Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1-9 - Palm Sunday - March 29, 2015
Come Thou in Mercy as the King of Kings

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“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”

The grateful children of Israel sang the praises of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  Hosanna, they cried.  Hosanna means “Oh save us now.”  Jesus came to them in the name of the Lord.  He came to do what only God could do for them – save them.  He was the long awaited Son of David who would rescue them not from political enemies like Babylon or Rome, but from sin, death, and the power of the evil one.  These worshippers sang praises to their King because he came to them in mercy.  Where did they get the words they sang?  Well, they didn’t just make them up.  They inherited them. 

Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1-9 - Palm Sunday/Confirmation - April 13, 2014
Daughters of Zion

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ and especially you Aubreigh and Caragan; grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

When you were baptized, God became your Father.  Of course, he was always your Father in this sense: inasmuch as he is God the Father almighty who made heaven and earth.  That means that he made you with your eternal well being in mind.  He knit you together in your mothers’ wombs and has cared for you ever since, because he loves you.  Through earthly means he has made sure that you have been fed, clothed, sheltered, disciplined, and otherwise loved by those who make it their joy to do so.  These loved-ones of yours are God’s earthly means.  Your parents, grandparents, and families take care of you because they love you.  And God takes care of you through them because he loves you even more. 

Palm Sunday

John 12:12-19 - Palm Sunday - April 1, 2012 

Praising our King

Every election cycle we witness it all over again – although this year it has seemed to last especially long – politicians running for public office trying to sell themselves as public servants who have your best interests in mind.  It’s an interesting thing to watch if you don’t let it depress you too much.  But while they all try to court your trust and win your vote with affected displays of meekness, it becomes painfully clear every year that it is not always your peace and prosperity that drives these men and women to aspire for public office.  It is raw power.

Now, I know this sounds pretty cynical of me.  And I know there are some politicians out there who have good intentions to rule wisely and fairly.  But true statesmen are few and far between.  Power corrupts.  The very taste of it turns seemingly harmless ideologues into oppressive tyrants.  When we go to the polls, we often resign ourselves to choose the lesser of two evils.  We’re not looking for a political messiah; we don’t expect one; we’re just looking to get the best we can.  Of course, it’s good to pray for, and even campaign for, good rulers.  But this doesn’t mean we have much confidence in the things they can accomplish for us.  It is as it says in Psalm 118:

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man; it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes” (Psalm 118:8-9).