Palm Sunday: Fully in the Light Again, We See the Cross

Isaiah 40:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Mark 14:1-15:47 OR Mark 15:(1-39)40-47

It is something of a cliche' to highlight the contrast between the chorus' lines "Hosanna! King of the Jews!" on Palm Sunday and "Crucify him!" on Good Friday. So I will not do that. But I do remember once attending Eucharist at an Episcopal Church some years ago on Palm Sunday. After receiving the Sacrament--or maybe it was before; my memory is unclear--someone pressed into our hands a blunted nail. This was to indicate something of the role each one of us had to play in the crucifixion of Jesus. While, at the time, it wasn't a very healthy thing for me to hear, as I was going through a rather dark spiritual time, it does indicate something interesting. In a way, even though none of us drove the nails, we all had a part in the death of Jesus, because it was for our sin that he died.

The Mel Gibson movie The Passion of the Christ, supposedly, showed Gibson's own hand driving the nail into Jesus' wrist. I suppose it would have spoiled the illusion to have left Gibson's wristwatch in the shot, since of course first century CE Roman soldiers didn't know anything of Timex or Rolex or whatever it is Gibson owns and wears. But, at the same time, it would have made a rather profound theological statement, even as did the blunted nail pressed into my hand wherever it was and whenever it was.

I have a dim recollection of an exchange in another film, The Shawshank Redemption. Andy DuFresne is talking to Red Ellis (Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman) and he says, "I killed my wife, Red. I didn't pull the trigger, but I pushed her away" into the arms of the lover with whom she was murdered. Red tries to console Andy: "That doesn't make you a murderer. Bad husband, maybe." But there is a hint of unreality to Red's words. In the same way, I didn't drive the nails into the wrists of Jesus, but it was for me that this was done. And so, surrounded by the great cloud of witness, I cast aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely, and run the race that is marked out for me, keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame.

Hebrews got it right. The light has fully dawned. We have come out of the dark wood of Lent, thinking that the difficult part of our journey is over. But, just around that bend up there... Amen.