Zechariah 9:9-12/Philippians 2:5-11/St Matthew 21:1-9; 26-27
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Have the same heart and mind in you as in Christ Jesus. That is what it means to be His disciples, to be a Christian: to live by faith and trust in the Word of God; in humble submission to His will, obedient, even unto death. And that is what Jesus does in fulfilling the Holy Scriptures, all the words and promises of God, according to His grace and mercy, His love, His desire for your salvation and the salvation of the world.
Everything unfolds and happened as it has been written, as the Lord has spoken, and as He fully intends. Nothing is by chance or accident. St Matthew has interpreted correctly, for the self-same Spirit who inspired him to believe and write, inspired King David to write and pray. Indeed He is the very Spirit of Christ Jesus, only Son of the Father, who spoke by the prophets and apostles. Therefore His Word and will are accomplished accordingly.
For it was not really Judas or the chief priests, scribes or elders, who hand Jesus over to death. It is first of all God the Father, who sacrifices His Son in order to reconcile the world unto Himself. And the Son willingly submits to the Cross. He lays down His own life voluntarily and He will take it up again.
He is alone in doing so. He alone accomplishes the salvation of the world, reconciles enemies and rebels, disciples and friends, to His Father. When the Shepherd is struck down for the sheep, to save them, the sheep are scattered in fear and denial; seemingly left without a Shepherd. Having a fickle heart and a terrified mind.
How is it for you? Do you have the mind of Christ?
Or do you think and act like Judas or Peter? Like the other disciples who all fled? Are you like the fickle crowds of people, tossed about by every gust of popular opinion? Or are you like the leaders of the people, afraid for your position? Are you trying to keep your own life?
Do you know this Man, Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Or have you forgotten Him and His Word to you? Do you still not understand?
As you could not be converted by your own reason or strength, neither can you persevere by your own reason or strength. Its not simply that you’re not trying hard enough. That your Lenten discipline this year was too little too late. Its that you can’t do it. Its not given to you to make a disciple of yourself. You can’t pull yourself by your spiritual bootstraps into a greater and stronger relationship with your Lord. That is His good and gracious work. And it is His good gift to you, by the laying down of His life and taking it up again and then by and through His Word and Holy Spirit.
It is the Word of Christ that has made you a disciple: in the waters of your Holy Baptism and by the on-going catechesis of all that Jesus has taught and commanded you through His Church and His Office of the Holy Gospel.
And this same catechesis of His Word is the way of on-going discipleship. It is by the catechesis of His Word that you are and remain a Christian. By the catechesis of His Word that you think and speak and act as Jesus does, with His heart and His mind. Not that you become the Savior of the world, or of yourself, or even of your friends and neighbors. But that you live by faith within your own God-given vocation and within that vocation, by such faith, love and serve your neighbor.
You love and serve with mercy and kindness, anointing the body of Jesus, washing His feet and drying them, by caring for His little ones, His brethren, whether they be big or small, young or old, rich or poor, unborn or imprisoned.
You love and serve your neighbor also with His Word. For you speak as God speaks to you by His Son and thereby sustain the weak and the weary with the forgiving Word of the Gospel, freely giving as you have freely received.
For you too are poor and weak and little. Sometimes faithful, sometimes faithless and afraid. Most of the time both at one and the same time. You are not called to sustain yourself. You are not called to stand on your own. You can’t. You are not given to speak your own word, but that of Christ, which He speaks to you in love; perhaps most especially throughout this holiest of weeks as His Passion is read and contemplated. For these are the Gospel of the Gospels, the heart and center of the Christian faith.
It is in them that He shows you what it means to follow Him, to live in Him, by listening to what He says. Not only a command, but especially a promise. Not only a rebuke, but free and full forgiveness of all your sins. For as you hear these lengthy accounts this week, you search to find your place in them. Are you Peter? Judas? The Twelve? Barabbas? The crowds? You certainly aren’t Jesus!
How often have you denied Him? Betrayed Him? Fled from Him? But He has not forsaken you. He has not fled from serving you. He has sought you out in mercy and love. He has saved you, by His grace, in mercy and peace, through His steadfast obedience and His innocent suffering and death.
Where you have failed Him, repent. If you have fled, return to Him. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, speedy to help and save, eager to forgive you, abounding in steadfast love for you.
He has known ahead of time that you would stumble and fall, but He has come to save and serve you anyway. He knows your sins, the you are a sinner, but He is the Savior of sinners. He has done it. He loves you.
He has voluntarily taken your sin and death upon Himself. Do not mourn and weep for Him. This week is not a funeral for Christ. Mourn and lament your sins which nailed Him, the innocent One, to the Tree. And rejoice, with repentant joy, for the Father has vindicated the Son in His Resurrection from the dead, and so too has vindicated you, declared you righteous by faith, and set you free from sin and death forever. Not a single charge against you will stick. You are not guilty. Not because you have done so well and managed to keep your nose clean, but for Jesus’ sake, because He has done all things well.
And here He is for you. Do not be afraid. Your King comes in humility and He brings salvation with Him. He still retains the form of a Servant. For He comes to serve you here, with His Blood poured out for you which has reconciled you to God and makes peace for you with Him. With His Body, given for you upon the Cross to atone for all your sins and given to you now for life and salvation in Him.
Open wide your mouth for He will fill it. Take your palm branches in hand and rejoice. For the Son of David comes to save you.
And the Peace of God which surpasses all human understanding will keep your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting; to Him be glory, together with God the Father + and the Holy Spirit, now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
Have the same heart and mind in you as in Christ Jesus. That is what it means to be His disciples, to be a Christian: to live by faith and trust in the Word of God; in humble submission to His will, obedient, even unto death. And that is what Jesus does in fulfilling the Holy Scriptures, all the words and promises of God, according to His grace and mercy, His love, His desire for your salvation and the salvation of the world.
Everything unfolds and happened as it has been written, as the Lord has spoken, and as He fully intends. Nothing is by chance or accident. St Matthew has interpreted correctly, for the self-same Spirit who inspired him to believe and write, inspired King David to write and pray. Indeed He is the very Spirit of Christ Jesus, only Son of the Father, who spoke by the prophets and apostles. Therefore His Word and will are accomplished accordingly.
For it was not really Judas or the chief priests, scribes or elders, who hand Jesus over to death. It is first of all God the Father, who sacrifices His Son in order to reconcile the world unto Himself. And the Son willingly submits to the Cross. He lays down His own life voluntarily and He will take it up again.
He is alone in doing so. He alone accomplishes the salvation of the world, reconciles enemies and rebels, disciples and friends, to His Father. When the Shepherd is struck down for the sheep, to save them, the sheep are scattered in fear and denial; seemingly left without a Shepherd. Having a fickle heart and a terrified mind.
How is it for you? Do you have the mind of Christ?
Or do you think and act like Judas or Peter? Like the other disciples who all fled? Are you like the fickle crowds of people, tossed about by every gust of popular opinion? Or are you like the leaders of the people, afraid for your position? Are you trying to keep your own life?
Do you know this Man, Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Or have you forgotten Him and His Word to you? Do you still not understand?
As you could not be converted by your own reason or strength, neither can you persevere by your own reason or strength. Its not simply that you’re not trying hard enough. That your Lenten discipline this year was too little too late. Its that you can’t do it. Its not given to you to make a disciple of yourself. You can’t pull yourself by your spiritual bootstraps into a greater and stronger relationship with your Lord. That is His good and gracious work. And it is His good gift to you, by the laying down of His life and taking it up again and then by and through His Word and Holy Spirit.
It is the Word of Christ that has made you a disciple: in the waters of your Holy Baptism and by the on-going catechesis of all that Jesus has taught and commanded you through His Church and His Office of the Holy Gospel.
And this same catechesis of His Word is the way of on-going discipleship. It is by the catechesis of His Word that you are and remain a Christian. By the catechesis of His Word that you think and speak and act as Jesus does, with His heart and His mind. Not that you become the Savior of the world, or of yourself, or even of your friends and neighbors. But that you live by faith within your own God-given vocation and within that vocation, by such faith, love and serve your neighbor.
You love and serve with mercy and kindness, anointing the body of Jesus, washing His feet and drying them, by caring for His little ones, His brethren, whether they be big or small, young or old, rich or poor, unborn or imprisoned.
You love and serve your neighbor also with His Word. For you speak as God speaks to you by His Son and thereby sustain the weak and the weary with the forgiving Word of the Gospel, freely giving as you have freely received.
For you too are poor and weak and little. Sometimes faithful, sometimes faithless and afraid. Most of the time both at one and the same time. You are not called to sustain yourself. You are not called to stand on your own. You can’t. You are not given to speak your own word, but that of Christ, which He speaks to you in love; perhaps most especially throughout this holiest of weeks as His Passion is read and contemplated. For these are the Gospel of the Gospels, the heart and center of the Christian faith.
It is in them that He shows you what it means to follow Him, to live in Him, by listening to what He says. Not only a command, but especially a promise. Not only a rebuke, but free and full forgiveness of all your sins. For as you hear these lengthy accounts this week, you search to find your place in them. Are you Peter? Judas? The Twelve? Barabbas? The crowds? You certainly aren’t Jesus!
How often have you denied Him? Betrayed Him? Fled from Him? But He has not forsaken you. He has not fled from serving you. He has sought you out in mercy and love. He has saved you, by His grace, in mercy and peace, through His steadfast obedience and His innocent suffering and death.
Where you have failed Him, repent. If you have fled, return to Him. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, speedy to help and save, eager to forgive you, abounding in steadfast love for you.
He has known ahead of time that you would stumble and fall, but He has come to save and serve you anyway. He knows your sins, the you are a sinner, but He is the Savior of sinners. He has done it. He loves you.
He has voluntarily taken your sin and death upon Himself. Do not mourn and weep for Him. This week is not a funeral for Christ. Mourn and lament your sins which nailed Him, the innocent One, to the Tree. And rejoice, with repentant joy, for the Father has vindicated the Son in His Resurrection from the dead, and so too has vindicated you, declared you righteous by faith, and set you free from sin and death forever. Not a single charge against you will stick. You are not guilty. Not because you have done so well and managed to keep your nose clean, but for Jesus’ sake, because He has done all things well.
And here He is for you. Do not be afraid. Your King comes in humility and He brings salvation with Him. He still retains the form of a Servant. For He comes to serve you here, with His Blood poured out for you which has reconciled you to God and makes peace for you with Him. With His Body, given for you upon the Cross to atone for all your sins and given to you now for life and salvation in Him.
Open wide your mouth for He will fill it. Take your palm branches in hand and rejoice. For the Son of David comes to save you.
And the Peace of God which surpasses all human understanding will keep your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting; to Him be glory, together with God the Father + and the Holy Spirit, now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
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