn depicts another festive procession in honor of a righteous and merciful Lord and God. In familiar words we celebrate “the day that the Lord has made.” As we think of Jesus as Messiah, we remember the stone the builders rejected that became the cornerstone.

Liturgy of the Passion A

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a


When Christians hear Isaiah’s verses about the suffering servant, our thoughts naturally turn to Jesus Christ, our messiah and king. In our Creeds, we profess that Jesus was crucified for our sake, suffered death and was buried. Our Gospels reveal a Jesus who taught us to turn our cheeks to those who strike us, knowing that a peaceful response to enemies is no cause for disgrace. We must never forget, though, that Isaiah was not writing for Christians in the future time but to a Jewish audience in his own time. He prophesied to a people living in exile in Babylon, a suffering body of faithful servants, all hoping and praying for a Messiah and King to lead them home.

Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16

Perhaps the Psalmist who wrote these ancient verses of sorrow and lamentation had Isaiah’s Suffering Servant in mind. We also might think of Job’s suffering as we chant this litany of sorrow, distress, grief, sighing, misery, scorn, horror, dread and more. While we suffer, the Psalmist sings, our neighbors scheme; they even plot our death. But the tone changes from sorrow to hope as the Psalm continues. With faith in God, hope still glows for us like the sun breaking through clouds: We trust in God’s love. We wait to be saved.

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11


Paul sets out these poetic verses from an early Christian hymn, an ancient confession in song that preceded the Nicene and Apostles Creed by three centuries. They declare that Christ was fully divine, yet fully human too, and willing to set aside his divinity – “emptying himself” – to bear the horrific pain of crucifixion as a vulnerable, frightened human. Jesus took on the full weight of all that suffering to show us the true exaltation of God’s love, calling us only to respond with love for God and our neighbor.

Gospel: Matthew 26:14 – 27:66


Finally Sunday’s readings reach their conclusion as we hear Matthew’s long narrative of Jesus’ passion and death. We listen through Christ’s long journey from the Last Supper to the crucifixion. There is much packed into these two chapters from Matthew, from Judas’ betrayal through the institution of the Eucharist; Jesus suffering in the garden, his arrest and trial, his journey to the cross and his death and burial. That’s a lot to grapple with all at once, so let’s reflect on one passage: When Jesus told the apostles during the Last Supper that one of them would betray him, every one of them was afraid. Every one, no matter how much he loved Jesus, wondered if he might be the traitor. Each in turn asked, ‘Surely not I, Lord?” As are we, they are human, frail and weak. And Jesus, loving us still, takes up the cross.

(As an abbreviated alternative, this Gospel may be shortened to include only verses 27:11-54. This passage recalls the events from the arrest of Jesus to his death on the cross. It ends with a foreshadowing of the resurrection with the opening of the tombs and the Roman centurion and soldiers recognizing Jesus as truly God’s Son.)

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for April 9, 2017

Liturgy of the Palms A

The Last Supper, ca. 1560, oil on panel by Juan de Juanes (1523-1579). Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday, once celebrated separately, now fall together at the beginning of Holy Week. This can give us an emotional jolt as we hear Jerusalem’s crowds celebrating Jesus as Messiah and King in the Gospel of the Palms, then hear them shouting “crucify him!” in the Gospel of the Passion. First, excited crowds surround Jesus, shouting praise and waving palm branches as he rides into the city to loud hosannas. But before long he will anger the authorities as he drives the money-changers out of the temple. After that it doesn’t take long for him to be arrested, mocked, flogged and crucified.

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Appropriately for Palm Sunday, we sing this Psalm, an ancient hymn that also depicts a festive procession in honor of our righteous and merciful Lord and God. In familiar words we sing of “the day that the Lord has made” and envision a Messiah as we remember the stone that the builders rejected that became the cornerstone.

Liturgy of the Passion A

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a

When Christians hear Isaiah’s verses about the “suffering servant,” our thoughts naturally turn to Jesus Christ, our messiah and king. Our Creeds declare that Jesus suffered for us. Our Gospels reveal a Jesus who taught us to turn our cheeks to those who strike us, knowing that a peaceful response to enemies is no cause for disgrace. As we go through Holy Week, though, let’s remember that Isaiah was not writing to Christians in a future time but to a Jewish audience in his own time, living in exile in Babylon, a suffering body of faithful servants, hoping for a Messiah to guide them home.

Psalm 31:9-16

Perhaps the Psalmist who wrote this ancient hymn had Isaiah’s Suffering Servant in mind with these verses of lament. We might think of Job, too, as we chant this litany of sorrow, distress, grief, sighing, misery, scorn, horror, dread and more. While we suffer, our neighbors scheme; they even plot our death. And yet, with faith in God, hope still glows for us like the sun breaking through clouds: We trust in God’s love, and wait to be saved.

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

These poetic verses are thought to come from an early Christian hymn. They remind us of the “suffering servant” as we imagine a Jesus who was fully divine, yet willing to set aside his divinity – “emptying himself” – to bear the unimaginable pain of crucifixion as a vulnerable, frightened human. Jesus accepted the full weight of that suffering to show us the true exaltation of God’s love, asking only that we respond with love for God and our neighbor.

Gospel: Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

And now the direction of today’s readings reaches its conclusion in Jesus’ passion and death. We hear almost two full chapters of Matthew’s Gospel to take us through Christ’s long journey from the Last Supper to the crucifixion. For now, let’s reflect on one particular point: When Jesus told the apostles that one of them was going to betray him, they all lacked confidence in their faith. Every single one of them wondered if he might be the traitor. Each in turn asked, ‘Surely not I, Lord?” Like the apostles, even if we believe our love is strong, we worry inside. Like the apostles, we know that we are human: frail and weak. And Jesus, loving us still, takes up the cross.