Sunday, April 2, 2023

Palm Sunday

Matthew 26:14-27:66

The Rev. Francene Young

My how time flies. Less than 20 minutes ago we where in a Jesus Parade, joyfully waiving palms and singing All Gloria Laud and Honor to thee Redeemer King. However, I admit in my head I was singing from Jesus Christ Superstar

Hosanna hey sanna sanna sanna ho

Sanna hey sanna hosanna

Hey JC, JC, won't you smile at me?

Sanna hosanna hey superstar.

And shortly after it starts and Jesus reaches the Temple, the party is over!

The story I am about to share is adapted from Bob Benson's book "See You at the House: The Very Best of the Stories He Used to Tell.” It is about how we are perceived and thus how we perceive ourselves. How Judas and Peter who both betrayed Jesus and their self-perceptions resulted in very different outcomes. I have always wondered about Judas. So bear with me!

As part of a study, a group of researchers from Harvard contacted an elementary school teacher at the beginning of a school year. They told the teacher that they had designed a test that would correctly predict which students were going to grow intellectually during the coming school year. (Someone called it "The Harvard Test of Intellectual Spurts" because he said it told which students were going to 'spurt' that year).

The researchers promised it would indicate the right students. The test was said to be very, very accurate. The researchers then administered, unbeknownst to the teacher, an obsolete IQ test. When the students had finished, the researchers threw the tests away. Then they randomly picked the names of five students and told the teacher, "These are the students who are going to have a very good year. Watch these kids. One of those on the list was Rachel Smith."

"Rachel Smith?" the teacher replied sarcastically, “She couldn't 'spurt' if you shot her from a cannon.” But the researchers maintained that the test was hardly ever wrong in its findings.

You can imagine what happened that semester, can't you? Under a barrage of constant attention "Rachel, would you write this on the board this morning?" or "Rachel will lead the line to the lunch room today?" or "Is that a new dress, Rachel? It sure is pretty" or "Thank you, Rachel, that was very good." Rachel "spurted" all over that school. And so did the other four who received this type of attention and affirmation.

Benson goes on the say that According to the apostle Paul, every one of our names belongs on a list like that. We are all "God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved." A little boy in elementary school said, "My teacher thought I was smarter than I wuz. So I wuz!"

The impact of being open to God’s attention and affirmations. In the Passion gospel we just read from Matthew, Jesus throughout the dark night of his soul in the Garden of Gethsemane, begged his disciples to stay up with him, comfort him, pray with him, support him. But they couldn't do it. On the night that Jesus was arrested, all of his disciples abandoned him. And two of them actively betrayed him.

Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus only once, almost immediately regretted his action. He boldly marched back before the powerful, corrupt officials and proclaimed Jesus' innocence to their faces, throwing their bribe money back at their feet. He regretted his role in turning over Jesus to his enemies.

Peter, the other disciple, betrayed Jesus on three separate occasions. In his fear of the officials ran off seeking anonymity and seclusion. He resurfaced only after the Crucifixion.

Yet Judas, has been named throughout history as the prime example of all that is contemptible, corrupt and deceitful in human nature. For example, how many kids do you know named Judas? While Peter, the second disciple to betray Jesus is honored as the father of the church and is designated a "saint.

What distinguishes Judas' action so starkly from Peter's?

Perhaps the simplest way to understand is to look at their motives.

Judas' actions were premeditated, calculated, even paid for. In Matthew’s telling of the story, when Judas realizes the gravity of his actions, he returns the 30 pieces of silver, called blood money, and attempted to defend Jesus' innocence before the tribunal while Jesus was still alive.

Peter's act of betrayal, on the other hand, were somewhat a cowardly, spontaneous burst of emotion that profited him nothing after committing to Jesus that he would never betray him and in contrast, Peter only sneaked back into the disciple's fold as a mourner after the crucifixion frenzy had passed and the tomb was sealed.

I believe one key difference between these two betrayers - Judas and Peter - was their perception of how Jesus perceived them.

Judas was overcome with guilt. Although "he repented" (Mt.27:3), Judas could only envision a wrathful, Judgmental Jesus declaring him cursed according to Deuteronomic law (Mt. 26:23-24, Deuteronomy 27:25). In his despair, Judas blocked out Jesus' instruction in the garden (Mt.26:50) “do what you are here to do”.

Hearing only condemnation ringing in his ears, Judas cut himself off from the healing capabilities of God's grace and, in an agonizing fit of self-Judgment and hanged himself.

Peter heard other voices. Undoubtedly, he replayed his own three denials of Jesus over and over again. After leaving the courtyard Matthew says Peter "wept bitterly" (Mt.26:75). Surely Peter also heard himself promising Jesus he would never deny him, even if it meant facing death (Mt.26:35). But there were other crucial conversations Peter had with Jesus that were stored in his memory that gave him hope.

Peter was the disciple who had come to Jesus to ask specifically about the act of forgiveness. How many times should we forgive? Peter asked. Jesus declared "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22).

Even more importantly, Jesus had singled Peter out when asking, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter could recall he had once boldly confessed, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:15-16).

Even more comforting and hopeful must have been Peter's recollection of Jesus' response to that confession: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!"

And then came Jesus' affirmation of Peter, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:17-18).

What a lifeline these memories must have been for Peter as he wept at his betrayal. Peter knew that Jesus believed in him. Jesus had designated him to be something special in the life of the church. Whatever Peter had done in his past, Jesus had assured him he had a future. Like Rachel Smith, who spurted due to attention and affirmation, Peter’s memories of the affirmations from Jesus gave him hope of forgiveness.

Apparently, Judas did not have or could not recall such affirmations. Judas also must have forgotten that he was only one in a long, established, distinguished tradition of God's failed faithful. Moses, Aaron, David, Thomas, Paul all committed grievous acts of betrayal against God. But each one found their way back to God's side through God’s undying grace.

Judas died, stigmatized by his own heart as a betrayer. He was never able or chose not to accept the gift of God’s forgiving grace. He took matters into his own hands. He had hoped he could stop the tide of his betrayal of Jesus by returning the coins and defending Jesus’ innocence, but it was too late. The train had left the station.

In panic, Judas' final controlling act was to take his own life. He never dared to check that back door of grace that God always leaves unlocked - and even pushes open for us to re-enter.

On this Palm Sunday that started with a joy filled parade and ends with the crucifixion, we must travel this long, hard road with Jesus who in the garden of Gethsemane accepted God’s Will to die for us. This is not an easy journey, yet one key message of the gospel is that God's grace is available to all, that the door to God's loving presence is always open.

We become like Judas when we betray and deny Christ himself and when we deny the redemptive power of God's grace. We become like Peter when we betray and deny Christ but remain open to the grace and forgiveness that Christ offers every one of us. Be open to his grace. AMEN!

Sermon adapted from resources provided by Homiletics Online