Palm/Passion Sunday
Preaching
Preaching Luke's Gospel
A Narrative Approach
"After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jeru-salem" (Luke 19:28). We're at the destination at last. The Travel Narrative is over. Jesus enters Jerusalem to meet his destiny. We should perhaps remind ourselves of the markers along the way in Luke keeping the focus on Jerusalem. The way to Jerusalem was first mentioned in the Transfiguration story (9:28-36). Before the disciples' eyes Moses and Elijah are engaged in conversation with their transfigured Master. Moses and Elijah "... appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure (Greek: exodus), which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem" (9:31). Throughout the Travel Narrative there are constant markers that the story is taking us to Jerusalem: 9:51, 53; 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11.
Jerusalem was the city of Jesus' destiny. It was also to be the city of his great suffering. There are at least six passion predictions in Luke's story. The first of these predictions is in Luke 9:22: "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." There are several other passion predictions in Luke's story: 12:49-50; 13:33-34; 16:31; 17:25; 18:31-33; 19:14. It is very clear, therefore, that Jerusalem lies before Jesus as the city of his great suffering and pain. This is the plan. "Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" That's Jesus' word about God's plan as he spoke to disciples on the road to Emmaus on the day of his rising (24:26). Now that the plan is complete disciples can be commissioned to go to all nations with the message of repentance and the gracious forgiveness of sins (24:44-49).
In Jerusalem the whole plan will go public! All the world shall see. All the world shall know. All the world shall become a mission field for the message of repentance and forgiveness. According to Robert Tannehill:
... there are three scenes just before and shortly after the arrival at Jerusalem which provide previews of what will happen there. They indicate that the king will be rejected by his citizens and that this will bring disaster upon the city as a whole, both the leaders and the people. These three scenes are the parable of the pounds (19:11-27), Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (19:41-44), and the parable of the vineyard tenants (20:9-19).1
The parable of the pounds follows immediately upon the story of Zacchaeus (19:1-10). Jesus told this parable to his followers because he was near to Jerusalem! Jewish expectations of the Mes-siah and the Messiah's entrance into Jerusalem were expectations of glory. All those in Jesus' entourage must have expected a glorious entrance into the city of David. The parable of the pounds is pre-cisely a warning about what to expect in Jerusalem. The people expect glory! Jesus' parable warns of the cross! In what is clearly a kind of allegorical parable the nobleman in this story represents God. The citizens of the city do not want the nobleman/God to "rule over us" (19:14). The nobleman/God has enemies "... who did not want me to be king over them ..." (19:27). King Jesus will enter Jerusalem, but he will be met by many who do not want him to be their king. Jesus' days in Jerusalem, therefore, will not be simple days of glory. The passion predictions are true. King Jesus rides on to die.
The story of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (19:41-44) and the parable of the tenants in the vineyard (20:9-19) make very similar points. These three stories set a context of dread around the story of Jesus' entry into the city.
As for the Palm Sunday text itself, its clearest parallel is the story of the coronation of Solomon told in 1 Kings 1:32-40. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem must surely have called forth this story from of old in the minds of all who watched on that first Palm Sunday. The parallels between the two events suggest clearly that Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was the coming of the King, the coming of Israel's long-awaited Messiah!
On that first Palm Sunday the multitude of the disciples praised God joyfully with a loud voice and cried, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" (19:38). See the reference in 13:35. They cried out further: "Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" There is a play on words here with the words that the angels sang to the shepherds: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!" (Luke 2:14).
Homiletical Directions
It is indeed difficult to come up with a new approach for a Palm Sunday sermon. We've rehearsed this story so many times that there may seem little left to be said. The contextual approach that we suggested above might be a possibility, however. Introduce "Jerusalem" through the stories in Luke 9 where Jesus utters his first passion prediction and where Elijah and Moses speak with Jesus of his departure (exodus) to Jerusalem. The Travel Narrative is full of references to Jerusalem as the destiny of King Jesus. Build up the suspense, as Luke does with his constant reminders that we are on the way to Jerusalem and his constant repetition of passion predictions which put us on notice that Jerusalem will be a city of suffering for Jesus. There is a plan here to go to Jerusalem and to suffer.
The three stories identified by Tannehill stand in closest rela-tionship to Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The parable of the pounds is a warning that the king will not be welcome (19:11-27). Jesus' words and tears for Jerusalem also make it clear that Jerusalem is a city in which unspeakable things happen (19:41-44). The parable of the tenant and the vineyard also makes it clear that "the beloved son" will be rejected by the people. Tell these three stories as stories which cradle the Palm Sunday story and help to give it meaning.
If we make use of these stories it will probably not be necessary to retell the Palm Sunday story. It has been read. It is well known. Our task this year is to tell the stories that help to bring the meaning of this story to light. What we know from the passion predictions and from the three stories in Luke 19 and 20 is that Palm Sunday is a story on the way to the suffering and death on the cross.
We only know for sure how the story ends by peeking ahead at Luke 24. On the road to Emmaus Jesus reminds his disciples that he had to first suffer then enter his glory (24:26). It was necessary for the Christ to suffer. Jesus repeats these words in 24:46. The Messiah had to suffer. The Messiah had to suffer in order to carry out God's plan. Only then can the disciples be sent forth from Jerusalem with a message of repentance and forgiveness. So the disciples wait in Jerusalem. On Pentecost, in Jerusalem, they are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so that they may be witnesses to Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. (See Acts 1:8.) Empowered by the Spirit they will preach the message of repentance and forgiveness. (See Acts 2:38.)
This is our commission as well. As modern-day disciples we, too, have been to Jerusalem. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit and it is our turn to carry out God's plan. Today we are the messengers sent by Christ to call people to repent and to an-nounce forgiveness. On that note the sermon can end. Call people to repentance. Announce to them the word of forgiveness. In this action Palm Sunday's promise is fulfilled among us.
If you choose to use the Passion Sunday texts instead of the Palm Sunday text we would advise a story-telling approach. If there is to be a Passion Sunday let it be a Sunday to tell, not explain, the contents of Luke 22 or of Luke 22 and 23. In Preaching Mark's Gospel we made the suggestion that Passion Sunday be a day for the telling of the passion story using every form of story telling we can muster. Tell the stories in Luke 22 or 22 and 23. Some of the stories can be told from memory by good orators. There are musical pieces which would give expression to some of the stories. Ap-propriate hymns can be sung. Other stories could be dramatized by members of the congregation. Others of them could be told as stories to the children. Some stories could be set into choral read-ings. Others might be told with a rap beat. The possibilities are many! Use your imagination.
Should you choose to tell the Lukan passion story there are certain themes that dominate the story which might be underscored in the telling. Luke tells the passion story in such a way that it is unmistakably clear that what takes place here is the fulfillment of the plan of God. Judas appears at the outset of the story. The "opportune time" for betrayal is at hand. (Cf. Luke 4:13.) Luke introduced us to Judas the traitor long ago (6:16). "For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed" (22:22).
Judas introduces us to a story that is carried out according to the plan of God. This theme occurs repeatedly in the story (22:29, 37, 42, 53). In the Easter story Jesus reveals again that the plan of God has been fulfilled in his passion (24:25-27, 44-49). As we have noted above, God's plan is that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in Jesus' name to the ends of the earth. Here, too, we note that the sacrificial motif is not prominent in Luke. Luke does not focus our attention on Jesus' sacrificial death. Luke paints a broad picture of a passion that in all its parts carries out the plan of God.
In Acts 4:24-28 we hear a clear Lukan summary of the work of Jesus whom God anointed "to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." In these verses Luke cites Psalm 2 as a way of talking about the necessity of the Royal One to suffer at the hands of rulers and nations. Many scholars believe that Luke models his passion story as a fulfillment of Psalm 2.
Luke portrays Jesus as a person struggling with his destiny. Jesus' prayer at the Mount of Olives captures this struggle as Jesus prays for the cup to be taken from him (22:39-46). Ultimately, however, Jesus entrusts his spirit, his very self, into the hands of God. "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" (23:46).
The passion story is one of the most powerful human stories ever told. One of the options open to us as preachers is to tell this story each year to our people. Make it a tradition in our con-gregations. Each year more and more pieces of the story could be told in a variety of ways. We might finally mount a full-blown pageant! The pageant will differ from year to year as we move from Luke's story to Matthew's story and so forth. The goal is to tell this passion story in all of its power. The goal of good story telling is participation. We set forth to tell this story in all of its power so that those who hear might be grasped by the power of the story of the One who announced early in his ministry that "... the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised" (9:22).
____________
1.aRobert C. Tannehill, The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts, Volume One (Phila-delphia: Fortress Press, 1986), p. 159.
Jerusalem was the city of Jesus' destiny. It was also to be the city of his great suffering. There are at least six passion predictions in Luke's story. The first of these predictions is in Luke 9:22: "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." There are several other passion predictions in Luke's story: 12:49-50; 13:33-34; 16:31; 17:25; 18:31-33; 19:14. It is very clear, therefore, that Jerusalem lies before Jesus as the city of his great suffering and pain. This is the plan. "Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" That's Jesus' word about God's plan as he spoke to disciples on the road to Emmaus on the day of his rising (24:26). Now that the plan is complete disciples can be commissioned to go to all nations with the message of repentance and the gracious forgiveness of sins (24:44-49).
In Jerusalem the whole plan will go public! All the world shall see. All the world shall know. All the world shall become a mission field for the message of repentance and forgiveness. According to Robert Tannehill:
... there are three scenes just before and shortly after the arrival at Jerusalem which provide previews of what will happen there. They indicate that the king will be rejected by his citizens and that this will bring disaster upon the city as a whole, both the leaders and the people. These three scenes are the parable of the pounds (19:11-27), Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (19:41-44), and the parable of the vineyard tenants (20:9-19).1
The parable of the pounds follows immediately upon the story of Zacchaeus (19:1-10). Jesus told this parable to his followers because he was near to Jerusalem! Jewish expectations of the Mes-siah and the Messiah's entrance into Jerusalem were expectations of glory. All those in Jesus' entourage must have expected a glorious entrance into the city of David. The parable of the pounds is pre-cisely a warning about what to expect in Jerusalem. The people expect glory! Jesus' parable warns of the cross! In what is clearly a kind of allegorical parable the nobleman in this story represents God. The citizens of the city do not want the nobleman/God to "rule over us" (19:14). The nobleman/God has enemies "... who did not want me to be king over them ..." (19:27). King Jesus will enter Jerusalem, but he will be met by many who do not want him to be their king. Jesus' days in Jerusalem, therefore, will not be simple days of glory. The passion predictions are true. King Jesus rides on to die.
The story of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (19:41-44) and the parable of the tenants in the vineyard (20:9-19) make very similar points. These three stories set a context of dread around the story of Jesus' entry into the city.
As for the Palm Sunday text itself, its clearest parallel is the story of the coronation of Solomon told in 1 Kings 1:32-40. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem must surely have called forth this story from of old in the minds of all who watched on that first Palm Sunday. The parallels between the two events suggest clearly that Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was the coming of the King, the coming of Israel's long-awaited Messiah!
On that first Palm Sunday the multitude of the disciples praised God joyfully with a loud voice and cried, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" (19:38). See the reference in 13:35. They cried out further: "Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" There is a play on words here with the words that the angels sang to the shepherds: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favors!" (Luke 2:14).
Homiletical Directions
It is indeed difficult to come up with a new approach for a Palm Sunday sermon. We've rehearsed this story so many times that there may seem little left to be said. The contextual approach that we suggested above might be a possibility, however. Introduce "Jerusalem" through the stories in Luke 9 where Jesus utters his first passion prediction and where Elijah and Moses speak with Jesus of his departure (exodus) to Jerusalem. The Travel Narrative is full of references to Jerusalem as the destiny of King Jesus. Build up the suspense, as Luke does with his constant reminders that we are on the way to Jerusalem and his constant repetition of passion predictions which put us on notice that Jerusalem will be a city of suffering for Jesus. There is a plan here to go to Jerusalem and to suffer.
The three stories identified by Tannehill stand in closest rela-tionship to Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The parable of the pounds is a warning that the king will not be welcome (19:11-27). Jesus' words and tears for Jerusalem also make it clear that Jerusalem is a city in which unspeakable things happen (19:41-44). The parable of the tenant and the vineyard also makes it clear that "the beloved son" will be rejected by the people. Tell these three stories as stories which cradle the Palm Sunday story and help to give it meaning.
If we make use of these stories it will probably not be necessary to retell the Palm Sunday story. It has been read. It is well known. Our task this year is to tell the stories that help to bring the meaning of this story to light. What we know from the passion predictions and from the three stories in Luke 19 and 20 is that Palm Sunday is a story on the way to the suffering and death on the cross.
We only know for sure how the story ends by peeking ahead at Luke 24. On the road to Emmaus Jesus reminds his disciples that he had to first suffer then enter his glory (24:26). It was necessary for the Christ to suffer. Jesus repeats these words in 24:46. The Messiah had to suffer. The Messiah had to suffer in order to carry out God's plan. Only then can the disciples be sent forth from Jerusalem with a message of repentance and forgiveness. So the disciples wait in Jerusalem. On Pentecost, in Jerusalem, they are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so that they may be witnesses to Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. (See Acts 1:8.) Empowered by the Spirit they will preach the message of repentance and forgiveness. (See Acts 2:38.)
This is our commission as well. As modern-day disciples we, too, have been to Jerusalem. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit and it is our turn to carry out God's plan. Today we are the messengers sent by Christ to call people to repent and to an-nounce forgiveness. On that note the sermon can end. Call people to repentance. Announce to them the word of forgiveness. In this action Palm Sunday's promise is fulfilled among us.
If you choose to use the Passion Sunday texts instead of the Palm Sunday text we would advise a story-telling approach. If there is to be a Passion Sunday let it be a Sunday to tell, not explain, the contents of Luke 22 or of Luke 22 and 23. In Preaching Mark's Gospel we made the suggestion that Passion Sunday be a day for the telling of the passion story using every form of story telling we can muster. Tell the stories in Luke 22 or 22 and 23. Some of the stories can be told from memory by good orators. There are musical pieces which would give expression to some of the stories. Ap-propriate hymns can be sung. Other stories could be dramatized by members of the congregation. Others of them could be told as stories to the children. Some stories could be set into choral read-ings. Others might be told with a rap beat. The possibilities are many! Use your imagination.
Should you choose to tell the Lukan passion story there are certain themes that dominate the story which might be underscored in the telling. Luke tells the passion story in such a way that it is unmistakably clear that what takes place here is the fulfillment of the plan of God. Judas appears at the outset of the story. The "opportune time" for betrayal is at hand. (Cf. Luke 4:13.) Luke introduced us to Judas the traitor long ago (6:16). "For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed" (22:22).
Judas introduces us to a story that is carried out according to the plan of God. This theme occurs repeatedly in the story (22:29, 37, 42, 53). In the Easter story Jesus reveals again that the plan of God has been fulfilled in his passion (24:25-27, 44-49). As we have noted above, God's plan is that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in Jesus' name to the ends of the earth. Here, too, we note that the sacrificial motif is not prominent in Luke. Luke does not focus our attention on Jesus' sacrificial death. Luke paints a broad picture of a passion that in all its parts carries out the plan of God.
In Acts 4:24-28 we hear a clear Lukan summary of the work of Jesus whom God anointed "to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." In these verses Luke cites Psalm 2 as a way of talking about the necessity of the Royal One to suffer at the hands of rulers and nations. Many scholars believe that Luke models his passion story as a fulfillment of Psalm 2.
Luke portrays Jesus as a person struggling with his destiny. Jesus' prayer at the Mount of Olives captures this struggle as Jesus prays for the cup to be taken from him (22:39-46). Ultimately, however, Jesus entrusts his spirit, his very self, into the hands of God. "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" (23:46).
The passion story is one of the most powerful human stories ever told. One of the options open to us as preachers is to tell this story each year to our people. Make it a tradition in our con-gregations. Each year more and more pieces of the story could be told in a variety of ways. We might finally mount a full-blown pageant! The pageant will differ from year to year as we move from Luke's story to Matthew's story and so forth. The goal is to tell this passion story in all of its power. The goal of good story telling is participation. We set forth to tell this story in all of its power so that those who hear might be grasped by the power of the story of the One who announced early in his ministry that "... the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised" (9:22).
____________
1.aRobert C. Tannehill, The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts, Volume One (Phila-delphia: Fortress Press, 1986), p. 159.
