Homily on Palm Sunday*
By Righteous Alexei Mechev
By Righteous Alexei Mechev
“Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany… There they made Him a supper” (John 12:1–2).
Two circumstances from the life of the Lord are brought to our remembrance today by the Gospel reading. One of them is the humble, peaceful supper of the Lord among His most devoted friends; the other is the triumphant entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
However different these descriptions may be in their setting, they depict one and the same thing: the expression of honor, love, and devotion to the Lord. A lesson is given to the Christian, that he may serve the Lord in a twofold manner: one is the hidden good of our heart, the pure impulse of the soul toward works of mercy, love, and heartfelt devotion; the other is social virtue, that is, visible deeds of common benefit, so that they may shine before people and bring about the triumph of good in the world. A Christian must not live only in the vanity of the world, in this whirl of everyday life, in these petty pursuits and aims of selfishness and sensuality, in this malice of the present day. There is another, higher realm, to which he should at least at times ascend and find rest for his soul: this is the realm of a heart warmed by the holy feeling of love for God, by the labor of good deeds, by the spirit of the purest prayer.
Let us explain both events described in the Holy Gospel in order to draw instruction for ourselves.
“They made Him a supper there, where Lazarus was, and Martha served.”
Why does the Gospel tell us about such a simple occurrence? First, we see here a small gathering of the most sincere and devoted admirers of the Lord, where there were neither enemies cunningly watching His every step, nor indifferent outsiders hindering sincere, heartfelt conversation. Where can one find today such sincere, selfless sympathy, such devotion, such mutual trust, such warmth toward one another? And for what have we exchanged these beautiful legacies of the good old days? Self-love, vanity, a certain coldness even among those closest to one another, dissatisfaction with the quiet family environment — this is what our time has brought into the life of society. Therefore, more often recall the supper in Bethany, in order to draw your soul away from the chilling breath of the spirit of your age. But not only in this is the Lord’s supper instructive: in the midst of the meal enters the meek and gentle Mary — the sister of Lazarus — full of love, gratitude, and devotion; modestly she bows down at the feet of the Lord, pours precious ointment upon His head and feet, and silently wipes them with her hair. The world, in the person of the Lord’s disciples, condemned the woman for this act: why such a waste of costly ointment? But the Lord, the Knower of hearts, saw more. He saw in Mary this deep love, ready for every sacrifice; this gratitude that does not know how best to express itself; this devotion that gives what is most precious; this holy feeling that inspires a person at a moment of strong, joyful emotion. And the Lord praised the trembling Mary; He set her deed as an example for all times: “Truly I say to you, wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her” (Mark 14:9). And how many times has this act of Mary made a deep impression when this Gospel narrative is read: more than one sorrowing soul has been moved, more than one cold heart has softened; holy thoughts have arisen, good feelings have awakened, passion and affliction have been extinguished. In the person of Mary are exalted those people who, in quietness, manifest qualities of the soul unseen by the world but great before God: those who are filled with humility, who overcome the passion of anger and selfishness, who stand firm in honesty, who do not fall in temptations, who do not murmur in sorrows, who possess meekness, purity, and all-forgiveness. In the person of loving Mary is glorified that love for one’s neighbor which rejoices in another’s joy, which suffers in a brother’s sorrow, which seeks out in him the spark of good, which forgives the erring, which weeps over the perishing, which sacrifices everything — everything dear — for the sake of sharing in another’s grief and misfortune. Therefore, more often recall the supper in Bethany and gaze longer upon this beautiful image of Mary — loving, grateful, and wholly devoted to the Lord.
But it is time to turn to the very event of today’s feast. For the first time the Lord appears in such glory and majesty. Throughout the three years of His life, everyone saw Him as meek, humble, without any striving for honor or glory; but now He enters as a king on a young donkey, accompanied by a rejoicing people, with loud cries of “Hosanna.” They had seen Him in the most modest occupations: on the seashore, in a boat, at the catching of fish, among the ripening fields, in the quiet and silent desert, on a mountain in prayer, in the circle of family life. But here He proceeds like a conqueror after glorious victories. They accompany Him with green branches, cast their garments at His feet, and praise all His feats and glorious deeds. And He does not reject them, does not withdraw, does not express indignation; amid these signs of honor He quietly advances toward Jerusalem. Why? Because the people present a majestic sight when they are inspired by a single religious disposition, when all are seized by one spark of sacred enthusiasm, when all petty interests and passions of ambition fall silent and only the pure impulse of true feeling is seen. He knew, the All-knowing One, that beneath this festive mood were hidden other intentions, that the spirit of enmity and envy was concealed, that soon these joyful cries would be replaced by an equally united cry: “Crucify Him.” Yet He allowed the people one happy moment to enter into sacred inspiration, to unite in a single religious feeling, to inscribe the best page in their life and history. Thanks be to God! Our Fatherland has experienced such happy moments in the life of the people, when the entire nation, as one man, went forth to defend its homeland.** Why else did the Lord not reject these signs of honor and praise offered to Him? Because this universal, unbought honoring could restrain secret hostility, could bring the erring to reason, dispel the darkness of unbelief, and turn minds toward great works of good, toward the miracles of the Lord’s mercy, toward His divine person. Great deeds of goodness, honesty, and selflessness, manifested openly, do not pass without a trace: they call forth imitation, they sow holy works, they contribute to the triumph of good in the world. And if even they produce no effect, if even radiant examples do not change a hardened soul — who is to blame for its destruction? That is why the Lord, lamenting over Jerusalem, addressed it with the words: “Oh, that you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” What sorrow of a loving heart breathes in these words of the Lord, and at the same time how hopeless they are for Jerusalem: “at least in this your day” — you are given yet a lesson, yet one more day of life, when you may still restore to yourself the mercy of God; not everything is yet lost — make one effort, understand the importance of this day of God’s visitation. But no — your eyes have been closed; this powerful spectacle does not affect you; the hour of your destruction, your condemnation, has come.
Let us desire that in our society social virtue may shine more brightly, that more men of honor, goodness, and righteousness may appear, and that we may not be inattentive to the signs of the events of our time.
Thus, in today’s Feast we see two examples of honoring the Lord — expressions of love, zeal, and devotion to Him: one is the quiet love of Mary, who offered a sacrifice from the heart; the other is the universal honoring of the Lord by the people.
Notes:
* Delivered on Palm Sunday, in 1915 or 1916. Published for the first time from the “Plans of Speeches” in the archive of E. V. Apushkina.
** This refers to the extraordinary nationwide surge of popular enthusiasm across all social classes that followed the Imperial Manifesto of 1914 announcing the beginning of the war, which came to be known as the Second Patriotic War. Indicative are the loyalist patriotic demonstrations of August 1914, in which many of the future participants of the February Revolution of 1917 took part.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
