THE BIBLE – DISCOVERY YEAR O7 WITH LUKE’S GOSPEL 
COMMENT FOR PALM/ PASSION SUNDAY --- 01-04-07 
Isaiah 50: 4-9a 
What is the teacher hearing from the first group of returning exiles after the tsunami-like destruction left them without a country?  Is there anger at the heart of their questioning the prophet?  The prophet accepts their anger as he speaks for God. His answer to them is the integrity of his life and his confidence in the creative spiritual power of his God.
Psalm 31: 9-16 
Jesus quoted verse 5 from this psalm and made it forever sacred and personal within the Christian tradition. The writer’s suffering had been a tsunami-like event in his life and left him so devastated that he is without resources except for the steadfast love of God.
Philippians 2: 5-11 
The Greek word Kenosis -self emptying- is the name for the tune of hymn 174 in ‘TIS’, and beautifully sets this ancient song in a new form.  Think how Paul got to know the Christ on the Damascus road. Then he went back to learn how Jesus, the Christ, had lived, how he died, and how the cross had been transformed from one of punishment to one of redemptive love.
Luke 23: 1-49 
This is Luke’s story of a Friday now forever called Good Friday.  A bandit was chosen that day because this Jesus did not represent the kind of God people wanted.  The inner stillness of this man from Nazareth roused them to fury; every word was full of creative spiritual power.  Note the position of the comma in the words to the repentant thief.  Then most striking is the strength of his voice as he quotes a favourite verse from the scriptures he loved.‘ Father, into Your hands, I commend my spirit.”
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