Read: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Christians are people of Easter, that means Christians are people of faith, hope, and love. We have faith because Easter has proven that Christ is who he claimed to be—the Word in flesh, God incarnate. We have hope because Easter has proven that our suffering in this world is only temporary—there is life beyond death, and death has no more power over us. We have love because Easter has proven that God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son for us, and we are brimming with God’s love that spill over to those who are around us.

Read: Philippians 2:5-11

Today is Palm Sunday, also known as the Sunday of the Passion of Christ because this is the first Sunday of the Passion Week, also known as the Holy Week. As a kid growing up in the church, Palm Sunday always confused me because I couldn’t understand the joy of this day. The words used for this day are “triumphant,” “victory,” and “celebration.” The church celebrates this day with palm leaves, symbolizing victory. But, what was the celebration all about knowing that he was soon to be crucified? Where was the victory? Jesus hadn’t died yet. He hadn’t been raised from the death yet. His mission has not yet accomplished. Why does the church celebrate Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem as a victorious event which in fact leads to his shameful and painful death on the cross? I always understood the Easter celebration, but I never understood the celebration mood of the Palm Sunday.

Read: Matthew 5:1-12

Last Friday, I delivered a round of Meals On Wheels with my two daughters, since they didn’t have school for the week. If was fun. I encourage any of you who are looking for a way to serve the elderly people in the community, sign up to be a Meals On Wheels volunteer.
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Talking about Meals On Wheels, it reminds me of a story of tree mice that died and went to heaven by God’s grace. One day an angel of God saw them worn out and panting for breath. So the angel stopped and asked the mice what was going on with them or whether they didn’t enjoy heaven. They said, “Oh, dear angel, heaven is very nice and beautiful, but it is too big for our little feet to run all over to see all the wonderful creation of the Lord.” The angel asked God’s permission to give each of them a set of roller skates, and they enjoy them very much, and rolled about all over heaven.

A few weeks later, three cats arrived in heaven by God’s grace, and one day the angel saw them warn out and panting for breath. So the angel asked what was going on with them and whether they didn’t enjoy heaven. They said, “Oh, dear angel, we definitely enjoy heaven and all the wonderful creation of God. The only problem is that the heaven is so big that we are just worn out by those three little meals on wheels!”
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This is flu season.  What’s the first thing you do to find out if you’ve got flu?  I normally measure my temperature.If my kids get sick, the first thing I do is to put my hand against their forehead and sense the heat.  Then if I smell a fish, I put a thermometer in their ear. How do you measure a spiritual flu? I believe you have to measure the level of joy you have.

How much turkey did you eat this week? Have you stepped on your scale lately to see how much weigh you’ve gained? Be careful what you eat and how much you eat during the holiday season. I noticed that I haven’t been sick for a long time. Remember in the past, during this season, I tended to have cold, followed by cough, and a long period of bronchitis? I’ve also noticed that, when I am healthy for a long period of time, my empathy quotient becomes lower, and I lost some ability to sympathize with those who are sick. So, I believe, sometimes, God allows us to be sick, so that we can relate to those who suffer from illness. God says, “Sam, I want you to take care of my sheep, especially those that are sick and suffering. If you don’t know how to relate to them, I have to make you taste some sickness.”