TRANSITIONS - PALM SUNDAY (4/10/2022)

PALM SUNDAY

April 10, 2022

Blessing of Palms: Luke 19:28-40
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22
Philippians 2:6-11
Luke 22:14-23:56

TRANSITIONS

We know that our life on earth is filled with transitions. The liturgy today, Palm Sunday, also describes some swift transitions in the life of Jesus, especially in the space of one week...which we now refer to as Holy Week.

BLESSING OF PALMS AND PROCESSION

All four gospels relate that Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem began on the Mount of Olives, near Bethphage and Bethany. Matthew, Mark, and John describe that the crowd hailed Jesus with leafy branches, reeds, or palms. Luke, however, doesn't specifically mention this, only that they laid down their cloaks in his path.

There are two other items particular to Luke's account. One is his change of Psalm 118:26 to read "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord." Another is the saying of Jesus that if the people keep silent, the stones will cry out.

ISAIAH

The first reading from Isaiah emphasizes the obedience of the suffering Messiah. In fact, the Letter to the Hebrews tells us that, "Although he was a son, (Jesus) learned obedience through what he suffered, and being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him..." (Hebrews 5:8-9).

PHILIPPIANS

Perhaps no reading brings out the "transitions" Jesus went through better than this one from Philippians 2, read every Palm Sunday. The beautiful hymn "At the Name of Jesus" is based on this passage:

At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow;
Every tongue confess him, king of glory now.
'Tis the Father's pleasure, we should call him Lord;
Who from the beginning, was the mighty Word.

PASSION

The Passion accounts in all four gospels are essentially the same in all major points. Each evangelist, however, "paints with his own brush," that is to say, tells the story with interesting nuances. Luke, in particular, adds striking details not found in the other accounts. I would like to note them here:

At the Last Supper, Luke adds the argument among the apostles regarding who was the greatest, as well as the discussion about taking a sword.

During Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, Luke adds that he sweat blood. And, though the other evangelists record that Peter cut off the ear of the high priest's slave, only Luke tells us that Jesus promptly healed him.

Only in Luke do we read that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod to decide his case. Luke notes that "Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly."

Luke's gospel alone records Jesus' meeting with the "daughters of Jerusalem" as he carried his cross to Calvary.

Finally, it is only in Luke that we find these three of Jesus' "seven last words" spoken from the cross. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." And to the Good Thief Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." And just before he breathed his last, Jesus cried out, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."

Let us be grateful to St. Luke for these exquisite additions to the gospel record.

TRANSITIONS SO THAT WE COULD BE TRANSITIONED

The cross of Jesus made the difference in human history. The transitions that Jesus underwent for us made it possible for us to be transitioned from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light (cf. Col. 1:13). As the Exultet says, "Our birth would have been no gain, had we not been redeemed."

Crown Jesus as king throughout the Palm Sunday procession! Crown Jesus king as he reigns from the cross! Crown Jesus king as he rises again, no more to die!  Looking ahead to next week, the Easter Sequence sings, "Dux vitae mortuus regnat vivus" - The Prince of Life, dead, reigns alive! The greatest transition!