Rebecca Sack spoke on Mark 10:46-11:19, a passage which includes the Palm Sunday story. The ancient world knew all about kings conquering cities, bringing back captives as slaves, parading victorious soldiers and captives through the countryside and into the city, and then going to the temple to cleanse it (symbolizing the gods favour of the conquering king). Jesus impressed a colt, joined the pilgrims from the rural areas—the areas in which he was most popular—and purposefully went to the Temple to cleanse it, just as a victorious king might have done. Just prior to this event is Mark’s story of blind Bartimaeus in Jericho, another captial city important in Jewish memory. Joshua (a name similar to Jesus) went to Jericho, but the real purpose was not revealed until 7 days later (3 days later, for Jesus). The physical blindness of Bartimaeus was a metaphor for the spiritual blindness of Jesus’ contemporaries. Rather than asking for money or wealth, Bartimaeus asked that he might see. Once his blindness left, he was once again ‘clean’ and could go to the Temple with Jesus. Many people along the way must have shouted their hosannas without knowing Jesus (lip service), and many more did not ‘recognize’ him when he entered Jerusalem. In this story, Jesus did not talk, but instead relied upon images—pictures which people would never forget. [JEK]

Passage: Mark 10:46-11:19
Communion: No
Ecumenical or Event: Palm Sunday / Abendmusik at Knox
Potluck Lunch: No
Congregational Meeting: No

Speaker: Rebecca Sack
Worship Leader: Janet Boldt
Song Leader: Sue Greenstreet
Pianist: Edward Kehler
Usher:
Zoom Coordinator:
Children's Feature Leader: Mark Goerzen

Bring Flowers: Kreiders
Coffee Helper: Henry & Louise Klippenstein; Edward Kehler
Sound Helper:

Child Care Volunteer: Barton Thiessen