PALM SUNDAY

                    March 28, 2010

the Rev. Ken Kroohs

Isaiah 43:16-21; Ps. 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8)

A DAY ABOUT US

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, High Point, NC

MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN

    Today may be the most appropriate day on our church calendar. ....... More than Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, or any other Sunday our Palm Sunday readings talk about us. All the other weeks we hear about models or extremes — things we should live up to, but don’t.

    Palm Sunday illustrates who we really are. Jesus actually taught about this in one of His parables. I suspect He knew He was describing us, but did He realize this is what would happen during His last week of life? ... Probably.

    From Luke 8: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path: It was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. The seed

fell among thorns, which grew up and yield a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

    I suspect most of the crowd would be considered as those where the seed fell on the rock. As Jesus explained: “they heard the word with joy but they have no root ... when testing comes they fall away”

    Now the Jewish leaders and those who later cried “crucify Him” are those where the seed fell among the thorns. As Jesus explained: “are those who hear the word but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures and they do not mature.”

    The reason I have always thought that parable was one of Jesus’ best, and that Palm Sunday is so appropriate or applicable is that those seeds describe us, and the Jerusalem crowd, so well.

    Seeds that fall among the thorns tend to grow slower .. the thorns take some of the nutrients and water. So what we have are images of people who have one of those dramatic, life changing, mountain top conversion experiences ---- and those who have a slow, gradual learning experience.

    The style of the conversion experience does not matter. What matters is what happens later.

    I mentioned that most gospels point to some unattainable model. That may be what the other type of seed illustrates ... the seed that fell among the good soil and yielded a hundred times more than was sown.

    How many of us would say, even in the quiet recesses of our souls, that we have yielded a hundred times more than God planted in us?

    As I mentioned last year, I have changed my understanding of the Palm Sunday crowd. I no longer believe they cried “hosanna” on Sunday and “crucify Him” on Friday. I now believe they were different people, different crowds.

    BUT, that means the “hosanna” crowd had drifted away, had no roots, was ignoring Jesus within just a couple days.

    Is that who we are? .... I am absolutely fascinated, in a sociological study sense, by the fact that the Sunday after Easter almost always has the lowest attendance of the entire year. Some church calendars even label the Sunday after Easter as “low Sunday” – not a theological name but a practical description. We hear about all Jesus did for us ... and our reaction is to drift away, to ignore Him.

    Let me point out one more word in the parable ... possibly the critical word: “the seed on good soil ... stands for those wo hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop”

    This week, consider what it means to “persevere” in Christianity.

             AMEN

We have previous sermons on our website. To read an earlier recent sermon just enter: www.st-christopher.org/sermon.html.

CLICK HERE TO RESPOND: I would enjoy reading your comments about this sermon. Please feel free to discuss content or presentation. (If you wish to use another email system send your comments to: ken@st-christopher.com)