On Palm Sunday morn, we’ll gather outside the church on the West End Avenue steps at 11am. We’ll sing and wave palms as we walk around the block, following our beloved donkey-friend, then we’ll conclude our Palm Sunday service inside. Please bring and wear a high-quality mask (e.g. N95 or KN95) during the service. Masks will also be available if you don’t have one when you arrive.
April 10, 2022 at 11 a.m. | Bulletin
“If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!” Luke 19:42
On that first Palm Sunday, Jesus must have been elated. To see the numbers of followers turning out to welcome him into the holy city of Jerusalem must have been a source of validation, comfort, and inspiration for Jesus.
Except for one thing. Jesus knew people too well. Jesus knows us too well. He knows that the kind of religious and political fervor on display that day can easily provoke some kind of violence. And, less than a week later, Jesus would fall victim to that violence. Murdered at the hands of an oppressive government.
‘If only you recognized the things that make peace!” But you don’t, Jesus implies. He’s been trying to teach those things. Earlier in the same chapter he is with Zacchaeus, a corrupt, rich resident of Jericho, inspiring Zacchaeus to make restitution and reparations. A few verses later, Luke shows Jesus in the temple, tackling those who prey upon the poor.
These things, acts of justice, are what make a way for peace. Are we learning?
K