“On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking
the spices that they had prepared.”

We have already shouted and sung many alleluias this morning.
So it’s hard to remember that the first easter morning did not begin with
Alleluias.

The first easter morning began with grief:
Deep sadness over the death of Jesus.

When the women arrived at the tomb on that first easter morning, their
hearts were broken.
They had lost the one who gave them life:
The one who gave them the water that never goes dry.
They likely thought that their hope was lost:
As the one they placed their hope in:
Was dead.

When the women arrive at the tomb, they found the stone rolled away.
But there still isn’t an alleluia.
Luke tells us that they were “perplexed about this.”
They didn’t understand what had happened.

And then: two men in dazzling clothes appeared to them.
These two men are obviously angels.

And still:
There’s not an alleluia.

Instead, the women were terrified:
And bowed their faces to the ground.

The angels say to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here, but has risen.”
And here’s the important part:
They say: “Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that
the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on
the third day rise again.”

And then Luke tells us:
“Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told
all this to the eleven and to all the rest.”

This is the alleluia moment.
It’s not immediate.
It takes quite a while for the women to understand.
And not just a while:
It takes a reminder from the angels.
And it’s not until the women REMEMBER that the first alleluias come.

There’s some real truth here:
About the life, and death, and time.
Understanding comes not just with age and wisdom:
But when we remember.
Alleluias can spring out of grief when we remember.
Joy comes when we remember.

Easter is the ultimate moment for us as Christians:
But Easter only means something:
When we remember all that came before it.

It’s part of why we recount and remember Jesus’ last days every year.
It’s why we celebrate Palm Sunday,
Relive the last supper on Maundy Thursday,
And walk the way of the cross on Good Friday.
Because in remembering: it all begins to make more sense.
In remembering, the joyful alleluias, break forth:
Because we can see more clearly that Jesus IS who he said he was.

This is what happens with the women at the tomb.
They REMEMBER that Jesus had foretold all that would happen.
It was right in front of the all along.
And when they remembered what Jesus had said,
Everything began to make sense:
Even the most unbelievable event:
Made sense, because they remembered that Jesus was exactly who he
said he was.

The women remembering at the empty tomb isn’t the only time that
remembering comes up in the bible.

In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are told to remember that they were slaves
in Egypt:
And to remember that the Lord God brought them out of slavery.

We’re told in the 10 commandments to “remember the sabbath day, and
keep it Holy.”

There are many, many examples in the Psalms about remembering who
God is, and what God has done.

And perhaps, the greatest example of all:
Is the one we hear every single week:
Jesus telling his disciples, and us: to “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Isn’t it fascinating:
That every time we gather together for Holy Communion:
The most significant part of our worship:
We hear Jesus words to REMEMBER.

And these aren’t Easter words!
These are the words that Jesus spoke to his disciples the day before he
died.

Yet in a bizarre turn of events:
After the resurrection:
Pre-easter words:
Become Easter words:
And time sort of stands still.

Easter has this way of blurring time.
Where the Past, and the Future, all collide in the present.

When we re-enact Jesus words at the altar on Sunday morning:
We aren’t just in the present.
We’re remembering the past things that God has done.
(Actually: If you listen closely to the Eucharist prayer, you’ll hear me
describing what’s called “salvation history”: Recounting and
REMEMBERING some of the things that God has done in the past.)

When we’re praying the Eucharistic prayer, we’re also remembering the
things that God says are YET to happen:
(Bringing us into the Fullness of time: where we will join all the saints, in the
everlasting heritage of all sons and daughters of God.)

And as we do all of that remembering:
Of the past and the promises for the future:
Jesus is re-PRESENT (As in, Present AGAIN):
to us in a new sort of reality:
In the bread and the wine that we consume:
So that Jesus might live INSIDE of us.

The real joy of Easter is in our remembering:
Remembering what God has done:
And remembering what God has promised is yet to come.
Without these memories:
Our lives would be stuck in a series of long Holy Saturdays:
With pain, and grief, and death at the forefront.
But when we REMEMBER:
The joyful alleluias arise.

Some day, when we reach the fullness of time:
We wont need to remember anymore.
Because we’ll be in the ever living presence of God:
Where time wont just be blurred:

But wont even need to exist.

Isaiah mentions that in our first lesson today, saying:
“I am about to create new heavens and anew earth; the former things shall
not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in
what I am creating.”

But we’re not there yet.
We’re not yet at the end of time:
We’re not yet at the new heaven and the new earth.
Until then:
Remember.
Let the past and the present and the future collide:
Remember the complete and utter joy that Jesus has promised you.
And then do it again.
Re- Member,
And then re-re remember.
Maybe even re-re-re-re remember.
Again, and again.
And as you do:
Let your joyful alleluias fly.

Amen.

The Liturgy of the PalmsThe GospelLuke 19:28-40After telling a parable to the crowd at Jericho, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.'" So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
"Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."
The PsalmPsalm 118:1-2, 19-29Confitemini Domino
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
2 Let Israel now proclaim, *
"His mercy endures for ever."
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.
20 "This is the gate of the Lord; *
he who is righteous may enter."
21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22 The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 On this day the Lord has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! *
Lord, send us now success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *
we bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord; he has shined upon us; *
form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.
28 "You are my God, and I will thank you; *
you are my God, and I will exalt you."
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
at The Liturgy of the WordThe CollectAlmighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old TestamentIsaiah 50:4-9aThe 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.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backward.
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.
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;
he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
The PsalmPsalm 31:9-16In te, Domine, speravi
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 EpistlePhilippians 2:5-11Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death--
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
The GospelLuke 22:14-23:56When the hour for the Passover meal came, Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!" Then they began to ask one another, which one of them it could be who would do this.
A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
"You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
"Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." And he said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!" Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me."
He said to them, "When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "No, not a thing." He said to them, "But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, `And he was counted among the lawless'; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled." They said, "Lord, look, here are two swords." He replied, "It is enough."
He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not come into the time of trial." Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done." Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial."
While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, "Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?" When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?" Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!"
Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, "This man also was with him." But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, "Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.
Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?" They kept heaping many other insults on him.
When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us." He replied, "If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." All of them asked, "Are you, then, the Son of God?" He said to them, "You say that I am." Then they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!"
Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king." Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered, "You say so." Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no basis for an accusation against this man." But they were insistent and said, "He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place."
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.
Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him."
Then they all shouted out together, "Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!" (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him." But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, "Certainly this man was innocent." And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.
On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Good Morning!
What a wild couple of weeks it’s been.
While you all had an ice storm, cancelling church last Sunday,
My family and I were in a severe storm:
With tornado warnings in Indiana:
We spent some time in a grocery story meat freezer with numerous
strangers.

When we arrived home,
(a day late)
Our neighborhood swiftly found itself in complete chaos:
As a house on our block was ingulfed in flames.
Our street was blocked off for nearly 24 hours,
And we were without power for a good amount of time.

In both scary situations:
No lives were lost.
The tornadoes did not cause any loss to life.
​
And blessedly, neither did the fire on our street.

But events like this have a way of making us think:
Not just about what could have been:
But about what IS.

I found myself this week,
Walking around with much more gratitude:
For all of that I have.

All of this fits perfectly with where we are in the life of the church:
On this 5 th Sunday of Lent.
It fits pretty well with our Gospel text today too:
But it’ll take some explaining on my part.

In order to understand exactly what’s going on in todays Gospel story:
We have to go back a few chapters in John’s Gospel.
Before we get to Mary’s anointing of Jesus
(that we hear about today)

We have to remember that this takes place after the death of Lazarus.
Let’s recall that story.
Jesus hears about the death of his friend Lazarus:
And he waits to go to him for a number of days.

When he arrives,
Lazarus’ sisters: Mary and Martha:
Are deeply grieved.
Their brother has died,
And Mary accuses Jesus saying,
“Lord, if you had been here, our brother wouldn’t have died.”

Jesus ignores them and asks to go into the tomb.
The grave, with Lazarus’ body already a few days dead, smells awful.
But Jesus doesn’t mind:
He goes right in and raises Lazarus from the dead.

We then jump to today’s story:
Lazarus is alive after all that came before.
He’s sitting at the table with Jesus.

Martha is working in the kitchen:
As she is known to do:
And Mary is once again at Jesus’ feet.

She takes a pound of perfume:
Of nard:
And pours it on her Savior.
It’s clearly a sort of redemption moment for Mary.
She had previously accused Jesus of being at fault for her brothers death.

Now, she’s making it up to him, by anointing him with some expensive
perfumed oil.

We don’t know for certain:
But it’s safe to assume that this is the same perfume she had from her
brother’s death:
The same ointment that she put on her dead brother’s body:
While she wiped her own tears of grief.

This time, though, she isn’t caressing a corpse:

She is using this scent of death as an anointing for the God she so dearly
loves.
And here’s where it all comes together:
She didn’t buy anything new.
Instead, she uses the oil that she already has.

At first glance:
This story seems bizarre.
Jesus: who is constantly railing against wealth:
Defends Mary’s seemingly “wasteful” use of this expensive perfume.

Judas questions the use of this costly perfume saying:
“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money
given to the poor?”

And Jesus responds, “Leave her alone. She brought it so that she might
keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you
do not always have me.”
It’s a crazy turn of events:
A different side of Jesus who told many stories about not hording wealth:
Selling everything and giving it to the poor:

Not storing up “treasures”

But that’s exactly the thing.
Mary isn’t hording wealth.
She isn’t storing up treasures:
She isn’t keeping things for herself.
She uses what she has:
And in deep gratitude,
Gives it back to her Lord.

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday.
And we’re going to do something a little bit different.
Instead of ordering Palms to wave around:
We’re going to use what we already have.
Taking what we have in gratitude and thanksgiving:
And offering it back to our Lord.

I invite you, next Sunday:
To bring your own branches

From your own yards, or parks: or wherever you might find some lying
around.

We’ll pray over these branches:
Using what we already have:
In gratitude for the creation that God has provided for us to share in,
And in remembrance of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

And let me be quite clear:
There is no official rule that churches must use Palms for Palm Sunday.

Palms were used on that first palm Sunday:
Not because Palms are inherently special and “Jesus Worthy”
But because Palms are what the people had.

They grabbed what was near them:
And used what they had to usher Jesus into his final week of life,
Just like Mary used the costly burial perfume that she already had:
In order to prepare for Jesus’ last days.

And it’s good stewardship too:
To use what we have.
Rather than purchasing something that we don’t really need.

It’s good stewardship to bring our branches and clippings in our own
vehicles:
Rather than pay to transport refrigerated clippings from thousands of miles
away.

And what fun it will be:
To see the different things that people bring.
To share with one another the diverse fruits from our own backyards:
And to enter holy week:
Offering what we already have:
In gratitude to our God.

Amen.