Following Christ’s Way (Palm/Passion Sunday)

Psalm 31: 9-16 & Philippians 2: 5-11

Roger Lynn

March 25, 2018

Palm / Passion Sunday
(click here for the audio for this sermon)
(click here for the video of the worship service - the sermon starts at 11:09)

What does it mean to follow Christ? In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul urges that group of Christians to “let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) Paul then goes on to quote an early Christian hymn in which “the mind of Christ” is understood in terms of humility, trust in God’s guidance, and an attitude of service. On the night when he was arrested, Jesus prays, “Not my will, but thine be done.” This represents not a denial of self, but rather an orientation of self towards God. Indeed, when we look at the whole of Jesus’ life, what we find is a sense that we are most fully alive, most fully ourselves, when we seek to align our lives with the presence of God. To follow Christ’s way is to let go of the illusion that we are, or can be, self-sufficient. Jesus’ life illustrates the paradox that we experience the most fullness when we empty ourselves into God.

When life is going well for us, this either never comes up or else seems remarkably easy. We can simply take for granted that God is love and God is present. We go with the flow and mostly just go about our business. But what happens when life is not going well, when the bottom drops out of our sense of comfort and security? That’s when this business of faithful living gets put to the test. That is when we can find hope and inspiration in paying attention to the path which Jesus followed in his final days. Faced with open hostility, betrayal, and even physical violence, he manages to remain focused on the larger truth that God’s love and presence continues to shine through even such darkness. Psalm 31 gives voice to this kind of faithful living. I can well imagine Jesus praying this psalm in his final hours. “Be gracious to me, O God, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also.” (Psalm 31:1) For several more verses this psalm paints a dramatic picture of grief and devastation. But it is more than simply a litany of woes. In the very midst of the anguish of a life gone seriously off-track, we find the psalmist turning to God. “But I trust in you, O God; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand...” (Psalm 31:14-15) Yes, there are hard times and devastating experiences. And, in the words of Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” (Romans 8:39)

This is the path of Christ. This is what it means to have “the mind of Christ.” Being a Christian – being a person of faith – does not provide us with immunity to suffering. That is simply part of what it means to be human. But following Christ’s way puts us in touch with the rest of what it means to be human – that we have direct access to the presence of God, which is our ultimate source of strength and meaning, comfort and courage. This path of faith often leads us into some challenging places because in God we are invited to face all of life unflinchingly. The message of Holy Week, as we reflect on the life of Jesus in his final days, is that there is nothing the world can throw at us which will overwhelm God. And since all of us, all of the time, are fully embraced in the presence of God, there is nothing which can ultimately overwhelm us. May we walk the path of remembering to live in this reality.