Palm Sunday, March 25, 2018

Palm Sunday, March 25th, 2018

Now, if you are like me, you are a creature of habit and  this means you never change.  I do the same thing over and over.  I wear the same thing over and over.  I watch the same TV shows and movies over and over.  It doesn't even bother me to eat the same thing over and over.  I'm the first one to admit it . .  .  I'm set in my ways.  But even for someone like me that is set in their ways it is really amazing how much choice we have in life.  We make choices that we don't even think about.  We make a choice when we pick out one pair of socks over another pair.  We make choices when we go to work one direction as opposed to another direction.  We decide whether we want to eat eggs for breakfast . . .  or toast  . . . or both . . .  or neither one and get biscuits and gravy instead.  We choose what to wear.  We choose what to watch on TV.  We choose what brand of cornflakes we buy at the store . . . or macaroni and cheese . . .  or frozen pizza . . . . or . . .  or  .  .  . or  . . . .  We choose to eat healthy  . . . or we choose to get a delicious apple pie.  We choose to be productive on a Saturday.  Or we choose to be a couch potato and watch Bonanza reruns all day.  Life is filled with choices.  As I stated, some of the choices we make are so simple that we make them without even blinking an eye.  

In the Twenty-Seventh Chapter of St Matthew's Gospel, St Matthew describes the events as they unfold on that particular day.  Our Blessed Lord had been brought before the Sanhedrin, the ruling class of the Jews, on charges of blasphemy.  Now, keep in mind, they did not like Our Lord.  They did not like Him one little bit.  At best, they considered Him to be a rabble-rousing rabbi who was stirring up the people.  At worst, they considered Him a blasphemer.  And as such, they brought Our Blessed Saviour that day before the Sanhedrin on charges of blasphemy.  Now the reason Pontius Pilate got involved in all of this was because the Sanhedrin could bring charges, yes, but they could not order the death penalty.  And this was what they wanted.  They wanted Our Lord to be put to death.  They wanted Him out of the way.  They wanted to be done with Him.  So they brought Him to the Roman Governor.  They wanted Pilate to put Our Lord to death.  They wanted Pilate to do their dirty work.  So Pilate contemplated the whole matter.  As we read through the chapter, we see that Pilate was trying to let Jesus go.  He did not think that Jesus was guilty.  Certainly, it does not appear that Pilate believed that Our Saviour deserved the death penalty for these charges.  Pilate tried to think of a way out of this situation so he offered the crowd a choice.  St Matthew tells us:  "Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would." (St. Matthew 27:15)  So Pilate offered the people a choice:  "Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? " (St. Matthew 27:17)  The people had a choice.  They were given their choice by the Governor.  Would it be Barabbas or would it be Jesus?  The people made their choice.  They chose Barabbas over Jesus.   How often do we make our choice when it comes to Jesus?  Whom do we choose over Our Blessed Lord?  What do we prefer in place of Jesus.  We all have choices, don't we?  The world is full of people who have clearly made their choice already.  They don't care about God.  They don't care about Him.  They don't care about serving Him . . .  following Him . . . . obeying Him.  But what about the ones reading this . . . or me, the one writing it . . . . how often do we make our choice?  How often do we make a choice that isn't really the best choice we could make?  How often do we choose to turn a blind eye to God because it's not really convenient or not really what I might want right now?   How often do we choose to treat people poorly but then complain when we are treated poorly?  How often do we choose to sacrifice what we know is right for convenience sake.  Or because "what is right" gets in the way of "what I want"?   You see, life is filled with choices.  Big choices.  Little choices.  And we need to choose to be on the side of God.  We need to choose to be in God's corner.  We need to choose what God wants us to do and not what I want me to do.  What choice would Pilate offer to each one of us?  What do we choose in place of Our Blessed Saviour?  Drugs?  Drink?  Food?  The Internet?  Money?  Fashion?  Expensive shoes?  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  (St. Luke 12:34)   It is fine to have nice things.  God is the one that made the "nice things" possible for us to have.  But when the "nice things" stand in place of God.  When the "nice things" overshadow God.  When the "nice things" take over our heart.  This is where the problem comes in.  Let us always make our choice for God and His Kingdom.  Let us choose Him over all else.  And let us grow stronger in our devotion to Him and never leave His side.

Join us as we listen to the Word of God found in the King James Bible and the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Join us as we join together as God's family and worship Our Heavenly Father.  Join us as we come to the altar to be fed the Precious Body and Blood at Communion time.  And, finally, please stay after Mass for some fellowship at our coffee hour.

St. Margaret Anglican Church worships at the beautiful Chapel at Marquette Manor, which is located at 8140 N. Township Line Road on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.  Mass begins at 9:30 AM.