"With friends like these..."

Preface:

The opening verse of our first Lesson, Isaiah 50:4-9, in the words of the New Living Translation reads, “The LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary.”  After over long five years of ministering to and with you here at St. David’s, I hope and trust that I may have been faithful to those words.  True, they were Isaiah’s words.  But l hope and pray that I have been proved faithful to such lofty aim. 

Hosanna! by Mike Moyers, 2022.

“With friends like these…”

Let me suggest another title for today’s sermon – “Did the crowds ‘waved’ or ‘waived’ the palms?”

If you know the story of the Passion, it is easy to understand that even if indeed the crowds waved the palms on the arrival of Jesus to the city gates, just a few days later they waived away Jesus and waved in Barrabas.

The week of the Passion – or Holy Week – begins today with the crowds welcoming “The One Who Comes in the Name of the Lord”.  In other words, they were expecting Jesus, as the Long-Expected Christ arriving to Jerusalem to kick out the rascals and to bring everything back to good order.

As we know, the days ahead proved the crowds’ expectations wrong.  And, as we further know, if Jesus was not going to fit the mold of their expectations, they had no room for Him.  So, throwing their palms away, they waived Jesus away to His death.

Next Sunday, Easter Sunday, we are going to celebrate the Resurrection, the birth of the Hope of Redemption and the end of the terrors of death.  The week, in a way encapsulates the whole drama of human history, which as we know ends up in glorious triumph.

So, as we are about to complete our Lenten Journey, a good question to ask ourselves is, “Which character I can see myself playing in this Holy Week’s drama?”

Let me suggest, that we all can play all the characters.  For, like all the characters of Holy Week’s drama, we too waive between the “waving” of Palm Sunday and the “waiving” of Good Friday.

Peter swore to go all in for Jesus and then claimed that he knew nothing about Him.  Mary who together with his family thought that Jesus was out of his mind, nevertheless, showed up at the Cross.  Then there were the bandits, the repentant and the die-hard unrepentant. 

Then the disciples who spent three long years trekking the Holy Land with Jesus, but nowhere to be found – Well, no.  John was there; one out of ten.  And the two Marys, Magdalene and Cleophas’ wife.  Pilate, who even knowing that Jesus was just a scapegoat in the name of political expediency pretended that he had nothing to do with Jesus’ crucifixion.

Simon Cyrene, who was satisfied following Jesus from a distance, had to be compelled to carry His Master’s cross.  And the Bible-totting religious leaders?  They loved power rather than love, the Pax Romana rather than Divine Peace.  And Barrabas who having been saved by a miracle conveniently faded away into the background never to be seen or heard again.

It is true that the soldiers had not much choice than to follow orders.  But, nevertheless, that didn’t stop them to profit from the event.  And, yes, the Centurion who never went beyond believing that Jesus was a good man after all but never embraced Him for whom Jesus truly was.  And of course, Joseph of Arimathea made his appearance, the “secret” disciple, who loved more his priorities, his social standing and money to drop everything and be with Jesus.

And then the crowds, who were in a hurry to waive Jesus to his death, for they had to come back to their homes in a hurry to fulfil their religious traditions.

At one time or another, we were all there, isn’t it?

The drama of Holy Week isn’t just a retelling of past events; it is a mirror held up to our own lives, reflecting our struggles, betrayals, moments of courage, and acts of faith.  Each character’s journey through Holy Week bears witness to the complexities of our human nature – and God’s love and willingness to rescue us even from our own follies.

For we too have our moments of wavering faith, our instances of faltering loyalty, and yet the many opportunities where we followed Jesus even when, humanly speaking, it was not to our personal advantage or convenience.  

But Just as Peter found grace even with his failings and Mary Magdalene discovered hope at the tomb, we are invited yet again to embrace the possibility of renewal and transformation.

The Good News of this Holy Week lies in its promise that even in the face of our flaws and failures, redemption is always within reach.  As it happened even in the dire straits of hanging on a cross.  

Our Lord’s sacrifice reaches us all, offering a path to reconciliation, peace, hope, and joy.  So, as we continue our journey through these holy days, let us remember that we are all part of this timeless story, called to live out its lessons of love, sacrifice, and triumphant hope.

Let us pray:  Heavenly Father, through the noise of daily tasks and worldly concerns, help us pause and turn our thoughts toward Calvary to find there the hope of redemption in Jesus Christ, and your unwavering and all-embracing love.  Amen.

Fr. Gustavo