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| Man of Sorrows |
The
Palm Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11
Matthew’s
story about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem emphasizes its fulfillment of
Scripture, a great concern of Matthew’s throughout his Gospel. The oddness of
the two animals on which to ride probably comes from Matthew’s literal reading
of Zephaniah 9:9. Matthew quotes that verse and Isaiah 62:1 in (v. 5). The
crowds great the meek and humble king with Psalm 118:26 (v. 9). In Hebrew,
“hosanna,” means, “save, please.” The ceremonial use of palm branches is not a
Passover custom, and the other Gospel writers are not so specific.
21:1 When they had come near
Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two
disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go
into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and
a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3
If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs
them.’ And he will send them immediately.” 4 This
took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king
is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a
donkey.” 6 The disciples went and
did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they
brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on
them. 8 A very large crowd spread
their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread
them on the road. 9 The crowds that
went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of
David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the
highest heaven!” 10 When he entered
Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet
Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The
First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a
Although
the word “servant” is not used in this passage, it is considered part of the
servant tradition of Second Isaiah. Undoubtedly, an obedient Israel is the
servant of whom the prophet speaks. Christians, however, have tended to apply
these words to Jesus. This passage speaks of the servant as confidently
responsive to the will of the Lord.
This confidence is, however, met with resistance. The ending “Who will declare
me guilty?” is ironic given the passion narrative.
50:4 The Lord God has given me the tongue of a
teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by
morning he wakens—wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. 5 The Lord God
has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward. 6 I gave my back to those who struck me, and
my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult
and spitting. 7 The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been
disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not
be put to shame; 8 he who
vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who
are my adversaries? Let them confront me. 9a It
is the Lord God who helps me; who
will declare me guilty?
Psalm 31:9-16
9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with sorrow
and also my throat and my belly.
10 For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing; *
my strength fails me because of
affliction,
and my bones are consumed.
11 I have become a reproach to all my enemies
and
even to
my neighbors,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance; *
when they see me in the street
they avoid me.
12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
*
I am as useless as a broken pot.
13 For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around; *
they put their heads together
against me;
they plot to take my life.
14 But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. *
I have said, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand; *
rescue me from the hand of my
enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
16 Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
and in your loving-kindness save
me.”
The
Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
What follows is Paul’s classic understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice on
behalf of the world. He “ did not regard equality with God as something to be
grasped,” “emptied himself,” “took the form of a slave in human likeness,” and
was obedient to…death.” Paul goes on the anticipate Jesus’ Easter vindication.
2:5 Let the same mind be in you
that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who,
though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something
to be exploited, 7 but emptied
himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being
found in human form, 8 he humbled
himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and
gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, 11 and every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.
The
Passion Gospel: Matthew [26:14—27:10] 11-54
[55-66]
The
passion narratives of the four gospels are both remarkably coherent and
particular in their individual interpretations of the events leading to Jesus’
death. This was a great concern for the early church, acknowledging that this
dreadful and shameful thing had happened to the one they followed. In 1
Corinthians 15:3, Paul writes that “Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures.” One dominate purpose of each Gospel writer is to “unpack” just
what “according to the scriptures” means. Throughout Matthew’s Gospel there is
a concern about the fulfillment of Scripture and it is certainly present in
what follows. Matthew follows Mark’s Gospel quite closely but adds a few
details, among them, Judas’ remorse (27:3-10), the warning from Pilate’s wife
(27:19), the crowd’s acceptance of responsibility (27:24-25), and the
earthquake and appearance of dead persons immediately following Jesus’ death.
Matthew seems concerned to place responsibility for Jesus’ death upon the Jews,
or, at least, the Jewish authorities. This may reflect as much the conflict in
his own community as it does specific details of the passion story. It is
important in reading this version of the passion story, that it has long been a
“text of terror” for Jews.
[26:14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas
Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and
said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty
pieces of silver. 16 And from that
moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him. 17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread the
disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make the preparations
for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He
said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My
time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed
them, and they prepared the Passover meal. 20 When
it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; 21 and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you,
one of you will betray me.” 22 And
they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another,
“Surely not I, Lord?” 23 He
answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray
me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is
written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It
would have been better for that one not to have been born.” 25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not
I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.” 26 While
they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke
it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks
he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which
is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will never again drink of
this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father’s kingdom.” 30 When they had
sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all
become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike
the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go ahead
of you to Galilee.” 33 Peter said
to him, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this
very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even though I must die
with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples. 36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called
Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and
pray.” 37 He took with him Peter
and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. 38 Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved,
even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” 39 And going a little farther, he threw
himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup
pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” 40 Then he came to the disciples and found
them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one
hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that
you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak.” 42 Again he went
away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I
drink it, your will be done.” 43 Again
he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So leaving them again, he went away and
prayed for the third time, saying the same words. 45
Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still
sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is
betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get
up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.” 47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve,
arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief
priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now
the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man;
arrest him.” 49 At once he came up
to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are
here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. 51 Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his
hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting
off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to
him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will
perish by the sword. 53 Do you
think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than
twelve legions of angels? 54 But
how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this
way?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to
the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I
were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not
arrest me. 56 But all this has
taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all
the disciples deserted him and fled. 57 Those
who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the
scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 But
Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high
priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see how this would
end. 59 Now the chief priests and
the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they
might put him to death, 60 but they
found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to
destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’” 62 The high priest stood up and said, “Have
you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest
said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are
the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus
said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you will see the
Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his
clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have
now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is
your verdict?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spat in his face and struck him; and some
slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy
to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?” 69
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl
came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before all of them,
saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 When he went out to the porch, another
servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus
of Nazareth.” 72 Again he denied it
with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73 After
a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are
also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74
Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the
man!” At that moment the cock crowed. 75 Then
Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me
three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.27:1
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the
people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. 2 They bound him, led him away, and handed him
over to Pilate the governor. 3 When
Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back
the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He said, “I have sinned by betraying
innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the
temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of
silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are
blood money.” 7 After conferring
together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury
foreigners. 8 For this reason that
field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken
through the prophet Jeremiah, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the
price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of
Israel had set a price, 10 and they
gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”]
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the
governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief
priests and elders, he did not answer. 13 Then
Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against
you?” 14 But he gave him no answer,
not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. 15 Now at the festival the governor was
accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner,
called Jesus Barabbas. 17 So after
they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for
you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he realized that it was out of jealousy
that they had handed him over. 19 While
he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing
to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of
a dream about him.” 20 Now the chief
priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have
Jesus killed. 21 The governor again
said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they
said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to
them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them
said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 Then
he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him
be crucified!” 24 So when Pilate
saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took
some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of
this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 Then
the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 So he released Barabbas for them; and after
flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took
Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort
around him. 28 They stripped him
and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and
after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a
reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King
of the Jews!” 30 They spat on him,
and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31
After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own
clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32 As they went out, they came upon a man from
Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. The people stand 33 And when they came to
a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with
gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they
divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36 then they sat down there and kept watch
over him. 37 Over his head they put
the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two bandits were crucified with him,
one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those
who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40
and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in
three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the
cross.” 41 In the same way the
chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him,
saying, 42 “He saved others; he
cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross
now, and we will believe in him. 43 He
trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am
God’s Son.’” 44 The bandits who
were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way. 45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole
land until three in the afternoon. 46 And
about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema
sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they
said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 At
once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a
stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But
the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice
and breathed his last. [pause] 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple
was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.
52 The tombs also were opened, and
many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came out of the
tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54 Now when the centurion and those with him,
who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they
were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
[55 Many women were also there, looking on from a
distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary
the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man
from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of
Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59
So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he
had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and
went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. 62 The next day, that is, after the day of
Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor
said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 Therefore command the tomb to be made
secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away,
and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception
would be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate
said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.”
66 So they went with the guard and
made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.]
The
Scripture quotations (except for the psalm) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ
in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.
All rights reserved. The Collect
of the Day and the Psalm translation are from The Book of Common Prayer. This format copyright © 2017, Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St.,
Hornell, NY 14843, www.epiphanyesources.com. All
rights reserved. Permission is given to copy for study with attribution.
