The following sermon was delivered by The Rt. Rev. Larry Benfield of Little Rock, AR at Christ Episcopal Church.
“Waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.” It is a small phrase. It is taken
from today’s gospel. But it may be the phrase that lives on long after our loud
and rather brassy “hosannas” of this day have echoed into silence.
Waiting is
what we all spend so much of our lives doing, sometimes with expectation,
sometimes with expectation that something holy will come out of the messes in
which we find ourselves. Waiting in line at the grocery story. Waiting for the
economy to turn around. Waiting for a return to health or a better
relationship. Waiting for the child to return home. Sometimes simply waiting to
die.
There are
always those among us who wait. Period. The gospel story of the Passion of
Christ is filled with waiting, primarily people waiting for death. Pilate is
waiting for Jesus to die. The story tells us that he starts making inquiries as
to whether or not this convicted criminal is dead. Something must be done with
anyone who would challenge the power structures of the day.
The
religious officials are waiting for Jesus to die, no doubt. Those of us in the
official religious world are never quite comfortable when someone comes along
and questions how we have always done things. Today’s gospel should be sobering
for members of the clergy.
And I bet
Peter is waiting for Jesus to die. Each of us knows only too well how painful
it is to face someone whom we have let down, as exemplified when Peter denies
his friendship with Jesus. We simply want the injured party to go away so we
will not feel shame any longer.
Waiting.
Period.
