Palm / Passion Sunday!

Homily originally presented March 28, 2021

How quickly a person can fall from favor! We see it every day in the news ... with Entertainers, Athletes, Politicians: one day you’re a star / the next you’re not so bright.

Well, that’s exactly what happened 2000 years ago with our Lord.

One day, He enters into the Holy City of Jerusalem riding on a colt

and being warmly welcomed with enthusiastic waving of palm branches

 and accolades of praises and blessings from all the people.

And then, just five days later, he is scorned ... and rejected ... and killed.

The people were looking for a triumphal king/warrior to lead them ...  and so the behavior they were looking for was one of strength & violence, not meekness & peace.

So they rejected Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace

   and they choose the way of violence.

This is particularly clear in their decision to release Barabbas instead of Jesus.

And get this ... the name “Barabbas” means … “son of the father.”

And Scripture describes this son of the father as an insurrectionist & a murderer.

And standing right next to Him was Jesus ... the true son of the Father,

who was known as a person of peace and a giver of life.

And who did the people choose?     They chose Barabbas over Jesus …

thereby rejecting peace and choosing the way of violence.

As we heard, the way of violence included:

    scourging, spitting, crowning, carrying, nailing, piercing & dying on a Cross.

A powerful meditation would be to consider that Jesus, the real Son of the Father,  

underwent all that violence ... for all men and women …

including Barabbas, the murderer, …

and including you and me.

How did Jesus release us from bondage to sin and eternal death?

It wasn’t accomplished by magic … but by His suffering and death on a Cross.

Let’s take time now and all through Holy Week to contemplate Jesus’ loving work…

His brutal suffering and death ...

and thank the Prince of Peace for paying the price ...

to make possible ... our eternal peace.