This Sunday marks the beginning of the church year, not the calendar year. There's a big difference. And the gospel text is the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, not him as a little baby who grows up by the end of the year.

The church does things differently from the world, and that's a good thing--since the world is so sinful. Jesus comes into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a horse. There's a big difference. And it's not even his own donkey; he borrows it.

He also ends up borrowing a place to have the Last Supper. The prisoner Barabbas--who is called "notorious" in Matthew's account (the word means "outstanding" when it's used in a good sense)--goes free; and Jesus, who committed no wrong, takes his place as it were. And it's also a borrowed tomb.

Also unique to Matthew's account are the two stories that are laid out and that are being told "to this day (Matthew 28:15)" --the story that Jesus was stolen from the tomb, and the actual account that he appears briefly both to the women and then to the disciples. That's obviously a big difference as well!

In a way, Jesus' way makes no sense. If God is behind it, why doesn't his way work out with a bit more power? Why doesn't it work out a bit more orderly or consistently? Why doesn't it work out at least a bit more nicely for One who is called the Son of God?!
Why questions are usually asked when people can observe a situation from the safe position. When people are really in trouble, they usually don't bother asking those kinds of questions.
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People in deep trouble just receive the things that come to them as wonderful gifts, and they make the most use of them that they can. And they usually enjoy being saved.

​This is the time where we get close to the end of the church year, and that certainly changes our perspective. We tend to plan as though things will continue to be as they are for a while. But that is certainly not the case.

Today people think that the early Christians all thought that Jesus was coming back quite soon. And while that certainly was a thought among some early Christians, it wasn't what everyone was thinking.

Jesus' perspective in the Gospel according to Luke is slightly different than the rest, and in that account Jesus says that the end would not come immediately.

That certainly fits with the progression and advancement that comes with the book of Acts. The disciples didn't just sit in Jerusalem and wait for Jesus to come back.

All the things that Jesus has mentioned about the sun being darkened, all those things have already happened. And so the end could happen literally any day.

It could be today, and that's a good reminder.

We're not in charge. And that's a good thing.

​This is the time where we get close to the end of the church year, and that certainly changes our perspective. We tend to plan as though things will continue to be as they are for a while. But that is certainly not the case.

Today people think that the early Christians all thought that Jesus was coming back quite soon. And while that certainly was a thought among some early Christians, it wasn't what everyone was thinking.

Jesus' perspective in the Gospel according to Luke is slightly different than the rest, and in that account Jesus says that the end would not come immediately.

That certainly fits with the progression and advancement that comes with the book of Acts. The disciples didn't just sit in Jerusalem and wait for Jesus to come back.

All the things that Jesus has mentioned about the sun being darkened, all those things have already happened. And so the end could happen literally any day.

It could be today, and that's a good reminder.

We're not in charge. And that's a good thing.

​This is one of those Sundays where the verb 'to bless' has a critical role. And that, in itself, is a good reminder. In the end, it's God, the Lord of heaven and earth, who defines what that word means. God blesses in the way that he wants to bless.

Someone might point out that there are times when someone could be said to be blessing God, but that structure and its greater context doesn't put the focus on the person doing it. It is critical, though, to understand and believe what God is able to do. God is still the focus, whether we bless God or God blesses us.

The word 'mercy' is almost like blessing. Mercy implies showing compassion in some way. A blessing is more general, but that's not a bad thing. It also ultimately depends on a gracious and compassionate God. But how that blessing looks DOES NOT MATTER.

That's why Jesus can say things like, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." You wouldn't think that anything great will come to them. You might even considered them to be accursed. But you're not in charge.

It's extremely comforting to know that God is in charge of words like blessing ... holiness ... and forgiveness.

And it's just as comforting to know that he gives them out in special places and in special ways.

And it can take just a Sabbath Day's journey to get there.