A sermon for the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday
April 13, 2025, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Hot Springs AR
Readings: Luke 22:14-23:56
He must be the patron saint of deathbed conversions, of last minute pleas when your back is up against the wall, of foxhole prayers and “Hail, Mary” long shots. He must be, this thief on the cross beside Jesus. At the last minute, just before the end, he makes a request. It sounds like a humble request. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” The way Luke tells it today, the conversation is serene, almost peaceful at the end, akin to a last request before the hood goes on the head. I think it must have been less so, more of a conversation of groans, sighs, and screams than well strung together words. The thief screams out, pain coursing through his body, regret coursing through his mind, anxiety coursing through his soul: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
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