[media presentation below] GospelThink Sunday, April 2, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord MATTHEW 26:14–27:66 I suffer and die for you; You should study the people who were there at my crucifixion and death. Prayerthoughts a. What do I learn from what happened to Jesus (take these one at a time, spending time with each one): at the Last Supper, at the Garden of Gethsemane, at his interaction with Pilate; his mockery from the soldiers, the way of the Cross, his crucifixion, his death. b. What do I learn from how these people reacted to Jesus’s Passion and Death (take one at a time, spending time with each one): Caiaphas, the high priest; Judas Iscariot, the Apostles, Peter, Pilate, the soldiers who punished and crucified Jesus, Simon of Cyrene, the two people crucified with Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea. c. My prayerthoughts…   Today, I will read Isaiah, chapter 50 and write an important thought from it.    Some Thoughts on the Liturgy The Passion according to Matthew (26:14 – 27:66)  MY DESIRE: AN EASIER PASSION           If you are into the sound of modern music, you might want to watch the movie “Jesus Christ Superstar” during this week. In the movie, there is a scene which is indicative of the reaction to Jesus as he is led to death. It is a song sung by Mary Magdalene and Peter, but describes also the feelings of the different people connected with the Passion and Death of Jesus and in a sense describes our feelings as well. The song is “Could We Start Again Please,” and its basic message is that things do not seem to be going too well, so maybe we should reconsider our position and start all over.            The whole movie is based on the idea that modern man and woman are involved in the Passion and Death of Jesus in some way and the song speaks what we may be thinking. It says that because of the things that were happening, Jesus should change, so that when I choose to follow him, things will be easier.            Reading Matthew’s rendition of the Passion and Death of Jesus, we sense how the people around him wanted things to be easier. Judas wanted things to be easier so he could have money; Pilate wanted things easier because he did not want his life to be disturbed by this man; Peter and the rest of the so-called followers of Jesus did not expect things to be the way they were, did not expect Jesus to be the way he was. They simply did not want so much involvement. It could cost them their lives. They wanted it easier to protect themselves.            One of the most challenging parts of modern Christianity is that we realize that we want to be followers of Jesus—we do some of the things that Christians should do. But we often do not want things to be as difficult as they are—we want things easier. It may not be that we want Jesus to start over, exactly. It is more that we do not want to do everything that is connected with the following of Jesus. We like the money, the good things of life; we like the pleasures of life that we have; we want to be in control of ourselves and others and all of the things that happen to us.           Perhaps the statement that the Passion and Death of Jesus makes is that Jesus did not start over. Jesus used his painful death to redeem us. Such is our theology, but also Jesus taught us a lesson by the death he suffered. Perhaps he is saying that following him may not be as easy as we want it to be, that we honestly must place things like money and pleasure and power into the perspective that he gave us, something that is not easy or convenient.            The Passion and Death of Jesus is not something that we sit back and admire. It is something that we must learn from. The lesson has something to do with making us understand the difference between what we want and what Jesus taught. MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “Send My Love” — Adele THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF A BREAKUP The Gospel MARK 10:40-45 Jesus said: “To sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Gospelthink: If you want to be a true follower of mine, you will learn to serve other human beings. In what ways am I serving others?

“This was all you, none of it me. You put your hands on my body and told me you were ready for the big one, I’d be your last love everlasting—you and me. I’m giving you up, I’ve forgiven it all. You set me free. Send my love to your new lover. Treat her better. I was running, you were walking. You couldn’t keep up, you were falling down.”

The Apostles were relatively ordinary people, although they grew to be extraordinary in their later lives. That in itself is a good thing for us to learn from. But looking at it from another angle, since they were ordinary, they had to disagree with each other. There were twelve of them, and chances are that they often disagreed more than they should have. At one time, James and John, known to be a little belligerent in their approach to life, had asked Jesus to be first in his kingdom. The other Apostles were “indignant” about it, causing no doubt an argument in which there was blame leveled at one another. Jesus was well aware that addressing who was to blame would not solve any problems. Instead, knowing how blaming others created havoc, he chose to teach them about being servants to one another. He told them in effect, that if they learned the lesson of being a “slave” to another, they would find the answer to any disagreement. Translating the Gospel incident into everyday life, when some type of blame is placed on another, it is important to understand the meaning of being a servant to one another. We who are upset at someone must look at the person with whom we are upset and understand that we are servants of the person. If we do, then, whether another is to blame or not, the problem can be solved without too much complication. As we consider the case in Adele’s song “Send My Love,” the lady in the relationship places direct blame on the other, and indeed, it seems to be the case. She seems to handle the breakup well, but she must remember that she is a servant of sorts to the other, and treat such a one with that in mind. It not only is good “religion,” but it is good “psychology” as well. The follower of Jesus in particular will work with romantic breakups and indeed every disagreement with another, with the thought of being a servant to the other. In general, it will control anger, but more importantly, it will lead to better relationships.

PRAYER Good and gracious God, Your Son in many ways was a perfect psychologist. He taught us the lesson of being a servant. Give us the grace to learn the lesson a little better so that our relationships, romantic and otherwise, will be healthy. Be with us, we pray.

+++++ GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT Theme: We can place blame for failed relationships on others, but we must always remember the importance of everyone involved.  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What is your definition of a “servant”? 2. Analysis: As one studies the words of the song, describe what the relationship between the man and woman was like. 3. It is good for us to consider the Apostles as ordinary people who became extraordinary in their spiritual lives. Do you feel that Christians in general develop their spiritual lives well? Yes or no and why? 4. Using your imagination, what would it have been like for the twelve Apostles to spend a significant time together? 5. In what way is being a “slave” different from being a “servant”? 6. In an anger situation, considering ourselves to be servants of the person with whom we are angry is a way to diffuse anger, but it is extremely difficult. What is the best way to control anger? 7. Do you think that all “religion” is good “psychology”? Yes or no and why? 8. How should a Christian consider a “break up”? 9. What does the song “Send My Love” teach young people?