Holy Week | Fr. Chad E. JarnaginLuke 19:28-40 (ESV)The Triumphal Entry28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”As Jesus approaches, people are waving palm branches and throwing their cloaks down and spreading them over the road. This is a common image that we have with Palm Sunday... the cries of hosanna, which means “save us”. When we look at the crowd in this story, we can imagine that for many, when they cried out hosanna, they were asking to be saved from the Roman empire. These were desperate political cries, hopes in a Messiah, a King who would come and defeat the Romans, who controlled Jerusalem.The act of throwing a cloak down on the ground was a sign of homage and submission...of laying one’s self down, in hopes of deliverance and liberation.What does “hosanna” mean for us today? We are certainly in need of a hosanna posture... “save us”... though not from the Roman empire: save us from our addictions, our clutter, our busyness, our technology... our religions... our politics... our greed... save us from, ourselves.Good FridayThe entrance of sin into this world started a chain of events that wasn’t a part of the original story. Humanity was born in a garden in the presence of God to live, reign, and flourish with God in true communion. The Greek word schizó means to rip / tear in multiple ways / dimensions. There is a violence to this meaning that helps us frame the dramatic meaning of the cross of Christ. From there, everything changed. Humanity began to notice that we were naked and ashamed... needing clothing. Were hungry and then needed food. Humanity was ripped from our place.The tragic Notre Dame Cathedral fire arrested our attention. 800 years of history may just do that... has the blaze reignited the one holy catholic and apostolic Church... during this Holiest of Weeks? Gutting, yet symbolic destruction to be rebuilt... anew?The Way of Jesus cannot be understood apart from loss. The deeper the loss and lament, the greater the tremors of hope. Renewal comes out of death and destruction. We are a part of the new creation... a new way of living... but it begins here at the cross at Good Friday.
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