Patrick Comerford
Next Sunday (14 April 2019), the Sixth Sunday in Lent, is Palm Sunday.
There is a complicated set of readings in the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for next Sunday.
For the Liturgy of the Palms, the provided readings are: Luke 19: 28-40; Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29.
There is a link to the readings HERE.
For the Liturgy of the Passion, the provided readings are: Isaiah 50: 4-9a; Psalm 31: 9-16; Philippians 2: 5-11; Luke 22: 14 to 23: 56 or the shorter version, Luke 23: 1-49.
There is a link to the readings HERE.
Introduction to the readings:
The Gospel reading for the Liturgy of the Passion is so long that I imagine the Old Testament reading is likely to be heard in few churches, indeed.
And the Gospel readings are so familiar – and so important a theme for Palm Sunday – that I imagine very many of us are going to find it difficult to think about fresh ideas and fresh approaches to the story of that well-known donkey ride into Jerusalem.
The paralysis that many of us know as we prepare to preach is challenged with the passage from Isaiah, which begins with well-known words, words beloved by every preacher: ‘The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher.’
Do you think the Lord God has given you the tongue of a teacher or teacher, or that he is equipping you here with the tongue of a teacher or a preacher?
And, if so, would you be brave enough to select the passage in the Book of Isaiah for your sermon on Palm Sunday?
Or are you struggling to find something new to say about the journey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday?
‘I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard’ (Isaiah 50: 6)Isaiah 50: 4-9a
The 19th century French writer Victor Hugo included the Prophet Isaiah in his list of the six great writers of Western literature, alongside Aeschylus, Homer, Job, Dante and Shakespeare. As we read Isaiah 50, we are reminded that we are in a linguistic and theological world that is as far superior to most literary expressions.
This reading is well known as the third ‘Servant Song’ of Isaiah – in all, there are four servant songs of Isaiah:
● Isaiah 42: 1-4
● Isaiah 49: 1-6
● Isaiah 50: 4-11
● Isaiah 52: 13 to 53: 12
We all know of Isaiah 52: 13 to 53:12 and many know of Isaiah 42: 1-7. But you will find that this third Servant Song is relatively unknown. It builds on and develops chapter 42 and chapter 49 in that the Servant of God, for the first time, suffers in chapter 50. In words that are adapted by George Frideric Handel in the oratorio Messiah (1742): he ‘gave his back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard’ (50: 6). Then, of course, we have the ‘symphony of suffering’ in Isaiah 53.
So, the Servant Song in the Palm Sunday readings is vitally important in the development of a theology of an individual’s suffering for the sake of the nation and the world.
There many questions about the identity of Isaiah’s servant, and the many answers include:
● Some unknown prophet
● Isaiah himself
● The Nation
● Both the prophet and the nation (see also Jeremiah 11: 18; compare with Luke 2: 32; Acts 13: 47; Acts 26: 23).
In the past, the sufferings of the Suffering Servant in the writings of Isaiah have been identified by Jewish scholars with the sufferings of the whole children of Israel, and in more recent years, by some scholars, in particular with the experiences of the Holocaust.
Christians, on the other hand, have identified Isaiah’s Suffering Servant with the suffering and crucified Christ. And, for early Christians, there was only one answer. For them, Christ was clearly the one long predicted by the prophet.
Most especially, they saw him in the fourth ‘Servant Song’ in Chapters 52-53, where the servant was ‘despised and rejected’ (53: 3), ‘a man of suffering’ (53: 3), ‘has borne our infirmities’ (53: 4), ‘carried our diseases’ (53: 4), who ‘like a lamb was led to the slaughter’ (53: 7), who ‘bore the sin of many, and made intercession for our transgressions’ (53: 12).
For those early Christian believers, this fourth song was clearly about the one they had experienced in his life and particularly in his death on the cross.
So, perhaps, that fourth song in Isaiah 52-53 might seem to be more appropriate as the text as we face into Holy Week – and the Old Testament reading on Good Friday [19 April 2019] is Isaiah 52: 13 to Isaiah 53: 12. So why was this passage (Isaiah 50: 4-9a) chosen instead for the Old Testament readings on Palm Sunday for Year A, B and C?
In Isaiah 50, the servant is given a clear and powerful description. But so too is God. Four times in this passage (verse 4, 5, 7, 9) the Lord is known as the ‘Lord God,’ an address that is unique in Isaiah. Other versions render this as ‘Sovereign Lord,’ and it catches attention because of the double title of God (adonai Yahweh). Perhaps we should see this as a way of emphasising the dependence of the servant on God.
To help our sermon preparation for next Sunday, we could divide this passage (50: 4-9a) into three sections:
1, The Servant’s Teaching (verses 4-5).
2, The Servant’s Sufferings (verse 6).
3, The Servant’s Determination and Justification (verses 7-9a).
1, The Servant as Teacher or Learner (verses 4-6):
Verse 4:
The passage opens with us being told that God has given the writer ‘the tongue of a teacher,’ according to the NRSVA translation, although footnote n on the translation offers what may be a more accurate translation of the Hebrew: the tongue ‘of those who are taught’ (Isaiah 50: 4a).
The word the servant uses to describe himself in verse 4 (lemudim) has been translated ‘of a teacher,’ or ‘of those who learn,’ or ‘of the learned.’
It is not clear whether the word means that God has given the servant the tongue of a teacher or learner. But we all know that the best teachers are those who are the most eager learners. Theological teachers, in particular, need to listen to human wisdom and divine wisdom, we need to listen to creation and to the Creator. To have the tongue that teaches, I must first have an ear that hears. The servant of God is one who learns and proclaims a message from God.
The prophet implies by that language that the servant is not necessarily a leader, that he does not always need to be out front, but is the one who can speak well when right speech is needed. Indeed, God’s gift of speech is given ‘that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word’ (50: 4b).
The primary role of the servant is to pay special attention to the ‘weary,’ to those who are in desperate need of a word of encouragement and support, to those on the margins of society who are neglected and who are in danger of being forgotten.
This role of listener and right speaker is given to the servant ‘morning by morning,’ again and again (50: 4c).
In contrast to other prophetic figures, who may have received the Word of God while in the Temple praying (Isaiah), while watching the flock (Amos), or in dreams or in visions (Ezekiel), the prophet here emphasises the daily inspiration that came to him. The word ‘morning’ appears twice and ‘awakens’ also appears twice in this verse. It is as if all the prophet needs is an attentive ear to hear what God will say to him.
Verse 5:
The servant refuses to waver from this role. He was ‘not rebellious … did not turn backwards.’
2, The Servant’s Sufferings (verse 6):
Verse 6:
The servant was so committed to the task that he gave his ‘back to those who struck me’ and his ‘cheeks to those who pulled out the beard.’ Neither did he ‘hide (his) face from insult and spitting.’
These acts – striking, beard pulling, insulting and spitting – are harsh, demeaning actions in a shame-based culture. Each of these deeds is designed to humiliate and denigrate a person, forcing him or her to ‘turn back,’ to reject the course he or she had first decided to follow.
However, this servant is not going to be deterred from his task of being a careful listener and a true encourager, no matter what insults are heaped upon him. On the other hand, he is not just going to comfort others or quietly speak his message, as in Chapter 42.
Although the message will be proclaimed, it is his suffering that is emphasised here. Just as the mouth speaks what the ear hears, so the parts of the body that suffer are stressed here. His persecutors strike him on his back and when they pull out hairs from beard they attack him at the front too. They hurt him physically, when they strike him, and hurt him psychologically when they insult him.
Although the suffering is not nearly as bad as that suffered in Chapter 53, it is significant nevertheless.
In the preceding servant song (Chapter 49), the servant also preaches but he only gets discouraged:
But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity’ – Isaiah 49: 4.
3, The Servant’s Justification and Determination (verses 7-9a):
Verse 7:
The Suffering Servant was empowered to take on his suffering and to not turn his back because ‘the Lord God helps me’ (verse 7a). Because of the presence of the Lord God, the servant feels no ‘disgrace’ and has ‘set my face like flint.’
This second image suggests the unbreakable conviction of the servant to do what he has been called for.
The remainder of the passage enumerates the absolute conviction of this servant to act on the call of the Lord God in all things:
and I know I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near. – Isaiah 50: 7c-8a.
He will not be put to shame. Professor John N Oswalt of Asbury Theological Seminary (The Book of Isaiah Chapters 40-66, New International Commentary on the Old Testament) explains that the particular Hebrew use of ‘shame’ here is in the sense of being shown to have taken a foolish course of action.
But, while the Servant may have been set up for public ridicule, in the end it will be shown to all that his decision to trust God, to be obedient to God, and to leave the outcome in God’s hands was the right decision. He will not be shamed by that choice (p 326).
We should also recognise the difference between being treated shamefully and feeling shame is important. Instead of being shamed, the prophet will be vindicated.
Verse 8:
‘He who vindicates me’ (verse 8) might also be translated as ‘the one who makes me righteous.’ In other words, the servant can perform the work of the Lord God, however difficult and dangerous it may be, because the Lord God stands with the servant, making clear that the servant is on the side of the Lord God, is in fact a righteous one.
Verses 8-9 use a lot of ancient legal terminology to explore the notion of the prophet’s innocence and to express his unshakable confidence that God will vindicate him (see also Jeremiah 1: 18-19; Jeremiah 17: 17-18; Ezekiel 3: 7-11; Romans 8: 33).
Indeed, these verses are reminiscent of the legal language in Job, where he says, among other things: ‘I have indeed prepared my case; I know that I shall be vindicated’ (Job 13: 18). God, in the end, is his helper and will vindicate him.
Conclusions:
We live in a society and a culture where we try to avoid suffering. Sickness and ill-health have to be avoided at all costs. We take out insurance against every inevitability and if, despite that, we end up in hospital we want what we have paid for. So much so that doctors and hospitals that fail to provide a ‘cure for every ill’ run the risk of litigation.
Suffering is no longer appreciated or reflected on in our culture these days. We are more interested in the exploits of the rich and famous than in the suffering of the marginalised and the global majority.
Yet, we should know, of all people, that suffering is at the heart of it, and the servant whose story we hear today is the one who leads us on the way to it. And In the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Day, we are invited again to be brought once more to the mystery of divine suffering.
Can we hear that today?
What is it about proclaiming the Word of God that leads to suffering?
What is the relationship between the servant’s prophetic proclamation 2,500 years ago and our preaching today?
But suffering and rejection must never have the last word. All suffering must eventually be put to an end, because that is the promise of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.
Can we offer Easter hope on the morning of Palm Sunday?
Philippians 2: 5-11:
In this letter, the Apostle Paul is writing from prison to the church in Philippi (Φίλιπποι), a prosperous Roman colony in east Macedonia in northern Greece, east of Thessaloniki and north of Mount Athos. It is named after Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. The ancient Greek theatre there dates from 357 BC and was first restored in 1957.
In verses 5-11, Saint Paul is reproducing an early Christian hymn to which he has added verse 8b.
The ‘Christ Hymn’ in Philippians is a formulaic listing of the chief statements of shared Christian beliefs and may have functioned as a memorised component of early Christian worship (see I Corinthians 15: 3-7).
It has a rhythmical, poetically elevated style, and the balancing of verses 6-8 and 9-11 suggests Saint Paul has incorporated an earlier hymn to buttress his admonitions to the Philippians.
This is the earliest extant material underpinning later Christology and the most explicit exposition in the New Testament of the nature of Christ’s incarnation. Instead of seeing as a hymn being quoted by Saint Paul at this point, we could also see it, perhaps, as a pre-Pauline kind of Creed that he is reminding the church in Philippi about, as he repeats a concise, systematic, formulaic statement of shared Christian beliefs.
Saint Paul exhorts his readers to be of the same mind as Christ – one that is appropriate for them, given their life in Christ (verse 5).
Christ was ‘in the form of God’ (verse 6), he shared in God’s very nature, but, for our sake, he did not regard equality with God ‘as something to be exploited.
Instead, he ‘emptied himself’ (verse 7), taking the form of a slave, someone who is powerless, without rights or independence, in human form.
He has humbled himself and has been totally obedient to God, to point of going through human death (verse 8).
Here Saint Paul adds to the hymn that this obedience of Christ is even to death on the cross (verse 8b). This was the most debasing form of dying, for crucifixion was reserved for slaves and the worst criminals.
In response, God exalts him, placing him above all other people, and gives him a name that is more honourable than all other names (verse 9).
Because of this, he is the Lord of all, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (verse 10). This is the authority God has reserved for himself. Here the words of the hymn echo the words of the Prophet Isaiah: ‘Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other … ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.’ Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength … In the Lord alone all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory’ (Isaiah 45: 22-25).
Now everyone shall worship him, confessing that ‘Jesus Christ is Lord,’ to the ‘glory of God the Father’ (verse 11).
A reflection on the Gospel readings:
As a Gospel reflection for Palm Sunday, it might be worth considering the poem ‘The Donkey’ by Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936), an English writer, journalist, critic and poet who was well-known for his reasoned apologetics.
Chesterton’s biographers have identified him as a successor to Victorian authors such as Matthew Arnold, Thomas Carlyle, John Henry Newman and John Ruskin. He routinely referred to himself as an orthodox Christian, and came to identify himself more and more with Catholicism, eventually moving from High Church Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism in 1922.
Chesterton was born in Campden Hill in London, and was educated at Saint Paul’s School, the Slade School of Art and University College London.
At first he hoped to become an artist but eventually became a journalist, writer, critic and poet. One of his memorable fictional characters is Father Brown.
His circle of friends included the Dublin-born playwright George Bernard Shaw, PG Wodehouse, HG Wells and Bertrand Russell. In the middle of his epic poem, ‘The Ballad of the White Horse,’ he famously states:
For the great Gaels of Ireland
Are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry,
And all their songs are sad.
He died in 1936 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and his Requiem Mass took place in Westminster Cathedral.
The donkey serves as a literary device to link birth and death, Christmas and Easter. We often think of the donkey as the lowly, humble, unattractive beast of burden who carries Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But the Christ Child also rode on a donkey when he was carried in the womb by his mother, the Virgin Mary, to Bethlehem before his birth.
However, this poem points us, not so much to the donkey, but to our ‘Beast of Burden,’ Christ, who carried the burden that no one else could bear – the sins of the world. Christ looked even more ‘monstrous’ than the donkey (Isaiah 52: 14), he was ‘starved, scourged, derided,’ four times in the Gospels he was ‘dumb,’ but his hour of glory came on the cross.
Is the donkey too hard on himself? But then, most us may be too hard on ourselves. If the lowly beast of burden becomes a bearer of the King, then surely Christ can see through the ways our perceptions of our own worth and understanding are at times awry and distorted.
It might be too easy to think of the donkey as foolish. The donkey may be derided as a stupid animal, yet he is used by God for the most triumphal journey in history, highlighting the difference between God’s wisdom and ours. No matter how humble or crushed in spirit we may feel, we are all God’s beloved children and we are all capable of being raised in glory.
Nobody is truly worthless, no matter what others may think. Just as the donkey is an unsung, unloved and unattractive creature who becomes the hero in Chesterton’s poem, so too the most humble and unattractive people, even though they are without social connections or the appearance of being important, are seen by Christ as who they truly are, made in God’s image and likeness.
The donkey remains dumb and does not declare his moment of greatness to those who deride him. Instead, his experience is an internal knowledge of his true value.
The image of the donkey in his moment of glory carrying Christ speaks of the intrinsic worth of every human, and the glory of every human soul in God’s love. In God’s eyes, we all deserve palms before our feet.
The Donkey, by GK Chesterton
When fishes flew and forests walked,
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood,
Then surely I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry,
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
Of all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient, crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
Further reflections on the Palm Sunday Gospel readings, posted last year [2018], are available HERE.
The Entry Into Jerusalem ascribed to Fra Angelico (1387-1455) in Saint Mark’s, FlorenceThe Gospel Readings:
The Liturgy of the Palms: Luke 19: 28-40 (NRSVA):
28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it”.’ 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ 34 They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power 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 heaven!’
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ 40 He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’
The Liturgy of the Passion: Luke 22: 14 to 23: 56 [longer reading]:
14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’ 23 Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
28 ‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials; 29 and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 ‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ 33 And he said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’ 34 Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.’
35 He said to them, ‘When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘No, not a thing.’ 36 He said to them, ‘But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, “And he was counted among the lawless”; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.’ 38 They said, ‘Lord, look, here are two swords.’ He replied, ‘It is enough.’
39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40 When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ 41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. 45 When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46 and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’
47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48 but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’ 49 When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, ‘Lord, should we strike with the sword?’ 50 Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!’
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55 When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, ‘This man also was with him.’ 57 But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ 58 A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ 59 Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, ‘Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.’ 60 But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about!’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64 they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ 65 They kept heaping many other insults on him.
66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. 67 They said, ‘If you are the Messiah, tell us.’ He replied, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I question you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ 70 All of them asked, ‘Are you, then, the Son of God?’ He said to them, ‘You say that I am.’ 71 Then they said, ‘What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!’
1 Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2 They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’ 3 Then Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He answered, ‘You say so.’ 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no basis for an accusation against this man.’ 5 But they were insistent and said, ‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.’
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. 9 He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. 12 That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14 and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 I will therefore have him flogged and release him.’
18 Then they all shouted out together, ‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’ 19 (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) 20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; 21 but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’ 22 A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’ 23 But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” 31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ 38 There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ 43 He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, 51 had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.
On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Palm Sunday ... an icon of the Triumphant entry of Christ into JerusalemThe Liturgy of the Passion: Luke 23: 1-49 [shorter reading]:
1 Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2 They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’ 3 Then Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He answered, ‘You say so.’ 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no basis for an accusation against this man.’ 5 But they were insistent and said, ‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.’
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. 9 He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. 12 That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14 and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 I will therefore have him flogged and release him.’
18 Then they all shouted out together, ‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’ 19 (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) 20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; 21 but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’ 22 A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’ 23 But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” 31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’
32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ 38 There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ 43 He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Liturgical resources:
Liturgical Colour: Red (or Violet).
The canticle Gloria is usually omitted in Lent. Traditionally in Anglicanism, the doxology or Gloria at the end of Canticles and Psalms is also omitted during Lent.
Penitential Kyries (Passiontide and Holy Week):
Lord God,
you sent your Son to reconcile us to yourself and to one another.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus,
you heal the wounds of sin and division.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Holy Spirit,
through you we put to death the sins of the body – and live.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
The Collect of the Day (Palm Sunday):
Almighty and everlasting God,
who, in your tender love towards the human race,
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
Grant that we may follow the example
of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lenten Collect:
Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Introduction to the Peace:
Now in union with Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of Christ’s blood; for he is our peace (Ephesians 2: 17).
Preface:
Through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
who, for the redemption of the world,
humbled himself to death on the cross;
that, being lifted up from the earth,
he might draw all people to himself:
The Post-Communion Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ,
you humbled yourself in taking the form of a servant
and in obedience died on the cross for our salvation.
Give us the mind to follow you
and to proclaim you as Lord and King,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Blessing:
Christ draw you to himself
and grant that you find in his cross a sure ground for faith,
a firm support for hope,
and the assurance of sins forgiven:
Palm Sunday at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin ... the Blessing of the PalmsSuggested Hymns:
The hymns suggested for Palm Sunday, the Sixth Sunday in Lent (Year C), in Sing to the Word (2000), edited by Bishop Edward Darling, include:
Luke 19: 28-40:
217, All glory, laud and honour
347, Children of Jerusalem
570, Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning (omit verse 1)
(Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising)
125, Hail to the Lord’s anointed
124, Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes
714, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might
715, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Lord Almighty
223, Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest
131, Lift up your heads, you mighty gates
431, Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour
134, Make way, make way for Christ the King
231, My song is love unknown
238, Ride on, ride on in majesty
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29:
683, All people that on earth do dwell
326, Blessèd city, heavenly Salem
(Christ is made the sure foundation)
327, Christ is our corner stone
714, Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might
715, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Lord Almighty
334, I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart
678, Ten thousand times ten thousand
78, This is the day that the Lord has made
493, Ye that know the Lord is gracious
Isaiah 50: 4-9a:
230, My Lord, what love is this
235, O sacred head, sore wounded
239, See Christ was wounded for our sake
Psalm 31: 9-16:
227, Man of sorrows! What a name
Philippians 2: 5-11:
250, All hail the power of Jesu’s name
684, All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine
218, And can it be that I should gain
630, Blessed are the pure in heart
219, From heav’n you came, helpless babe
417, He gave his life in selfless love
91, He is Lord, he is Lord
523, Help us to help each other, Lord
211, Immortal love for ever full
94, In the name of Jesus
96, Jesus is Lord! Creation’s voice proclaims it
99, Jesus, the name high over all
275, Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious
168, Lord, you were rich beyond all splendour
636, May the mind of Christ my Saviour
228, Meekness and majesty
102, Name of all majesty
285, The head that once was crowned with thorns
112, There is a Redeemer
114, Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown
117, To the name of our salvation
Luke 22: 14 to 23: 56 (or Luke 23: 1-49):
396, According to thy gracious word
215, Ah, holy Jesu, how hast thou offended
550, ‘Forgive our sins as we forgive’
221, Hark! the voice of love and mercy
222, Here is love, vast as the ocean
226, It is a thing most wonderful
617, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom
554, Lord Jesus, think on me
229, My God, I love thee; not because
231, My song is love unknown
234, O Love divine, what hast thou done?
235, O sacred head, surrounded
241, Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle
244, There is a green hill far away
373, To God be the glory! Great things he has done!
Further resources for the other days in Holy Week are available HERE.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
Material from the Book of Common Prayer is copyright © 2004, Representative Body of the Church of Ireland.
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