Palm Sunday Journey

three readings and 3 short reflections

Reading 1: John 11:55-12:3, 9-11 

Reflection 1

Will he turn up?

The gossip in Jerusalem was about Jesus, he had raised Lazarus from death, and now the political and religious leaders are after them both. Will he come to the Temple in Jerusalem for Passover, or give it a miss this year?

But how did we get here. In John’s gospel, Jesus travels widely, but keeps returning to Jerusalem. He is there for major festivals. Jesus has travelled from Galilee, to Cana, to Jerusalem, to Samaria and Cana again and Jerusalem again and back to the Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem and Bethany and Jerusalem… lots of travelling, but always returns to Jerusalem and the Temple.

He travels and meets with people from various parts of Israel. The edges, the centre, various parts in between, and even outside of Israel, when he met the woman at the well in Samaria.

The political and religious leaders are concerned about this traveling teacher, because he is drawing large crowds, and there is talk of him being the son of God, but to top it all off, Lazarus came back from the dead and Jesus had something to do with it, and now everyone wants to see Lazarus, and Jesus.

Jesus goes to a place of welcome and respite, and visits Lazarus and Mary and Martha. In difficult times we need familiar faces and trusted friends.

Which parts of the journey of Jesus do you most connect with: fishing, healing, food, being in the temple?

In what ways has your faith deepened?

[reflection]

Reading 2: John 12:12-17

Reflection 2

The Gospel of John is the only one which mentions palm branches. The other gospels have cloaks or tree branches, but John is the only one to mention Palms.

Palms were a symbol of victory, not just for Jewish people, but for Greeks and Romans as well. Waving the palm branches was a sign of victory.

Waving palm branches was like waving your country’s flag in a parade.[i]

The people of Israel were looking for a Saviour.

They shout Hosanna! Hosanna!  

an Aramaic word in a sea of Greek. The gospels were originally written in Greek, but here an Aramaic word is used.
A word with two meanings – ‘praise God’ and ‘save us’

The crowd made up of followers, and disciples, and the curious are shouting
Hosanna!
Praise God!
Hosanna!
Save Us!
Hosanna!

Jesus enters Jerusalem to a welcome fit for a conquering hero. 
Except he isn’t.

Not the kind they were hoping for anyway.

The people wanted a saviour that would free them from oppression and injustice. They were waiting for a saviour who would make Israel independent, free to worship God.

Jesus does bring freedom.
Jesus does allow us to worship God freely.
But not by overthrowing the worldly powers.
Jesus is not going to fight the Romans, or anyone else, by the rules of this world.
Jesus came to change the game.  

To change the game from oppression and power and fear,
to freedom and grace and love.

And the way he will change the game is by not submitting to the politics of fear, but by love, love that doesn’t give up.

Reading 3: John 12: 17-26 

Reflection 3

 Are we on a journey with Jesus, where love is supreme?
Are we on a journey with Jesus, dominated by hope?

 Remember Lent week one, we renewed the covenant:

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you or laid aside for you;
exalted for you or brought low for you;
let me be full, let me be empty;
let me have all things, let me have nothing;
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.[ii]

We have walked through the final week of the life of Jesus, then today backtracking to Palm Sunday.

People came to listen to Jesus, to see Jesus, some were disciples, giving up everything to be with Jesus, others were curious to see what all the fuss was about, and some followed while things were interesting, and then disappeared at the first sign of trouble.  

Poem:  This is Love

 ~ written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com/

Are we on a journey with Jesus, where love is supreme?

Are we on a journey with Jesus, dominated by hope?

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[i] Working Preacher Podcast

[ii] Uniting in Worship

the cost of love

Goodness is stronger than evil;
Love is stronger than hate;
Light is stronger than darkness;
Life is stronger than death;
Victory is ours through Him who loves us.

Desmond Tutu

http://godspacelight.com/2012/04/26/goodness-is-stronger-than-evil-by-desmond-tutu/

John has taken us on a journey:

·         from Jesus washing the feet of the disciples praying for the disciples the arrest of Jesus – noting that in John’s gospel, Judas doesn’t have to point Jesus out, Jesus says: here I am.

·         Jesus and the High Priest, Annas and Caiaphas

·         Peter denying that he is a follower of Jesus

·         Jesus and Pilate – we heard the first part of their encounter last week.

Then this passage which sees Jesus condemned.

This reading is gross, firstly Jesus is flogged, and Pilate was planning to let him go free.

You could flog someone before you put them on the cross. [i]

Or, you could flog someone, and then say, OK, you can go now, you are innocent. What ???

Whichever, it seems unnecessarily harsh and cruel.

But then the Romans were known for their cruelty and harshness.

Here we have Pilate trying to work out what to do with Jesus,
     this man who won’t answer his questions,
     this man who has enraged the religious leaders,
     this man that Pilate does not find guilty, at first.

But then, Pilate is spooked by the crowd. Once they question his loyalty to Caesar, he must crucify Jesus, otherwise he will be seen as not being loyal to the Emperor.

Here we see Jesus,
     Jesus willing to join with human victims
     Jesus willing to join with suffering humanity
     Jesus willing to live into his calling of incarnational love.

The Gospel of John rarely talks directly about the kingdom of heaven, but in this reading, we see the difference between the kingdom of Jesus and the kingdom of the world.

The Roman Empire, as with worldly kingdoms, uses violence, fear and threats to maintain their position and power.

And then Jesus comes along, with a different kind of kingdom, a kingdom that is built on love and grace and mercy. Not earned but lavished on us by Jesus who is the embodiment of love.

“Servants of Caesar are known by their violence. Jesus says everyone will know his servants by their love.” [ii]

John 19, we see the upside-down world clashing with the upside-down kingdom. The true Messiah and King, by his very existence, threatens those in power who crave only self-preservation and maintaining that power. Both the chief priests and Pilate want to stay in office and stay alive. So, Jesus stands condemned.^[iii]

This reading raises a lot of questions in my mind.

        Where is my primary loyalty?

What do I value?

        What compromises do I make?

When do I let others choose how I live?

What is the truth of my life?

All through the Gospel of John, encounters with Jesus discloses the truth about whoever he is encountering.[iv]

And it is the same with us. When we recognise and accept that Jesus is part of our lives, we change, and the way we see things changes. The way we see ourselves changes.

A quote from C.S. Lewis: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.^[v]

One of the images I shared on Facebook this week asks, how we treat other people. Do we choose to think about a person in a forgiving or accusatory way?

One thing I am noticing about the people I meet in this place on a Friday is the variety of stories, but also the many stories of struggle. I meet with single parents, children with special needs, families who rely on food banks, families where work is intermittent and unreliable.

And for these people, this is a place where they are not judged. A place where they and their children are welcomed, offered food and drink, a chance to sit and chat, to engage with their children, to engage with questions of life and faith, to be taken seriously, to have their lives treated as precious.

And this all happens because we have decided as a congregation that we will be people of the kingdom of love and grace, not of threats and fear.

This passage is gross, it is terrible, the cruelty, the lies, the mocking.

But it is a story that tells us that we do not have to conform to the ways of the world
we do not need to side with power, or might,
there is another kingdom, another set of values we can live by:
   the values of Jesus, of love and forgiveness, and generosity.

This reading raises a lot of questions in my mind.

        Where is my primary loyalty?

What do I value?

        What compromises do I make?

When do I let others choose how I live?

What is the truth of my life?

What question does this reading raise for you?

[reflection time]

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross,

that all people might come within the reach of your saving embrace.

Clothe us in your Spirit, that we,

stretching out our hands in loving service for others,

may bring those who do not know you to an awareness and love of you;

who with the Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign,

One God forever! Amen!

~ C.H.Brent (1862-1929 AD)

Hymn/song TiS 341 My song is love unknown verses 1, 2, 4, 7

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[i] Working preacher podcast https://www.workingpreacher.org/narrative_podcast.aspx?podcast_id=992

[ii]  https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3408

[iii]  https://spiritandtruthpublishing.com/blog/gods-upside-down-kingdom-march-18-2018/

[iv] Working preacher podcast https://www.workingpreacher.org/narrative_podcast.aspx?podcast_id=992

[v] https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/c_s_lewis_162523

which kingdom, which truth

Usually we hear this passage as part of the series of readings on Good Friday. The arrest, the trial before the religious leaders then this trial before Pilate, condemnation, humiliation, crucifixion, burial. We hear it as one long story.

Here we have just 13 verses.

13 verses that tell as a lot about Jesus, and we also learn about some of the other characters in this part of the story.

Last Sunday we heard about the arrest in the garden, the trial before Annas and the denial of Peter. We thought about where we, like Peter, say “I am not one of that man’s followers.”

This week, I wonder which person you most identify with?

Caiaphas: wanting this man gone, but without the authority to do away with him. He needed to stay on the right side of the Roman authorities.

I wonder in what ways we compromise ourselves to stay on good terms with someone in power?

Pilate: the most powerful person in the region. Pilate has been appointed governor by Rome. He was known as being ruthless and brutal. He lived, not in Jerusalem but in a Roman enclave on the coast of the Mediterranean. He is likely in Jerusalem because of the Passover, he will be there with soldiers to keep ‘the peace’.[i] He doesn’t want any trouble on his watch, which means we see him give into the religious leaders, even though he sees no reason to condemn Jesus.

I wonder how we use the power we have? Do we take risks, challenge injustice or play it safe?

Then there is the crowd. I don’t know what to make of them, maybe some genuinely believed that Jesus was a criminal; but I wonder what happens when we are in a group, and you don’t want to stand out, so you do not speak up.

I have noticed in this Parish, that at times people will make a comment to me privately, but not speak in a meeting where a decision is being made. I wonder why people are unwilling to speak up in this place?

and we come to Jesus: a man who seems not to be able to answer a question with a simple answer, even to save his own neck.

But what do we hear Jesus saying? Jesus challenges Pilate in response to each question.

Pilate asks: “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answers: “Are you asking this on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

Are the questions we ask, and the criticisms we make, our own, or are we speaking someone else’s words?

There are so many opinions available, in newspapers, on TV and on-line, as well as family and friends; do we just take an opinion and make it our own, or do we do the hard work of checking and thinking for our self. It is often easier to go along with the group; to align ourselves with a group or political party or social commentator.

Then Jesus seems to ignore Pilate’s next comment, and says, “My kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom doesn’t belong to this world.”

The kingdom of Caesar or the Kingdom of God;
a kingdom based on fear or a kingdom based on grace;
a kingdom based on violence or a kingdom based on love;
a kingdom that values strength or a kingdom that embraces our weaknesses.

Which kingdom will you choose?

Pilate replied. “So you are a king,”

Jesus told him “You are saying that I am a king,”. “I was born into this world to tell about the truth. And everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice.”

everyone who belongs to the truth knows my voice,
where have we heard that before? this phrase reminds of John chapter 10, Jesus says: “I know my sheep, and they know me.” [John 10:14 CEV]

“My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me, and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost.” [John 10:27-28a CEV]

Jesus said: I have come to:

to testify to the truth NIV and NRSV,
to bear witness to the truth RSV
to tell about the truth CEV
so that I could witness to the truth MSG

notice isn’t to give you the truth, or to tell you the truth, but to tell you about, to witness to the truth.

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?”

We don’t hear the answer Jesus gave to this question; or if he gave an answer.

What might Jesus be talking about?

The people we have met in the readings last week and this all seem to have something holding them back:

Peter: violence in the garden, fear in the courtyard
Caiaphas and the religious leaders: backroom deals and false testimony
Pilate: anything to keep the peace
the crowd: fear at standing out as being different

Jesus is the one who is consistently authentic.
Jesus is the one who is aware of the reality of his life,
the reason for his life
Jesus is the one who has lived true to his own values:
    grace and love and forgiveness and healing.

“Jesus’ truth -- his testimony and his person -- is an expression of the divine love he embodies and comes to reveal. This truth brings comfort (John 14:1-7), freedom (8:31-32), and joy (15:11). … God’s truth is from above and offers a peace “not as the world gives.” It calls the one being freed to a new perspective and new life -- abundant but also transformed.” ^[ii]

But when we base our lives on the values of the kingdom of the world, on power, fear and violence, then the truth of God’s transforming love is a threat.[iii]

Last week we thought about where we, like Peter, say “I am not one of that man’s followers.”

This week, I wonder which kingdom we choose, not in a one off decision, but in the myriad decisions we make each day.

Is it the kingdom of truth and grace,
of love and forgiveness,
the kingdom that embraces us as we are
and transforms our lives?

Or do we allow the crowd to sway us, to close our ears and hearts to God’s voice?

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[i] https://www.workingpreacher.org/popoutplayer.aspx?podcast_id=990

[ii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3407

[iii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3407

I am , I am not

Introduction to the Reading

Just before we hear the Scripture reading this morning, a quick recap:

2 weeks ago, we thought about the raising of Lazarus, and the various responses to that event.

Last week, Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.

in the same chapter, Jesus foretells his betrayal, and the denial by Peter;

in the next chapter, Jesus tells the disciples about the Holy Spirit that will come,

Chapter 15 begins with I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower and then,

still in this long section of teaching, Jesus prays for the disciples. We start our reading at the end of that prayer.

John 17:25- 18:27 

This is another action packed story.

After the time spent with the disciples, Jesus and the disciples moved across the Kidron valley, which is at one edge of the city walls.  

Scene 1: The arrest scene:

Now in a garden, Jesus and the disciples notice some people arriving.

Jesus asks: who are you looking for

Guards say: Jesus

Jesus says: I am

Guards fall down

And the exchange again, this time without the guards falling down.

Other gospels have Jesus praying and the disciples sleeping, not John, here we have a bold Jesus. Jesus says I am, the same name that we have for God in the conversation with Moses.

It also is a reminder of all the I am statements John records:

I am the bread of life 6:35

I am the light of the world 8:12

I am the gate for the sheep 10:7

I am the good shepherd 10:11

I am the resurrection and the life 11:25

I am the way, the truth and the life 14:6

I am the true Vine 15:1

Recap scene 1: arrest, Jesus says I am

scene 2: we move from the garden to the trial in the courtyard of the house of the  high priest. Annas questions Jesus about what he has been teaching, and Jesus responds that all his teaching has been in public, ‘I have said nothing in secret’.

Jesus is then sent to Caiaphas, the current high priest, and son-in-law of Annas.

the secrecy of the religious leaders in looking for ways to kill Jesus, the secrecy of Judas in betraying Jesus are contrasted with the openness of Jesus.

While this is happening, also in the courtyard is

scene 3:

Peter and another disciple follow the guards and Jesus, to see where they are taking Jesus. We don’t know the name of the other disciple, but he is known to the High Priest, and it seems on good terms, as he is allowed to freely enter the courtyard. This disciple arranges for Peter to be allowed in. the person on the gate, asks:

“Aren’t you one of that man’s followers?”

Peter says: I am not!

Then warming himself around a fire,

 “Aren’t you one of that man’s followers?”

Peter says: I am not!

And a relative of the guard whose ear Peter had cut off: “Didn’t I see you in the garden with that man?”

Peter denies it.

We don’t hear where the other disciples are at this point, so let’s not be too hard on Peter.

Ever wish you were somewhere else?  

When we hear or see violence, racism or sexism, do we speak up?
...Do something?
…...Or just try and blend into the background.

I wonder if Peter felt a bit like that. Jesus has been arrested and he is trying to find out what is happening, without getting involved. Impetuous Peter, is trying to play it cool.

Many Bibles put headings on paragraphs or sections, and you may already know I don’t like them, the heading on this is ‘Peter denies Jesus’, but I think Peter does more than that. Peter denies himself.

In the other gospels, Peter says, I do not know this man.
Here in John it says: I am not (one of that man’s followers)

Where Jesus says: I am

Peter says: I am not

When do we say: I am not!
…. I am not one of that man’s followers
Not necessarily in so few words.

In what ways do we deny our relationship with Jesus?
in what ways do we deny the presence of God in our lives?
in what ways do we deny our own truth?

What about when we say: I am not enough
What about when we try and fit in with the crowd
What about when we feel powerless to change anything,
and so we become spectators,
onlookers,
peeking around corners,
staying out of trouble.

At the workshop some of us attended yesterday, one person talked of how Christianity had started on the fringes, the edges of society, moved to the centre with Constantine, and then popes and bishops held power with kings and emperors. Now Christianity is moving from the centre to the edges. The Christian Church is no longer a dominant player in our society.

Increasingly we will need to find our voice,
our voice that tells of the transforming love of God in our life
our voice that tells our story
my voice that tells my story
your voice that tells your story
     a story of fear
     a story of difficult decisions
     a story of mistakes
     a story of love and grace and community and inclusion.

What people saw in Jesus all those years ago, is what people still look for today;
     authenticity,
     honesty,
     knowing who you are and
     living by your values.

Do our words and actions say: I am, or I am not one of that man’s followers

Do our lives say: I am, or I am not one of that man’s followers

Our response to challenge
our response to poverty and violence and despair,
will all speak louder than our words and prayers.

In what ways do we deny our relationship with Jesus?
in what ways do we deny the presence of God in our lives?
in what ways do we deny our own truth?

He loved to the end

The first reading is one I really like. While similar stories appear in other gospels, in this case, Mary the sister of Lazarus anoints Jesus six days before Passover.

Mary has recognised who Jesus is, and what is going to happen.

She uses what she has in a simple, generous, thoughtful act.  

But this story is also scandalous!

Women did not touch men they were not related to.

Yet Mary takes perfume, worth about a year’s wages, and pours it over his feet.

Not only does Mary touch Jesus but dries his feet with her hair?!

Imagine that in your mind.

An act of love and adoration, a very personal tribute to a friend and saviour.

Then we read in the beginning of chapter 13 of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Travelling on dusty roads with minimal footwear, meant dirty feet.

People reclined when they ate, so your feet, your dirty feet, were near food and other people. As you arrived for a meal, your host would have water ready to pour over your feet, and someone to dry them for you. if you had a servant, this was one of their tasks.

Here Jesus is doing the work of a servant.

This morning, if I said I was going to wash your feet, how would you feel?

Would you volunteer to have your feet washed?

At college one year, just before Easter we did foot washing. One of the students in my year refused to take his shoes off, he could not imagine anyone washing his feet.

John does not record a ‘last supper’ scene, with broken bread and wine passed around.[i]

John includes the washing of the feet and is the only gospel writer to do so.

John does not have Jesus saying eat and drink and remember me.

John has Jesus saying: “if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you.”

“The primary act of radical, self-giving, poured-out love that plays out on Jesus’ last night isn’t in broken bread but in Jesus washing the dusty, sweaty feet of his own.”[ii]

What does this say to us about Jesus?

What does this say to us about love?

Jesus who let a woman touch him

Jesus who broke down barriers of life and death

Jesus who broke down barriers between male and female

Jesus who broke down barriers between heaven and earth.

Jesus who loved to the end.

Love that is not about roses and chocolates,

Love that serves

In these passages we see Jesus accepting a gift from a woman, giving her status and power.

We see Jesus letting go of power, by taking on the role of a servant

We see Jesus accepting the generosity of another

We see Jesus setting an example of service.

Jesus asks the disciples: Do you understand what I have done?

I wonder how often we don’t understand the words and actions of Jesus.  We might like to think we know what Jesus meant, but I wonder if that is true.

I think that we might be closer to God, and each other, if we stopped pretending we know the answer to everything.

If we accepted that faith is an experience, a journeying, a relationship. Faith isn’t about knowing all the answers, and sometimes even with faith we will not have any answers.

Sometimes all we have is faith that Jesus sits with us in the midst of questions that have no answers.

Jesus asks the disciples: Do you understand what I have done?

I am confident that the disciples knew Jesus had just washed their feet, but what did it mean, to Jesus and to the disciples?

John is the one who records the new commandment, a little later in chapter 13: John 13:34-35

“But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

Sometimes I think we take the Bible and Jesus too simply, we take a lot if it at face value and miss the beauty and wonder, the amazing truth contained in the scriptures.

And sometimes I wonder if we try and make it all so complicated, trying to avoid the parts we don’t like.

What if Jesus is saying, accept the love that is freely given to you,

Accept that I love you, enough to wash your feet, enough to die for you

What if Jesus is saying something as simple, yet profound, as you are loved.

How will you respond with love to Jesus?

How will you show love as a disciple of Jesus?

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[i] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3405

[ii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3405