Sixth Sunday of Lent – Palm Sunday

Second reading: Philippians 2:6-11
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Creation: man made in God’s image.
Incarnation: God born in man’s image.
Salvation: God in the human image, Jesus accepts suffering, humiliating human death and thus morphs human suffering and death into a transformed glorified new life.

What this all means, I am not sure.  I feel like Moses before the burning bush.  I need to trust that God is with me through the journey of this life, without knowing all the answers.  I also know that I will only get clarity one day in the kingdom after my human death.  But this is critical for me, even as I journey I can experience part of the victory and salvation that Jesus’ death and resurrection long age brought about.  It’s not only about heaven.  It’s about here and now also because I believe that today my redeemer lives. This Sunday in my mind’s eye and in my spirt I will walk through St. Stephen’s Gate in Jerusalem with the crowds waving branches and shouting praise to Jesus.  I will hail him as my savior.  I will be there as his disciple carrying the prayer and hope that at the end of week my discipleship is less like Peter’s, hiding and denying, and more like  John’s, standing at the cross.  Hosanna to the Son of David – let us praise, let us follow.