St. Paul's On-the-Hill Episcopal Church

The Rev. Stephen C. Holton, Rector

Palm Sunday; March16, 2008

The Passion according to Matthew

26:14-27:11-54

POWER

People betray him Out of Weakness and sin, Even so he Responds with Love

FOREVER

All the disciples left Jesus

and still he loved them.

Judas betrayed Jesus

and still, we think, he loved him

but Judas, because he hanged himself

and did not accept the forgiveness

didn't feel that love.

Pilate sentenced him

and still he loved him

The High Priest and the Chief Priest gave him up to death

and still he loved them.

Peter denied him

and still he loved him.

The women stood at a distance and did not come up close

and so he did not know their love

and still he loved them.

Still he loved us.

We deny him when we do not have the courage – as Peter did not have the courage – to stand up for what is right.

We betray him when we betray our principles for money. Unlike Judas we need to remember his forgiveness and ask for it and not turn inward in our despair.

We abandon him when we cannot bear the pain of life, and stand afar off like the women.

And still he loves us.

Still the Cross stands there. He hangs there, loving us.

It is interesting that the first sign that Jesus is the Incarnation of God, the Incarnate Son of Love, is when – upon his death – rocks split and there is a mighty earthquake and the dead are raised and walk the streets.

Nobody else dies. There is no revenge by the God of heaven. No one runs for their lives. Only the Temple curtain is torn in two.

But people live.

This is obviously a God of love, who still loves, regardless of what we have done.

Regardless of our sin. Regardless of our weakness.

And we still have the sin. We still have the weakness.

And he still loves.

The Governor of New York has the sin. Still God loves.

We still have the weakness when we cannot stand the pain regardless of our best efforts. And still he loves, and still he waits for us to come back to his love, as he waited for the Disciples until after the Resurrection to remember their love, their courage, when it was safe to come out and meet him in the light of day.

He waits for us too.

In a few minutes we will sing:

“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”

No. Too scared.

“Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?”

No. Too scared.

“Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?”

No. Too sad.

“Were you there when he rose up from the grave?”

Well, maybe. Is it safe? Yes. Does he still love?

Yes. OK. I'll be there.

I'll be there at all the other times, or I'll try to be, we'll try to be – in our lives and the lives of others, when principles are challenged and our own strength is not enough.

We'll be there, because He will be. And so we can. We can.

“Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,” we also sing in the great Irish hymn in a few minutes. “Naught be all else to me save that thou art. Thou my best thought by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.”

Jesus always there, still shining in my life, even if I take refuge in the darkness from time to time.

Yet he lightens the darkness, and me too, and gives me courage to go on.

He gives the whole world courage to go on; and he changes the whole world with his love and justice!

On this day before St. Patrick's Day we remember St. Patrick's first Easter in Ireland. A pagan king was holding a festival at Tara and had ordered no other fires be built. Then he noticed a fire on the Hill of Slane – the name of the tune to which we sing “Be thou my vision.” It was lit by Patrick. The king ordered a death sentence on him.

The King's elders replied: “O King, live for ever. The fire which we see was lit tonight before one was lit in your house, the palace of Tara. This fire will never be extinguished, unless it is put out tonight.”

Patrick later came to meet his attackers in the power of the Spirit, and was unharmed. And Christianity grew, like that fire, in Ireland, and was unharmed and was not extinguished but lived.

And Christ, despite his death, was resurrected.

And Christ, despite his abandonment by his disciples, reunited himself with them.

And despite the fact that they denied him, he did not deny them.

And despite the fact that injustice was done to him, injustice did not reign. God reigned. Love reigned. And the dead walked. And no one but Christ was killed that day.

This is the Power of the Cross for Love Forever

The Cross still reigns. Love still reigns. And death eventually dies and injustice crumbles.

Rome fell. The Nazis crumbled. Love remains. All evil things shall pass away, and Love will remain, and spread, and spread, and spread.

And if your faith falters, keep an eye on the cross. It is still there.

Let that be your vision, the Lord of your heart, naught be all else to us save that thou art – the God that is, and is, and is to come, for ever.

For ever with us. For ever in the world. Never abandoning us or the world though we abandon or betray Him. Waiting for us to return – either to the foot of the cross or the door of the tomb when he has been raised and we have regained our courage.

And then to work for Him, with Him, with his power, for the life and love of the world.

Amen