Bethany Lutheran Church

Luke 19:28-40 (NRSVue)

²⁸ After he had said this, [Jesus] went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
²⁹ When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰ saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” ³² So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. ³³ As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” ³⁴ They said, “The Lord needs it.” ³⁵ Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. ³⁷ Now as he was approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, ³⁸ saying,
“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”
³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” ⁴⁰ He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

More than Maundy Thursday, the numerous Lenten services, Ash Wednesday, or even Good Friday, Palm Sunday hits me in a special way every year. Not just because we honor the day as both Palm and Passion Sunday, but because of how out of place it seems to feel in the otherwise contemplative season. How the shouts of “Hosanna, Hosanna!” seem to interrupt our mournful prayer and confession. Most of all, how quickly our shouts of “Glory in the highest heaven!” quickly turn to shouts of, “Crucify!”

At Springbrook Bible Camp (formally Upper Missouri Ministries) in North Dakota, they put on a Passion Play at the end of their weeklong camp that they call Christ Walk. Toward the end of the play the campers are instructed to line up with some of the counselors acting in the story on either side of this dirt path and start shouting joyfully, “Hosanna, Hosanna!!” “Glory in the highest!” while the counselors are ad-libbing others shouts of joy as soon as they see ‘Jesus.’ From here, they go through the rest of the narrative and some of the counselors they don’t see again until Jesus’ trial.

Before they even see the scene, they hear it. They hear shouts of “CRUCIFY HIM!!!” Depending on the age of the campers, when they walk up on the scene, they might see Jesus now covered in blood and standing trail on a balcony with Pilate with their counselors below shouting at Jesus – these same counselors that were just shouting for joy as they welcomed him with shouts of Hosanna and palms.

We continue with the rest of the play and finish the night with the crucifixion of Christ. The next day they wake up and gather around the empty tomb, but for the night, they are left at Good Friday. As the actors change back into their khaki shorts and Chacos, the campers are led to the chapel for a time to reflect and ask questions about what they just experienced. There was typically at least one kid that would ask the question,

“How could they turn against Jesus so quickly?”

It’s a fair question with a not so easy answer. One answer is that we only have so many counselors so some of them had to play multiple roles so some of the people that were cheering weren’t the ones shouting crucify… but maybe they were? We see how quickly the people turn on him in his hometown when he doesn’t perform miracles in the way they want him to…

How could they?

It is such a good question and one that tears at me every time I see one who worships Christ on Sunday but then shout for his deportation on a Monday. Or as we recognize the Christ upon the cross when ordained with silver but not the resurrected Christ in our neighbor when covered with mud and blood. Or as churches gather around another yet another image of space daddy with a beard upon a cloud, but refuse to accept that any body could be made in an image that is as diverse as the rest of creation that God has put into place.

How could they?

I don’t know, Jimothy, but I think the answer lies somewhere in the whole sin thing. And that’s why we need Jesus. That’s why we need all of this – the cross, the tomb, the resurrection, the ascension, Jesus, God, the Spirit, Trinity, all of it. Because it’s really easy to shout “Hosanna!” when we see a God who is lifting us up, but the moment we see a God who is aligning with the oppressed that we are not a part of, it makes us uneasy – and that’s exactly when we need to be reminded of the Christ that is in them as well.

How could they?

They do because we do every day. They are a reflection of ourselves as we are in need of redemption and forgiveness. And so we pray for God’s mercy upon us and upon the world. We pray that God lead us into mercy and grace for others that we may show love and kindness as was first shown us. That we might see the light of Christ that is already in them as it was given to all people in the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. O Christ, be with all people in the weeks to come as they worship you and meditate on your life. As they gather in reflection on the life altering power of you life saving action.

Luke 19:28-40 (NRSVue)

John 12:1-8

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