The Master Has Need of It

Palm Sunday
By Rev. Dr. Beverly Bingle
March 28, 2021

Homily at the Blessing of Palms

Scripture scholars are full of contradictions about this event. 

They agree that Jesus went to Jerusalem, but they also agree that he did not predict his death. 

They argue about how he got there - whether he rode on a donkey, or not. 

They agree that Mark, and the other three gospel writers, borrowed details from Psalm 118 and the book of Zechariah to contrast Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with the military parades that the Romans used when they went into defeated towns. 

The message was that Jesus brought the reign of God  as opposed to the reign of the Romans. 

Mark’s version of the event has Jesus entering Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a popular site for organizing freedom rallies against the Romans during the first century. 

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These days we’re very familiar with rallies and demonstrations.

Protesters get together in a place connected to an issue. 

Instead of palm branches, they carry signs that say “Black Lives Matter” or “Peace Now” or “Justice for All” or “Protect Our Votes.” 

They march together, singing and chanting, to show their support for the cause. As more people join them,  they gain the attention of people who can make changes. 

And they get action that makes life better. 

Or they gain the attention of people who like things the way they are, people who benefit from injustice, people who profit from oppression and corruption and conflict. 

And some of the protesters get killed for it. 

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You know what motivates people to get involved in protests. 

Mark shows how it works. 

People know people. 

Jesus, as the leader, sends two of his friends to get a colt from other friends, and they give them the colt when they say, “The Master has need of it.” 

What worked 2,000 years ago still works today. 

When you see wrong, you decide to take action, and your reason is the same now as it was back then: “The Master has need of it.” 

The Master has need of YOU. 

Let us go forth in peace, praising Jesus as our inspiration, as our leader, as our Messiah, as the Master who has need of us, just like the oppressed crowds who welcomed him into Jerusalem.

Amen!

Homily

What we did not hear today between the procession reading at the start of Mass when Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem and the Passion gospel we just heard is Mark’s description of a major public protest,  possibly the incident that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. 

Jesus went to the Temple and confronted the moneychangers - what we know as the cleansing of the Temple that we heard about in John’s Gospel three weeks ago. 

After that protest action, Mark has Jesus go back to Bethany, then return to Jerusalem, where he is questioned by priests and scholars and elders, by Pharisees and Sadducees and Herodians. 

He answers their questions. 

He makes comments that are critical of his religious leaders. 

He talks in parables to the gathered people. 

Back in Bethany again, Jesus gives instructions to his followers on where and how to get a room to eat the Passover. 

Then they all head to Jerusalem to share the Passover meal. 

And that’s where the protest fails: after supper, Jesus is arrested and murdered. 

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Although scholars say that significant parts of this story were created by Mark, they agree that Jesus presented a problem for religious leaders who held their positions  because they served the Roman rulers against the dictates of their conscience and against their teachings.  

Scholars also agree that the Roman rulers had no problem executing thousands of the people they had conquered, just to keep what they called “Pax Romana,”  the Roman peace. 

Mark’s gospel rings true because we know history and we have seen what happens to people who speak truth in the face of oppression. Our news is filled, still today, with those stories. 

Just as Jesus was arrested and tortured and murdered, so we see prisoners held and tortured at Guantanamo for years without trial; and nonviolent suspects put in prison to wait for trial because because they can’t afford bail; and kids caught in poverty sentenced for life to suffer the effects of lead poisoning. And we see protesters get shot, beat up, jailed…and sometimes killed. 

I’ve witnessed you taking those risks, out there standing with signs on street corners, smiling and waving at the toots and waves of support from some of the passers-by and staying silent at the hecklers. I’ve seen your letters to the editor and your Facebook posts with the “like” and “love” emojis piling up, and the harsh language and angry emojis from people who disagree. 

You sign petitions and lobby officeholders. 

You talk to your children and grandchildren and all the rest of your family and all your friends about what’s right and what’s wrong. 

And I know why you do it, no matter the consequences.  

You do it because “the Master has need of it.” 

And so you imitate Jesus, giving your life in love and service to others. 

Thanks be to God!