Sermons by Rev. Jason S. Glombicki (Page 49)

In today’s gospel, the word “understand” grabbed my attention. Understanding is not mere knowledge, it doesn’t simply come with power, and, frankly, it’s not that pervasive. As one author puts it, understanding requires an “ability to think and act flexibly with what one knows.” In today’s episode, we saw the process of understanding unfold…

Every three years, we hear the Resurrection story from Mark’s gospel. This version is our earliest account. We can think of it as “the original” Resurrection story before Matthew, Luke, and John gave it their own spin. Mark originally ended the gospel just as we heard it today. Mark has no Resurrection appearances, and he doesn’t even try to explain what happens next. It simply ends with three women leaving in silent amazement and terror. Woomp, woomp – what a letdown! After this entire story, we might wonder if it is an April fool’s joke. One thing is for sure, it feels like a crappy ending…

Today is a baffling day. First, we process with palms and shout hosanna, meaning “save us.” Then, we hear about senseless torture, and we witness an execution. While seemingly unrelated, this is all intertwined. After all, Jesus’ procession was not a festive parade; rather, it was a protest – a religious and political protest. Jesus rode a donkey to symbolize peace. Jesus built a transformative movement of non-violence. And the people holding branches, they cried for change. But, Jesus’s changes were too much for the powerful, and so their only option was to crucify him…