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Entry Of The Christ In Jerusalem, Jean-Leon Gerome, 1897, Public Domain |
Homily for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
March 20, 2016
Readings:
Isaiah 50:4-7
Philippians 2:6-11
Luke 22:14-23:56
Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem by shouts of “Hosanna to our king!” He is initially welcomed by a people with who have an identity of solidarity, who belong and know themselves, who are made God’s people by the Covenant. They are a people who have a King—who have Christ as their King. Christ has come to fulfill the Covenant and make them a triumphant people. Yet, we see that once the people recognize that their King’s throne is the Cross, they become a mob and a faceless crowd—unruly, indifferent and apathetic, filled with anger and selfishness, and self-will. My will be done, not Thy will be done.
In Sacred Scripture, the activity of crowds always demonstrates a lack of faith, unruliness and resistance, or rejection of the Will of God revealed to them in the Covenant or by the prophets. There is a lack of identity, self-awareness, and belonging in a person’s being subsumed in such a crowd or faceless mob.
This is the case for today. At the start, the people are happy to do God’s Will because it is easy and goes according to their private interests, but when it becomes clear that God’s Will involves surrender and conversion, they turn away. The people, who soon recognize that the Cross is Christ’s throne and that He has come in loving obedience to accomplish the Father’s Will, place their own will in front of God’s will and become hardened to Christ’s mission of salvation. They lose their identity and awareness of themselves as belonging to God. They become dominated by fear, indifference, and rage. Christ has come to save them, but not in the way that they would choose or according to their plans. My will be done, not Thy will be done.
When we sin, when each of us places his or her own will in front of God’s Will; each of us loses his or her identity and sense of belonging as we place a wall between ourselves and God and our neighbor—a huge wall—a wall of indifference, of apathy, of selfishness and fear, of anger and hatred. My will be done, not thy will be done.
When we accept in faith God’s will for us by loving our neighbor and seeking forgiveness, we accept the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross of Jesus Christ is at once the perfect act of love performed by God and the perfect act of love performed by humanity. This gives us our identity as God’s people through forgiveness and mercy and authentic freedom to love as God loves. To love is to accept our share in the Cross of Jesus—in so doing we reject sin and are spared from the isolation experienced in the chaotic selfishness of a mob. To love is to say Thy will be done, not my will be done.
+ Most Rev. Michael F. Olson
Bishop of Fort Worth
