Matthew 21:1-11
Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

The two Matthew passages in this Sunday’s lectionary are designated “Liturgy of the Palms” (Matthew 21:1-11) and “Liturgy of the Passion” (Matthew 26:14-27:66). If you’re a preacher, do you choose one or the other, or both? Choosing one feels like skipping an important part of the story. Choosing both is a lot. As I sifted through these passages, I realized there are many, perhaps too many, possible points of contact: How do we honor the One who comes in the name of the Lord? What do we mean when we shout, “Hosanna!” which means “Save us!”? What would happen if we stood up to power, however peacefully? How are we complicit in injustice? Do we blame others and wash our hands of the matter as though we’re powerless? Do we disappear when the going gets tough, as the disciples seem to have done? Who are the innocent victims in our world today? Can love overcome violence? Is there such a thing as redemptive suffering? These passages explore betrayal, ritual and sacrament, friendship, crowd dynamics, remaining silent in the face of accusations, corrupting power, Jesus’ identification with every person who ever felt God-forsaken, and Jesus’ and therefore God’s experiencing rejection and suffering. And this is far from an exhaustive list.

As one commentator notes, “This story is not a documentary; it is also not a fiction. Instead, it is a proclamation of faith.” It is a proclamation of faith that these events happened and even more, that these events have meaning for us. We know Mark, Luke, and John tell the story slightly (and at times widely) differently. In all the Gospels, however, we see humanity at its worst and God’s answer of abiding, forgiving love that conquers death. So, must we decide which fragment of this story ought to be the focus in worship? How do I know what the person in the pew needs to hear this weekend? How can I guess which verse hits you where you live, or offers you the solace you desperately need?

I’m grateful to Brian Maas, who writes, “There is something about the wail of a bagpipe that just seems especially appropriate to the nexus of experiences and meanings that takes place on Palm/Passion Sunday.” He describes a practice in churches he has served in which the palm procession is accompanied by a bagpipe. Maas writes, “The piper bears an instrument ideal for the day and its colliding narratives and competing themes. No matter what they play, some will hear celebration, some militancy, some somberness. Whatever the notes, the meaning belongs not to the piper but to those who hear them.”

Maas continues, “The preacher too is an instrument of proclamation on Palm/Passion Sunday, and needs to be given permission – encouragement – not to try to address all that’s happening as Holy Week commences. It is enough to speak the truth, to repeat the stories of the day, and to let each listener hear what they need for the moment. In merely proclaiming (not explaining or reconciling) the triumph and the threat, the nobility and the betrayal, the preacher will make it possible for each listener to hear what they need of the Gospel – be it the hope of a coming king, the acknowledgement of a prophet in conflict with injustice, or the empathic compassion of a suffering servant.”

Holy Week offers a huge buffet for the grieving and the guilty, for the battered and the bruised, for the heart-sick and the hopeful, for those seeking justice and those seeking peace. Offer the whole story. Offer music, because it speaks to the heart. Even offer a bagpipe.

© Joanne Whitt 2026 all rights reserved.

Resources:
Melinda Quivik, https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sunday-of-the-passion-palm-sunday/commentary-on-matthew-2711-54-4
Brian Maas, “There is something about the wail of a bagpipe that seems especially appropriate this Sunday,” in The Christian Century, March 31, 2023, https://www.christiancentury.org/sunday-s-coming/palms-passion-preachers-and-pipes-matthew-21-1-11-26-14-27-66