Sunday next before Easter, commonly called Palm Sunday- Phil. 2

Many people know this Sunday as Palm Sunday from the Gospel accounts of Jesus entering Jerusalem on this day.  Many also expect the long account of Christ's Passion from Matthew 27. Although the events are distinctive, these two readings from the Gospel tell us what happened this week. Jesus our Lord was glorified and then rejected and horribly killed.  As human beings, we may have some difficulty keeping these two aspects of Holy Week together in our thoughts.  Yet, they belong together, and in the Epistle from Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul ties the themes together in a beautiful way. 

Philippians 2: 5 -11 reads: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This passage from Philippians may be an early Christian creedal hymn, and the words can be applied to many commemorations of the Christian faith. As we look at them on Palm Sunday, the words are very appropriate at the beginning of Holy Week. Their devotional significance is to draw us closer to the "mind" or attitude of Christ (2:5). The divine and unique Son of God deserves praise as the King of Israel and the King of all creation. Yet, He comes in humility in order to redeem human beings.

We see this humble acceptance of the human condition at His birth and throughout His earthly ministry, but it culminates in Holy Week and Good Friday: "He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (2:8). These words summarize the details of the Passion Gospels. Christ voluntarily humbled Himself. The divine Son became the servant so that He could accomplish the ultimate obedience to holy principles, obedience unto death which had no rightful dominion over Him. Furthermore, the death He accepted was not just any death but death upon the cross. He accepted crucifixion, one of the most degrading and horrifying means of torture and execution devised by cruel men.

The Cross of Christ should always be at the center of Christian preaching, doctrine, and devotion. It is at the heart of Christ's earthly ministry, and it is a basic element in understanding the profound meaning of divine love. Nevertheless, as central as the Cross is to our Christian faith and life, the words of Philippians 2:9-11 also teach us that believers should look beyond the Cross. The Cross is necessary and central to our faith, but Jesus Christ transforms the Cross. He suffers as a human being, but He is also God the Son who cannot be conquered in the end. His perfect obedience and sacrifice are accepted, and He is exalted. He receives "a name which is above every name."

This means that as believers, we see a deeper reality. The way of the Cross is the path toward Resurrection and true Life. So like our Lord, we walk the way of the Cross both figuratively and in the real trials of human existence because we trust that God uses the Cross for our redemption and true life.

Pre-Lent: Quinquagesima- Luke 18

This Sunday, Quinquagesima, is the fiftieth day before Easter and the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The Gospel from St. Luke 18 talks about Christ's Way of the Cross. It also shows us two kinds of blindness. The blind beggar by the Jericho road is blind physically. He has faith in Jesus and is healed quickly. The twelve closest disciples, however, have a problem with spiritual blindness. They think that Jesus is the Messiah, but they have not yet understood His way of being the Messiah. They have not yet come to see that He is the Suffering Servant who redeems others through His afflictions. It will take longer to cure them of their blindness. Only by following Him through the difficult days that lead to the Cross and Empty Tomb will they come to appreciate the true nature of His ministry.

As we approach the beginning of Lent, we can apply this Gospel to ourselves. Have we been spiritually blind? Have we seen the necessity of Christ's suffering and death for our redemption? And are we willing to follow Jesus Christ along the difficult Way of the Cross? Only God's grace working through the Word and the Holy Ghost can open our spiritual eyes to the redeeming work of Christ in His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. 

Quinquagesima or the Sunday next before Lent- Luke 18:31-43

This Sunday before Lent begins is traditionally known as Quinquagesima, the Latin word for "fifty" (it is 49 days before Easter).  As we look toward our Lenten preparations for Easter which begin on Ash Wednesday, the Gospel today Luke 18:31-43 tells us important things for living the Christian life. In this passage, we see our Lord confronting two types of human blindness. Of course, there is the physical blindness of the beggar at Jericho. Our Lord deals with this problem miraculously and quickly, and it becomes an occasion to praise God. 

However, there is another blindness in the passage which takes longer to remedy. This is the spiritual blindness of the Twelve. They have spent time with Jesus, and they honor Him in many ways. They have a rudimentary faith that He is the Messiah. Yet, their expectations of the Messiah remain immature and superficial. They just want to hear prophecies about and think about His glorious actions and triumphs. Jesus tells them repeatedly that He is the suffering Messiah who is mentioned in the prophecies, but they don’t want to hear such unpleasantness.

As Luke 18:34 indicates, “This saying was hid from them….” They choose to be blind. Despite His teachings and predictions, it will only be after His resurrection that they have their eyes opened. Only then will they begin truly to see and understand Christ’s work of redemption. 

Christians have often continued to be like those first disciples. Although we have heard of Christ's death and resurrection, we still try to ignore His teachings about suffering. We prefer to ignore the trials and pains that Christ, His Church, and we as His followers endure in this world. We want the glory without humility. We want heavenly life without the cross and resurrection. But Christ keeps telling us that we must first follow Him in the way of the cross. So, as we look toward Lent and think of Christ’s journey to the cross, may our spiritual insight be better! May our eyes be opened to see the redemptive purposes of humility and suffering in this world! Only then can we truly appreciate the glorious victory of Easter.

Quinquagesima- The Sunday next before Lent

This Sunday, Quinquagesima, is the fiftieth day before Easter and the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The Collect, Epistle and Gospel for the Sunday are rich in many things that Christians need to hear and think about. For example, the collect reminds us of our needs, and it requests divine aid so that our efforts may be filled with a charitable or loving attitude. If we approach Lenten devotion without love, our deeds "are nothing worth."

The Gospel from St. Luke 18 talks about Christ's Way of the Cross. It also shows us two kinds of blindness. The blind beggar by the Jericho road suffered physical blindness, but through his faith in Jesus, he was healed fairly easily. The twelve closest disciples, on the other hand, suffered from a spiritual blindness. They thought that Jesus was the Messiah, but they had not yet understood His way of being the Messiah. They had not yet come to see that He was the Messiah who was the Suffering Servant. It would take longer to cure them of their blindness. Only by following Him through the difficult days would they come to appreciate His true triumph at the Resurrection.

As we approach the beginning of Lent, we can employ these themes as part of the examination of our souls. Are we motivated by love as we seek to do good? In what ways have we been spiritually blind? Do we see the necessity of Christ's suffering and death for our redemption? And are we willing to follow Jesus Christ through the the difficulties of the Way of the Cross? Only through the aid of the Holy Ghost "poured into our hearts" can we move beyond our failings and begin to answer these questions in a positive manner.