“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
For generations there have been those who have attempted to squash the story of Jesus and his way . . . and they have yet to succeed. We are here this morning as testament of their failure to silence the faithful. Jesus knew what he was talking about in our scripture reading this morning.
Welcome to Palm Sunday!
Often Palm Sunday is heralded as the “prelude” of Holy Week . . . the grand kick-off and it begins with a parade. In fact, it begins with two parades. While Jesus is making his grand entrance on one side of the city, on the other side of the city the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, is having his own parade. It is the start of the Passover in which the return of Jews and others from all over the known world make Jerusalem a hustling, bustling place . . . sort of like the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. As Jesus’ parade announces his presence and ministry, Pilate’s parade is meant to intimidate with its message of military power. One represents the “beginning”, the other the “end”.
A “prelude” kicks things off . . . gets things started out on the right note . . . announces the beginning. We have a prelude at every worship service and its purpose is to call us together and prepare us . . . in particular for worshipping. In a sense what we heard in our scripture reading could be a “prelude”. It is preparing us. That is a legitimate understanding of our reading, but I contend that what we are hearing is not so much a “prelude” but an “overture”.
As many of you know, I love musicals. Musicals begin with an “overture” and not a “prelude”. Whereas a “prelude” kicks off something and invites others in, an “overture” is something deeper and more meaningful. An “overture” is a synopsis or summary of what is to come . . . it is the story in a flash. In musicals what one hears in an overture is bits and pieces of all the songs that are going to be sung in the play . . . from start to finish. It is everything in a glimpse.
As much as I would like to acknowledge Palm Sunday as a “prelude” with a quick leap to Easter Sunday to do that would be a disservice to the story. There is much that takes place between the Palm Sunday parade and the empty tomb of Easter. To skip over it is to cheapen grace . . . to ignore the parts that are unpleasant and uncomfortable . . . to take the easy way out. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipling, Communion without confession . . . Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” When we see Palm Sunday as the “prelude” to the resurrection of Easter Sunday, we cheapen grace.
Our story of faith is not meant to only be heard . . . it is meant to be embraced and lived. The whole story. That is what makes our reading so powerful this morning, but maybe you missed it. Up until this point the disciples have been silent witnesses to the words and actions of Jesus. They have stood off to the side as Jesus taught and demonstrated the love and grace of God that he was asking them to live. To this point the disciples have been passive and now they become active . . . involved. Until this point, where else do you see the disciples publicly proclaim who Jesus is?
As Jesus’ parade progresses the disciples become more and more vocal. They praised God . . . they share the miracles Jesus has done . . . they thank God for their king has come. With them leading the crowd joins in the shouting: “Blessed be the king who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” No longer are they silent and inactive. At this point they cast their lots to the wind, embraced what they have learned and been taught, and join in with Jesus to share all the love and grace. No longer were they on the sidelines, they were in the thick of it all.
We all know that the story is not smooth sailing. The story has its twists and turns. It has it moments of tension and violence. It has its life and its death . . . and everything between. Palm Sunday is the first movement of that “overture” that takes us to the resurrection of Easter Sunday. There is much more to that “overture” . . . there is the cleansing of the temple, the washing of the feet, the last meal, the struggling prayer of Jesus in the garden, the arrest, the persecution, ridicule, and beating of Jesus. There is the crucifixion . . . Jesus nailed to a cross. Then there is the death. Each is a part of the story; each is a movement in the “overture”. And each must be acknowledged and embraced.
Lent is a long season to journey through with its call to us to discern our faith. It is a tough season in which we examine our faith, ask questions—hard questions, and seek God’s guidance to remove those barriers that separate us from Jesus and one another. It is hard and easy to get fatigued while on the journey. With Palm Sunday we can see the “end” from here! The temptation is to fast-forward to the “end” and be done with it all. Which many will do . . . they will jump from the joyful celebration of Palm Sunday straight to the exhilaration of the resurrection skipping everything that happens between. They won’t even give it a thought. As far as they are concerned Palm Sunday is prelude and they don’t have time or patience for an “overture”.
We cannot allow ourselves to fall into that trap. We need to hear and embrace the whole story.
The challenge then this week is to remember. For example, we need to remember that last meal that Jesus had with his disciples where he took the bread and blessed it . . . where he blessed the wine and told his disciples to receive it in remembrance of him. On Thursday when you pause to eat your evening meal . . . remember. Remember what took place in the upper room. Remember the charge Jesus gave to his disciples and to us . . . “do this in remembrance of me.” Take a moment to remember and give thanks.
On Friday evening, as the sun is setting, pause to appreciate the sunset . . . pause to remember the story of that fateful Friday where Jesus hung on a cross and died. As the darkness of night begins to creep in remember it all and asks for God’s presence through the darkness that follows. Give thanks to God.
Over the Saturday remember the anxiousness of waiting and not knowing. Remember the sadness that swept over the disciples and all those who loved Jesus. Remember all the uncertainty. Continue to pray for God’s presence.
Remember it all for it is all a part of the story. Without it there really is no story . . . so remember it. Embrace the “overture” and make it a part of your story of faith. It was in this moment that the disciples acknowledged their faith publicly and it was the moment from which they could not turn back . . . for better or for worse the story had to run its course and they could not avoid it. It was a part of their story.
Let us not cheapen God’s grace and love for us. Let us embrace the “overture”. But remember, whatever any of chooses to do, the story will be told in its entirety. Jesus told those gathered when he was asked to silence his followers during the parade: “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Amen.
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