Is it possible for us to transcend the pain and hurt in our own lives to forgive others? That is the question that Jesus answers for us today. In this most painful time of crucifixion and rejection, Jesus will forgive.
Spirit Singers sing the Passion (4:45 – 28:00)
Rev. Mary homily (28:05 – 45:00)
Homily Transcript
In 1972 a photographer won a Pulitzer Prize for a photograph that many of you will remember. It was a young girl, naked; running screaming towards the camera in agony after a napalm attack incinerated her village in Vietnam. Do you remember the photograph? She was Kim Fuke, nine years old. She was photographed after a U.S. commanded the South Vietnamese planes to drop napalm near her village. That photo has been reprinted thousand and thousands of times. She was burned over a third of her body and she lost consciousness. The photographer who took the picture was there to cover the bombing of the village but he was so moved by little Kim that he rushed her to a hospital leaving his camera equipment behind. After 17 operations and 14 months of terribly painful rehabilitation, Kim miraculously survived. As an adult she traveled to the newly built Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC to give a talk. Listening to her speech was a man by the name of Captain John Plumber. He was the U.S. commander who had coordinated the air strike on her village. After she spoke he approached her. They talked for a long time and then she forgave him publicly right there at the wall. He became a minister in Virginia and they continued to be close friends throughout his life. Everyone who has ever met Kim comments on the amazing quality of peace that radiates from her.
Is it possible for us, like Kim, to transcend the pain and the hurt in our own lives to forgive others? Is it possible? That is the question that Jesus answers for us today in this remembrance of his Palm Sunday. Of his holy week. Of his message that he left for us.
There is an old story about a king. The king took all of the treasures outside and placed them on the front lawn of the castle – all the gold, all the silver, all the jewels. And he said to the people, “You can have whatever you choose but choose wisely.” So all the town’s people came and went crazy hauling of the gold and the silver and the jewels and the king watched as they did so. But one woman came up to the king and she said, “Is it really true that I can have whatever I choose from what’s on the lawn?” “Yes!” said the king, “but choose wisely.” And the woman said, “If that is the case, I choose you.” The king said, “Woman, you have chosen the most wisely of all. Not only will you have me but you will have my entire kingdom.”
On Palm Sunday we have the story of two kings and the choice to choose one over the other. It is the story that happens right before the Passover. We are in the city of Jerusalsem. It is a time when the Jews are celebration their freedom from Egypt. So it is a huge celebration. Celebrating the liberation which sometimes takes on protests and riots against the Romans who now oppress them. So in order to quell any such uprising Pontius Pilate the Roman governor of Judea has his own parade this day in Jerusalem with powerful war horses, soldiers and weapons all to remind the Jews that they are the subjects of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. And so it is on this day that Jesus decides to have his own parade on the other side of the city. But his parade is very different. He does not ride on a horse, he rides on a donkey. His robe is a thin cape. There are no weapons or soldiers. The people there wave palms to honor him. He is not anticipating conquering a country or capturing any slaves. But rather he is thinking about establishing God’s kingdom and offering to the people freedom and happiness.
And so on that day and again today we are presented with a choice. Wealth and power and violence to conquer others to get what we want or Jesus. The humble king with a very different kingdom than we find in this world.
So who is this Jesus, this king who rides on a donkey. He is a king who has already made very clear decisions about who he is. He has no problem with humble procession or a low turnout or a banquet in a crowded upper room. He already knows what it is that wants to convey to the people. And the very first message that he will convey is forgiveness. In this most painful time of crucifixion and rejection Jesus will forgive. He will forgive Judas the one who will betray him and bring the authorities that night to arrest him. He will forgive Peter who will deny him three times as Jesus is dragged out to be whipped and beaten. He will forgive the thief who hangs on the cross next to him. And after his resurrection he will offer the scattered disciples his peace and will invite the doubting Thomas to put his hands through his wounds. For Jesus forgiveness is not based on generosity. It is not about being a bigger person than the one he forgives. He does not judge the person but rather recognizes the holiness of each person and he simply loves them.
Jesus makes another decision about his kingdom. The decision to be humble. In Jesus’ kingdom humility is the test of greatness. The first shall be last. The greatest among you is the one who will serve the least among you. The leaders will be servants not masters.
My husband and I were flying back from visiting family in Oregon. It was a time of all the winter storms and we ended up on the tarmac at the Chicago Airport. Sitting there, hours went by, everybody on the plane getting very crabby and irritable. But there was one stewardess who was just exceptionally nice to everybody, had a nice smile and she was funny and she just seemed to make the time go by. My husband said to her, “You have been so good to all of us. I would like to write a letter of commendation to the airline about you.” She looked at him and she smiled and she said, “Well. I don’t work for United Airlines.” She said, “I work for Jesus Christ.” She explained that every day before going to work she prayed that she would be a good servant for Jesus that day. They were such beautiful words to hear, “I work for Jesus Christ.” And I thought, isn’t that who we work for when we get up in the morning? Are we really going to work for Strong Hospital or Jiffy Lube or Target? Isn’t it more inspiring to realize that we are getting up in the morning to go to work for Jesus Christ?
When we are humble we also find that we are grateful. Grateful for the things that are in our lives. There was a couple in our parish who I got to know well, Bill and Florence. At one point they both went to the Friendly Nursing Home and they shared a room there but after a few months Bill passed away. The staff told Florence that she would have to leave this double room that they had shared and move to a single room upstairs. After a few days an aide came to take her up to the new room and as they were getting in to the elevator the aide said to Florence, “You know. This room is lot smaller than the last one you had. And it only has one window. It is really pretty dark in there. It hasn’t been redecorated in years and frankly the curtains are really old.” Florence smiled at her and she said, “I love it!” The aide said to her, “How can you love it? You haven’t even seen it yet.” Florence said, “I don’t have to see it. I already decided I loved it before I even stepped in to the elevator.”
Just as Jesus decided to ride a humble donkey long before he reached Jerusalem, Florence decided to be grateful before she ever saw the room. Because humility and gratitude don’t depend on the circumstances we are in. But on the posture in life that we choose.
Jesus makes another decision about his kingdom. The decision to be last rather than first. To let go rather than to hold on. To die thyself rather than live fully.
When we put others first we choose love over comfort or possessions. We give up time or sleep or food or money, our car or our position.
When my son, John, was in high school he was over 6 feet tall, very strong and on the wrestling team. He took on the risk of being the defender of many students who were being picked on by other students. Those kids would be bullied in the cafeteria day after day after day. So John and some of his friends from the wrestling team decided that they would intervene. When they saw someone being bullied they would go over and all of them sit down at that kid’s table and challenge the bullies to pick on them instead of the kid who as there enduring it. They chose to take the name-calling and the rebuffs themselves rather than let somebody else be diminished. They chose to be last rather than first.
Many of you love your children and your parents in this way. You put them first. You get up in the middle of the night; you wait hours outside a dance or a soccer game. Or a doctor’s office. You give up time and space and money so that others might thrive. Some of you do that for the homeless and the hungry, for farm workers and immigrants. For those in prisons or in hospitals. You are already part of Jesus’ kingdom.
In Jesus’ kingdom he is not alone. He trusts God. He replaces fear with faith and confidence that he is indeed God’s creation.
When we were out in Oregon we hiked in a beautiful canyon called Smith Rock. On those one thousand foot canyon walls there are many eagles and you could see their huge nests perched on the ledges high above us. We watched as the eagles swooped down to the river below. Diving for the fish in the water. I learned that an eagle can see a fish in the water from two miles away. The eagle will swoop down and grab the fish out of the water but it is only successful three out of ten times. Three out of ten time it will get the fish. But seven out of ten times it will not. But have you ever hear an eagle complain about not getting a fish? Eagles don’t complain. Animals don’t complain. They trust God to take care of them and their lives. And they do what they do best – being the best eagle they can be or the best dog or the best horse or the best spider. And that is what Jesus is doing today. He is the beloved Son of God. So he brings the love, the humility and the forgiveness of God to Jerusalem. He trusts God with everything. Not just part way or with just a piece of himself. Because really we either believe or we don’t. Jesus gives God everything. Even his life.
But does a humble, loving, giving king have any real power? Can he save us from terrorist or nuclear missiles or a global crisis? It’s easy for us to believe that external things hold the power in life – that weapons or military or money determine our abundance. That other people’s behavior determines our happiness. That success or failure determines our self worth. But it is ultimately our thinking more than our circumstances that determine whether we live lives of peace or despair. In the realm of thought there are two main categories: thoughts of love and thoughts of fear. Every single moment we choose between the two. If I think with love I behave more lovingly and attract love from others. If my heart is closed I act out of fear, anger or jealousy. And others reflect that fear back to me. In any moment we can change out minds and give everything to God. With every thought we can choose heaven on earth or hell on earth. We have the power to bless or to blame, to judge or to forgive. We can recognize our strengths and use them. We can acknowledge our weaknesses and ask forgiveness for our mistakes. We can believe in miracles or deny that they even happen.
Jesus filled his kingdom solidly on love. A power greater than any power we can manufacture.
So the question of Palm Sunday today is which king do you choose? Will you choose Pontius Pilot or one of his successors as the king of fear, power, wealth, and military might or will you follow Jesus the humble, forgiving king of love? Just remember…you can have which ever you choose so choose wisely.
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