John 12:12-16
"Palm" Sunday - Years B, C
When will stoney hearts understand and sing truth to power? After there has been a resurrection.
Of course this implies that things will get quite dead first.
No wonder these are difficult scenes. The palms will turn to ashes before the ashes can intentionally lead us toward resurrection that comes in its own time (3 days or years or generations).
Here we see knee-jerk reactions to immediate hope that someone else will take care of the issues of the day. Come King Jesus and make it all OK for us. Take us off the hook. Now there's a band wagon we all want to jump on.
But there is no white charger here, only a grey donkey. What asses we were to think we can return to our mother's womb and re-enter Eden and nevermore wrestle with what we know about good and evil in the world and in these images of GOD we call ourselves.
Believe it, stones and stoney hearts can change -- do change. But not easily or immediately. In remembering past changes we can anticipate the general theory of change without knowing the details of particular changes or trying to turn that into a technique.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/april2004.html
In Mark we play an important part of setting up the recognized presence of Jesus. We go out of our way to get the colt/donkey/vehicle of peace ready to present Jesus and place our outer lives/coats on the line (vulnerable to receiving the "mark of the donkey" as it passes over).
In John, King Jesus has resources available at the snap of a finger, only royal palms are used, and, instead of retiring for the night, the Pharisees stay up to complete and confirm their assessment of having no option but to destroy this king in their midst.
Two very different perceptions and recounting of the same event. In some sense this is a reversal point. Usually speedy Mark lingers over preparation processes while loquacious John is the briefest of the four accounts.
Finding which of these stories best describes the situation we are in will give us another piece of information about next steps. In Mark, our part is taken back as Jesus goes on to his last act of power, a cursing of the fig tree, and the cleansing of the temple money/sacrifice exchange system. In John, we then see outsiders moving toward Jesus. There is a continuing play between myself and G*D as represented here with my active going to prepare and then Jesus retiring or with Jesus riding forth and my response to find out more. In the back and forth specifics we also find a generally forward arc toward life renewed and life eternal.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2006/april2006.html
Palms: Here at least permission is directly given for the lending or leasing of a colt (perhaps because it only entailed one animal? [grin]). Or, a young donkey is "found".
It is instructive that the Gospels (at least part of them) are written from the perspective of the resurrection. Later folks remembered more than they knew at the time. This remembrance was just in time to be recorded as eternal truth for all time. In this circle we are freed, if we desire to live in freedom, to anticipate future insight as well as newly appreciating past experiences. It is helpful to both name the original understanding and the later revision. This grounds both in a larger reality of growth and allows a better appreciation of the witness.
A process of "midrash" is still of the utmost importance to breaking through the religious restrictions that have accumulated down through the years about expected meaning of particular passages. These midrash moments are appropriately responded to with, "Hosanna!"
Passion: Any of the numberless deadly sins could be used as a lens for this section. An easy one to use is that of greed. The set up is John's version of an anointing story and the harassing of the woman on the basis of perceived loss of revenue (greed excused as a good thing because it is "concerned" about the poor - not that they would have received any real help after an appropriate amount of administrative costs and overhead were taken out).
From there we can ask about greed of position, greed of power, and greed of control (all experiences can be commoditized).
We can also ask about generosity as we follow the story of a number of Marys. They offer their time and energy to a faithful presence. It is not as though they have any position, power, or control - they simply are witnessing. I am reminded of the women of the disappeared who publicly dance in solitude with the missing loved ones. To speak would be to be disappeared, but their act of witness is critical.
- - -
looking back brings new insight
mining experience is valuable
we polish events
bringing their deeper significance
to the surface
standing quietly by
witnessing events is valuable
we avoid secrets
pushing common realities
into the background
hands over eyes, mouth, ears
quickly diminish values
we increase ignorance
keeping insight restricted
to authorized versions
looking standing vulnerable
caring presence is valuable
we join life
partnering common good
with uncommon good