Palm Sunday (5 April 2020)

Philippians 2: 5-11, Matthew 21:1-22

There are two part of the entry of Jesus and his followers into Jerusalem. The first revolves around obtaining the donkey and riding on it into Jerusalem with the crowds chanting and waving palm leaves. The second is Jesus entering Jerusalem; and then going to the temple and overturning the tables of the money changers.

Jesus asks two of his followers to bring him a donkey, so he could ride it into the capital city. As he did so, cloaks were laid for the donkey’s feet to walk on and branches of palm trees were taken to wave a royal welcome.

That is the point. The crowd were announcing that a king was coming. Something was happening. The crowd would be a real mixture of people. Some were Jesus’ friends, who followed him. Others had heard about him and were attracted. Still others, may have been caught up in what was happening.

Jerusalem had seen other days like this. There had been kings and conquerors ride into the city in triumph. These stories would have been past down from one generation to another. Families would have had their favourite stories.

‘Tell us the story, grandad, of David who became king’. And Grandad would have told the story of David.

Tell us the story, Auntie, of Judas Maccabaeus, and how he got rid of the tyrant.

Families today have stories that are told. Stories that have become precious and shape who we are and how we live.

The story of Palm Sunday is one that shapes how we live as Christians. Jesus rides into Jerusalem. He does not try to stop the crowd singing and chanting. Jesus does not hide from their accolades. Nevertheless, he is subversive. Jesus is a king. He does not exercise his power in the same way as other monarchs. Jesus is not Caesar.

Therefore, those who put the readings together for the day put this passage alongside Philippians 2: 6-11. This is a poem that the earliest Christian communities would have sang. It speaks of Jesus as the servant. Exercising humility is not something that comes easy to leaders.

The coronavirus has thrown everything upside down. Some of the things we valued have changed. Who would have thought that each Thursday evening that people would clap those who work for the NHS and provide care in other settings? A few weeks ago, people were more likely to moan than praise. It is true.

The life of the church has been thrown upside down. As a cleric, I have found it difficult at times, but it has reminded me of the important features of our life together: prayer and wrestling with the scriptures. Please do continue to send my prayer requests.

After Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem, he went to the Temple. He threw out the money changers, overturning their tables with the wares on. It is easy to mistake this for a simple protest at the rules and regulations that governed the Temple. Perhaps, Jesus was concerned that the market traders exploited people. Indeed, it is possible that he was angry with the temple authorities for ensuring they made money from running the religious site.

However, we need to listen to what Jesus said in the Temple. He reminded those watching that the Temple was supposed to be a place of prayer. They instead had turned it into a place where prayer and worship were not the focus. Jesus did what he was so good at. He held up a mirror and asked those watching and listening to look.

When I have looked over the last few weeks, I have had to admit that I need to rediscover how to pray and make time to listen to what God is saying. As we go through Holy Week, let us dare to do that. Let us listen to what the Spirit is saying to our churches.

Questions

1. What would the authorities have thought of the procession into Jerusalem?

• Who or what are you praying for?

Activity

Send an Easter card to someone in a different church.

Sul y Blodau (5 Ebrill 2020)

Philipiaid 2: 5-11, Mathew 21: 1-22

Mae dwy ran o fynediad Iesu a’i ddilynwyr i Jerwsalem. Mae’r cyntaf yn troi o gwmpas dod o hyd i’r asyn a’i reidio i Jerwsalem gyda thorfeydd yn llafarganu ac yn chwifio dail palmwydd. Yr ail yw Iesu yn mynd i mewn i Jerwsalem; ac yna aeth i’r deml a gwyrdroi byrddau’r newidwyr arian.

Mae Iesu’n gofyn i ddau o’i ddilynwyr ddod ag asyn iddo, er mwyn iddo allu ei reidio i’r brifddinas. Wrth iddo wneud hynny, cerddodd traed yr asyn ar eu clogynnau a chymerwyd canghennau o goed palmwydd i chwifio croeso brenhinol.

Dyna’r pwynt. Roedd y dorf yn cyhoeddi bod brenin yn dod. Roedd rhywbeth yn digwydd. Byddai’r dorf yn gymysgedd go iawn o bobl. Roedd rhai yn ffrindiau Iesu, ac yn ei ddilyn. Roedd eraill wedi clywed amdano ac wedi eu denu ato. Efallai bod eraill yn dal i gael eu dal yn yr hyn oedd yn digwydd.

Roedd Jerwsalem wedi gweld dyddiau eraill fel hyn. Marchogodd brenhinoedd a choncwerwyr i’r ddinas mewn buddugoliaeth. Byddai’r straeon hyn wedi bod o un genhedlaeth i’r gorffennol. Byddai teuluoedd wedi cael eu hoff straeon.

‘Dywedwch wrthym stori, taid, am David a ddaeth yn frenin’. A byddai Taid  wedi adrodd stori David.

Dywedwch wrthym stori, Modryb, am Judas Maccabaeus, a sut y cafodd wared ar y teyrn.

Mae gan deuluoedd heddiw straeon sy’n cael eu hadrodd. Straeon sydd wedi dod yn werthfawr ac yn siapio pwy ydym ni a sut rydyn ni’n byw.

Mae stori Sul y Blodau yn un sy’n siapio sut rydyn ni’n byw fel Cristnogion. Mae Iesu’n marchogaeth i Jerwsalem. Nid yw’n ceisio atal y dorf rhag canu a llafarganu. Nid yw Iesu’n cuddio rhag eu canmoliaeth. Serch hynny, mae’n wrthdroadol. Iesu yn frenin. Nid yw’n arfer ei rym yn yr un modd â brenhinoedd eraill. Nid Cesar yw Iesu.

Felly, mae’r rhai sy’n rhoi’r darlleniadau at ei gilydd ar gyfer y dydd yn gosod y darn hwn ochr yn ochr â Philipiaid 2: 6-11. Dyma gerdd y byddai’r cymunedau Cristnogol cynharaf wedi’i chanu. Mae’n siarad am Iesu fel y gwas. Nid yw ymarfer gostyngeiddrwydd yn rhywbeth sy’n hawdd i arweinwyr.

Mae’r coronafirws wedi taflu popeth wyneb i waered. Mae rhai o’r pethau roedden ni’n eu gwerthfawrogi wedi newid. Pwy fyddai wedi meddwl y byddai pobl yn clapio’r rhai sy’n gweithio i’r GIG ac yn darparu gofal mewn lleoliadau eraill bob nos Iau? Ychydig wythnosau yn ôl, roedd pobl yn fwy tebygol o gwyno na chanmol. Mae’n wir.

Mae bywyd yr eglwys wedi cael ei daflu wyneb i waered. Fel clerigwr, rwyf wedi ei chael yn anodd ar brydiau, ond mae wedi fy atgoffa o nodweddion pwysig ein bywyd gyda’n gilydd: gweddi ac ymgodymu â’r ysgrythurau. Daliwch ati i anfon fy nghaisiadau gweddi.

Pan gyrhaeddodd Iesu Jerwsalem, aeth i’r Deml. Taflodd y newidwyr arian allan. Mae’n hawdd camgymryd hyn am brotest syml yn erbyn y rheolau a’r rheoliadau a oedd yn llywodraethu’r Deml. Efallai, roedd Iesu’n poeni bod masnachwyr y farchnad yn ecsbloetio pobl. Mewn gwirionedd, efallai ei fod wedi ei gythruddo gan awdurdodau’r deml am sicrhau eu bod yn gwneud arian o redeg y safle crefyddol.

Fodd bynnag, mae angen i ni wrando ar yr hyn a ddywedodd Iesu yn y Deml. Atgoffodd y rhai oedd yn gwylio bod y Deml i fod i fod yn fan gweddi. Yn lle hynny, roeddent wedi ei droi yn fan lle nad gweddi ac addoliad oedd y ffocws. Gwnaeth Iesu yr hyn yr oedd mor dda yn ei wneud. Daliodd ddrych i fyny a gofyn i’r rhai oedd yn gwylio ac yn gwrando edrych.

Pan fyddaf wedi edrych dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, mae’n rhaid i mi gyfaddef bod angen i mi ailddarganfod sut i weddïo a gwneud amser i wrando ar yr hyn y mae Duw yn ei ddweud. Wrth inni fynd trwy’r Wythnos Sanctaidd, gadewch inni feiddio gwneud hynny. Gadewch inni wrando ar yr hyn y mae’r Ysbryd yn ei ddweud wrth ein heglwysi.

Cwestiynau i feddwl amdanynt

1. Beth fyddai’r awdurdodau wedi meddwl am yr orymdaith i mewn i Jerwsalem?

2. Ar gyfer pwy neu beth ydych chi’n gweddïo?

Gweithgaredd

Anfonwch gerdyn Pasg at rywun mewn eglwys wahanol.

Gweddi

Gweddïwch dros ein gweithwyr proffesiynol gofal iechyd