Palm Passion Sunday –A 2023 “And they all forsook him and fled”
We belong to a God whose has an intense, passionate desire for relationship with us… And, he has come a very long way to claim us.
The extent of God’s faithfulness, his chesed (his covenantal- loving kindness) is beyond human comprehension. But we can catch glimpses of it.. especially today and this week.
This morning we come to Palm Passion Sunday in which we participate in recognizing Jesus of Nazareth as the long awaited one –,the one who is our brother, and who has come to claim us as his beloved..his people…
Today, we step outside of time, and join with the people of Jerusalem of so long ago – indeed, people through all of the ages – and today, Christians around the world to shout Hosanna and proclaim him as the Messiah – the anointed one of God…and then, like them, just a short time later – for us – just moments, we have join with them in abandoning our brother and calling for his death.
In Matthew’s account of the betrayal at Gethsemane, the arrest, trial, crucifixion and death of Jesus – the theme of abandonment looms large.
Jesus goes to wrestle with the his call for loving faithfulness unto death, and asks his three closest friends to pray for him while he is in great distress – and they go to sleep. If your best friend was weeping and wrestling with something 100 paces away and asked you to keep vigil; - to pray and watch – would you go to sleep? How often we do go to sleep, though, we go to sleep in our relationships with God and with each other …. Here is one of the hard questions of this particular Sunday: Have we fallen asleep in our relationship with the One who would give everything for us and to us?
As Jesus prayed, the police came to arrest him – led by Judas who betrayed him with a kiss and the salute – “Rabbi” and then gives him the kiss of peace and friendship.
When I was preparing this sermon, I did a web search for the top ten traitors in history. The group included: Guy Fawkes; Brutus; and Benedict Arnold. Who is still number one? Judas Iscariot...
He seems to stand out...but let me ask you..have you ever betrayed a friend or someone dear to you?
As the police move to arrest Jesus, Matthew tells us, v.56 – in some of the most poignant words ever written in bible or elsewhere – “ and they all forsook him and fled.”
Jesus is arrested, is tried, and is fully rejected by those, who among all of the peoples of the earth, he desired the most. He is, as you heard, tried, condemned, tortured, crucified, mocked in his death - still very much alone – dies with the words of the first verse of Psalm 22 on his lips – “Why have you abandoned me?
And where are the friends? Where is the support system – the text tells us, the women watched from a distance ---And where is Peter, who said “no matter what, even if it comes to the point of death I will not abandon you – as did the rest of the disciples – Where is Peter during Jesus’ trial – In the courtyard , denying to anyone who asks that he even knows Jesus – and in this case, it is a serving girl who asks – since she is referred to as a girl – she could be 8 or 10 yrs old.
Let’s compare Jesus and Peter – Jesus has determined that he will remain faithful to the Father’s plan for the reconciliation of the world at the cost – if need be – the most precious thing he has to give – his life – and he chooses to lay it down. Making this choice is not an exercise in serenity – he prays, he weeps, he asks “Is there another way?” And, yet , in the end he says, “Thy will be done”
Peter, on the other hand, is trying everything he can to save his own skin– he will not let himself be revealed as Jesus’ disciple – as Jesus’ friend – and is willing to betray everyone and everything dear to himself. His response is “My will be done”.
Here is another hard question for this day: Are our lives, “My will be done” or Thy will be done?
How do we abandon Jesus? By going to sleep, not paying attention, by betraying him with a show of commitment that is only a kiss deep, by denying that we even know him when the heat is on, and by turning away and forgetting that He is there at all.
In the gospel, we see a dark picture of abandonment. Yet, it is unfolded against the backdrop of God’s faithfulness – which does not waver, and does not depend on us…yes, our God has come a very long way to claim us …
A story that show us this comes from the 5th century - from the Desert Fathers and Mothers traditions…One of the fathers was named Abba Abraham. For nearly 50 years, Abraham ate neither bread nor meat, because of a vow he took before God. His life was simple, quiet and devoted. One day his only brother died, leaving a daughter Mary as an orphan. Abraham adopted Mary and housed her in the outer room of his cell in the monastery. Through the small window between the two rooms, Abraham taught Mary the Psalms and other passages of Scripture. She eagerly prayed and sang with her uncle and even abstained from eating meat and rich food as he did. For 20 years Mary lived with Abraham in full devotion to God.
One day a man came to visit Abraham in order to learn from him. He was overcome with desire for Mary and seduced her. When the would be disciple was gone, she was weighed down with regret and self-condemnation and felt as if she had shamed her uncle, herself, and her God. Silently, without speaking to anyone, she traveled to a distant city, taking refuge in a brothel. Abraham was greatly grieved at her departure. In prayer, the life she was living was revealed to him. After two years of seeking, he discovered where she was and exactly what she did. Abraham developed a plan.
He disguised himself as an army officer, complete with a large hat and coat. The normally quiet monk swaggered into the main room of the inn and bellowed, "I hear you have a fine young girl here named Mary. Let me have a look at her." When they were introduced, the blessed Abraham nearly dissolved in grief to see her. But, disguising his grief, he said in a loud voice, "I've come a long way for the love of Mary!" Abraham invited the woman to join him for a large meal. Though his stomach had not tasted meat or most of the other rich foods for nearly 50 years, he ate and drank with gusto. When the meal was over, the young girl invited him to come up to her room.
Once upstairs, Mary knelt to untie his shoes. Taking off his hat, the old man looked at her and softly said, "I've come a long way for the love of Mary." Immediately she recognized her dear uncle. At first she resisted the old man's invitation to return to their home. "I cannot even look at you," she cried. "I am so full of shame." Then Abraham told Mary stories of Christ forgiving and freeing a woman who later repaid him by washing his feet with her hair and her tears. He told other powerful stories of men and women healed and restored and, through them, Mary remembered the great redeeming love of the Savior. But of even more importance to her was the action of her uncle. She realized what a great sacrifice he had made to break his vow for her. She knew how much he loved her, and through that love she could imagine God's love for her.
Our God loves you this much…and is willing to come a very long way for you..
It is this same God, made known to us in Jesus Christ, who pleads for us to stay awake, to hold fast to him, to not turn away..but to stay by his side..as he surely stays by ours…
So, Let’s keep watch today and all of this week. So that, we can hear the question our God asks us in a new way –– “are you here…are you with me….?” So that through the everlasting mercy and grace of God, we might be able to answer – Yes, Lord. I am with you. AMEN.
Let us pray, Pour out on us, O God, a new desire to hold fast to you…to stay by your side, to stay awake, to not abandon you..and when we turn away, give to us the grace to turn back to you…for sake of your love made known to us for all eternity - Through Jesus Christ our Lord.. Amen.
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