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Trusting the Wisdom of Our Bodies
When wars rage and earthquakes destroy and the persistent news cycle is painful, our trust can Read More
Karen Oliveto | Read Matthew 27:15-26
The journey from Palm Sunday to Easter is filled with shocking twists. Jesus’ triumphant ride into Jerusalem quickly sours, and the shouts of “Hosanna” turn into cries of “Crucify him!” So many of us want to skip those pages in the Gospel story and run to—and then from—an empty tomb....
O God, give me the strength and perseverance to walk with Jesus this week. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Palms readings prepare us for Palm Sunday, when Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem in triumph. The psalmist celebrates the one who comes in the name of the Lord, who is celebrated with palm branches. Matthew then tells the story of Jesus, who enters Jerusalem in this way and is greeted with joy, such that the crowds quote Psalm 118. The Liturgy of the Passion points to the end of that week and the coming suffering of Jesus. Isaiah and the psalmist describe being treated with contempt, beaten, and rejected. In reciting the earliest known Christian hymn, Paul in Philippians emphasizes how Christ surrenders his glory and is subjected to humiliation and death. Matthew recounts the passion of the Messiah, who is rejected as the prophets have foretold.
Read Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29. How has God been steadfast in your life? How do you praise God for this continual presence?
Read Matthew 21:1-11. How would you expect a ruler to enter a city? How is Jesus’ entrance the same? How is it different?
Read Isaiah 50:4-9a. What does being a servant of God look like? How does God help you live as a servant?
Read Philippians 2:5-11. Consider the author’s suggestion that Jesus manifests his divinity by being completely obedientto God. How does this change the way you think about the divine image within you?
Respond by posting a prayer.
