A conversation about this week's lectionary Bible passages

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 portrays the scene of a ruler who enters the temple during a time of war. The scene frames Jesus' entry to Jerusalem. As Randall Bailey points out, the verses of this psalm not assigned by today's reading detail the psalm's distress that is rooted in powerful and destructive struggles with enemies. The nation is at war (Psalm 118:10-12) and there have been some victories (Psalm 118:13-18), but the war is not yet won (Psalm118:25). In a festal procession that includes waving branches, the ruler enters the temple to thank God for successes and to pray for God's salvation (Psalm 118:19-29). God's vindication is encountered after the distress (verse 9) and imminent defeat (verse 13) experienced in verses 5-14.

Jesus' "anti-triumphal" entry into Jerusalem echoes this entry liturgy just as it evokes — and mocks — the similar rituals that accompanied the entrance of Roman generals, officials and emperors into cities of the empire. Jesus' entry to Jerusalem and the temple occurs in the midst of a struggle with the foreign ruling power, Rome. His entry is accompanied by praise for God. Jesus is subversively hailed by the powerless as a ruler in the line of David who will bring peace. But only Rome-approved local rulers — who were willing to reign as Rome's allies — exercised power. Ascription of royalty to Jesus was illegitimate in the eyes of Rome and its Jerusalem allies. How Jesus exercises his royalty, how he confronts Roman power and how Rome responds will unfold through the week's events.

A second situation frames Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and the events of Holy Week. Psalm 31:9-16 paints a picture of misused power. Again the lectionary selection omits verses and references to the psalmist's distress, thereby silencing the injustice and threat that is at the heart of the psalm's experience. The exact details of the psalmist's situation are vague. The psalmist has powerful opponents who threaten and plot (verses 31:8, 13 and 20). The psalmist feels persecuted (verse 31:15) and is the object of lies (verse 31:18) — perhaps a victim of false legal charges — and offers a defense. The psalmist knows sorrow and physical decline, perhaps from a resultant illness (Psalm 31:10). Social shame, scorn, isolation and rejection follow (Psalm 31:11). Inner turmoil is pervasive.

The psalmist's distress in confronting the powerful is elaborated in terms familiar to every person marginalized because of sexual orientation, foreign birth, ethnicity, social class or any other factor. Yet also evident is the desperate trust in God as the psalmist seeks God's gracious intervention (21:12-16). The psalmist understands — at least in this psalm — that God's favor is all-inclusive and empowering despite social, political or even legal experience.

Where the reason for the psalmist's suffering is unclear, the reason for Jesus' crucifixion is understood. He stands accused of crime. His ministry has been one of societal challenge. The crowd's identification of him as a ruler not sanctioned by Rome articulates his threat and signifies sedition. Rome and its Jerusalem allies use their power and system of "justice" to eliminate this perceived provincial threat to their status quo.

How do we encounter those who are powerful today — today's royalty? The number of entrants to the presidential race for the 2008 election is increasing, and, as these people jockey for the favor of the crowd, they talk about the middle class and honoring the troops. At the same time, it seems they ignore the existential plight of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals; those dislocated by Katrina; and people with HIV/AIDS who can't afford expensive medications. Many religious leaders, as well, convene to defrock same-gender-loving clergy who are in partnered relationships.

	What and who represent the powerful in today's church and society? Where are alternative witnesses to power who are in solidarity with those who are oppressed? Where do we hear God's liberating "Hosanna" being sung?

This third Hebrew Bible reading, Isaiah 50:4-9, focuses on suffering under imperial power. It especially underscores the experience of absorbing destructive power and of the need for sustaining "the weary," those beaten down by oppressive structures. The suffering servant speaks of the physical and verbal abuse absorbed as the response to faithfulness (verses 4-6). The image of giving "his cheeks to those who pulled out the beard" appears elsewhere to signify situations of persecution of Judeans under imperial power (Isaiah 7:20; 2 Samuel 10:4). Here the reference seems to be to the experience of exile under Babylonian power.

The servant, both an individual and a representative of the people with a mission to sustain the weary (50:4), suffers in a context of overwhelming power. As with the psalmist, the servant draws great strength from God's presence. Violence is not met with violence, nor is the servant's predicament seen as God's punishment or lack of favor. God comes to the servant's aid and is not disgraced. The servant is confident that God's purposes will outlast the enemies (Isaiah 50:7-9).

Are we prepared to deal with the physical price of struggle for justice for those who are denied justice by the state and by the religious institutions? Are we kidding ourselves when we think that the struggle won't take its toll on us physically, spiritually and emotionally? What do we do when our experiences do not allow for us to give testimony to the full vindication of God in the struggle?

	What are the ways that God's people who are oppressed cope with the disconnect between the promise of God's liberation and their current painful realities?

In Luke 19:28-40, the presentation of Jesus' entry to Jerusalem emphasizes themes figured not only in today's Hebrew Bible readings but also throughout the gospel. Jesus has been heading to Jerusalem for 10 chapters. The city is his place of destiny, in which he will conflict with the ruling elite, suffer their backlash (literally) and die (see Luke 5:17; 9:31, 51; 13:31-35; 18:31-34). Jesus' God-given mission to challenge the powerful, confront "normal" ways of organizing society and offer an alternative (all of which the gospel calls "salvation" or the kingdom or empire of God) was announced early in the gospel. You read of this mission in relation to his conception and birth (Luke 1:31-33, 47-56; 2:10-14) and at the beginning of his public ministry (Luke 4:16-30, 43). But while the gospel portrays some people as being on board with Jesus' mission, others are offended and resistant (Luke 4:28-30; 9:22). They have very different ideas of what God is or should be doing and what human society should look like. In this passage they attempt to silence the witness to God's acts of transforming power (19:37-40), an effort that Jesus identifies as futile.

The gospel passage recognizes that worship is a political act in that it bears witness to God's liberating purposes in the midst of oppressive power. It also suggests what many LGBT people and others marginalized in churches and society know, that suffering and rejection accompany faithfulness especially when it expresses alternative identities and practices.

Do we also see that our acts of public resistance to oppression are acts of worship and liturgy? Or do we fall into the trap of dichotomous thinking and separate life into sacred and secular? Such thinking prevents us from seeing that marching for our rights and protests of injustice are worshipful acts. Since in Luke's gospel the crowd cries out what the priests ought to be saying, "Blessed is the one," do our own clergy today too often join oppressors and have the laity fill the voids in the struggles?

	When have you witnessed or experienced bold acts of resistance or justice that you would also claim as worshipful acts?

Chapters 22-23 of Luke comprise the gospel's passion narrative. The word "passion" comes from the Latin word meaning suffering. The story catalogues Jesus' suffering as the consequences for being faithful to his identity as God's agent. Jesus embodies a God-given commission that manifests David's rule in the midst of imperial power (Luke 1:32) and transforms societal structures and norms (Luke 4:18-19 and Isaiah 61). Compare these verses with Psalm 72 for an outline of a ruler's responsibilities to provide justice and resources for the poor and needy.

The Jerusalem elite, allies of Rome in exercising power to defend — not change — the status quo, want to kill this messenger, Jesus, with a different social vision (Luke 22:2, 52-54). Various followers abandon him and the struggle for a different world (22:3-6, 21, 24-27, 31-34, 47-50, 54-62). Jesus is beaten and verbally abused (22:63-71). The Roman governor sides with his Jerusalem allies and crucifies him (23:1-25).

This passion narrative holds within it the rich kernels of the revolutionary struggles of the colonized Jews against the powers of oppression exerted by Rome and their Jewish upper-class collaborators. The hopes of the marginalized for liberation get dashed not only in the lynching of the leader of the revolution but also in the telling of the story. The liberating and revolutionary story has been all too often reduced to an inner religious struggle devoid of its political overtones.

	When do our own struggles for liberation against oppressive policies and doctrines which crush people along lines of race, gender, sexuality, class, nationality, age and the like get perverted? When have we lost sight of the struggles by fighting each other and letting our stories be diverted into escapist religion highlighting "dreams" and ignoring the risky demands for justice?