Palm Sunday – The Actors

 

For years, I have awaken on Palm Sundays wondering just what part I’d play on stage during the coming week. Would I be a disciple, an apostle, a member of the crowd, a scribe or Pharisee? If consistency is important then I ought to throw my lot in with the scribes and Pharisees – after all, they were the same people on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday that they were on Palm Sunday.

 

As for the apostles, everyone will leave Jesus in the Garden; while at first at least one will fight, when that is not an option they will run. Before the night is over one of the Twelve will vehemently deny Jesus three times, one who had professed his willingness to follow Jesus to death. Later they will fearfully hide in a locked room.

 

While there were other disciples, and followers, beyond the Twelve, it seems as if, with the exception of one group, they followed the pattern of the Twelve. The exceptional group were the exceptional women – they demonstrated consistent love and devotion to Jesus Christ; and that persistent love and devotion would lead them to the discovery of the ages on Easter morning. I don’t think we can overemphasize the deep passionate and devotional love these women had, through the midst of gut-wrenching sorrow they were unwavering in their love for Jesus Christ.

 

I am not ignoring the children singing praises to God; but while I most certainly join them in their singing on Palm Sunday, and while I want to share their enthusiasm and joy, I am not a child and can’t play that part during the week – any retreat I may experience into childhood will be quickly shattered, and rightly so. (Were there a part for an old fool I may very well audition for that part, one I have often played.)

 

What part am I playing during this Holy Week?

 

As a pastor, while I’ve wanted my congregations to revel in Palm Sunday, I’ve also wanted them to understand that our words and behavior on Palm Sunday are tried by fire on Good Friday. I want us to fearfully remember that the crowds crying, “Hosanna!” on Sunday were crying, “Crucify Him!” before Pilate on Friday morning.

 

Let’s face it, we may cry “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday, but few professing Christians identify with Jesus Christ in their daily lives during the week. Few of us share the Gospel with others. This is nothing other than a denial of Jesus – it may not be as dramatic as Peter’s denials, but they are denials nevertheless (see Mark 8:34 – 38, to be ashamed of Jesus and His words is not a thing to be excused).

 

On Palm Sunday I keep Good Friday in mind, just as on Good Friday I keep Easter morning in mind. If I identify with Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday, will I continue to do so on Good Friday? There is a sense in which we replay this scenario every week, and the world pays attention, or at least it used to. The world used to say, “Ah, church people, they act one way on Sunday and another way during the week.” The world isn’t dumb, it often knows what it sees, it knows we’re good for a Sunday parade but nowhere to be seen when the Cross beckons.

 

Of course, we’ve refined our excuses to the point we believe them, but the world doesn’t hear them. There is simply no excuse for not obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for not obeying His commandments, for not laying down our lives for Him and others, for not loving one another as Jesus Christ loves us. Jesus tells us, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My commandments…” (John 14:23) Just to make certain we get the point, the Apostle John repeats the truth, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

 

Which part am I playing this week? Which part are you playing?