Palm/Passion Sunday (Luke 19:28-40, Philippians 2:5-11, Luke 23:1-49)

Some preachers complain about the Palm Sunday lectionary, which puts together the “palm” and the “passion” Gospel texts. One complaint relates to dissonance: it’s not easy to pair a celebratory parade with a trial and execution. Another complaint concerns scope: there is too much theological ground to cover and too much liturgical time required.

If the service seems crowded and discordant, there’s a historical reason for it: the lectionary readings are a combination of two different local liturgies. The procession with palms comes from the church in Jerusalem, which has reenacted Jesus’ entry into the city with a full liturgical parade since at least the fourth century. The emphasis on the extended synoptic passion comes from the church in Rome, where the narrative has often been sung in three voices as the primary Gospel text on this day. The two traditions cross-pollinated and merged over the fourth through the eighth centuries. Thirteen centuries later we may still experience the dual influences on this liturgy as relatively unhomogenized. But the unresolved tensions have also proved to be theologically generative.

Many preachers point out that the crowds that praised Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem soon began lobbying angrily for his execution. The liturgy serves as an example of the transience of their as well as our own faith. With palm branches of hope still in our hands, we give up on the messianic vision, go back to business as usual and settle for Barabbas. It’s not only that our faith’s hopes wither away; sometimes we actively dismantle them. This interpretation emphasizes the dissonance within us: we who praise and follow Christ also abandon, betray, condemn and demonize Christ.