Even
though Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, he was welcomed by the
crowd like he was a triumphant conqueror. The
people were astonished at the majesty of his bearing. He seemed like a king. Yet,
soon afterwards, Jesus enters into his passion and death on a cross. The
crowds saw him in a new light on the cross.
He was no longer mighty, but rather lowly & humble. He became the object of public derision. How could things have changed so quickly, from a coronation to chaos, from celebration
to despair, from the crowd shouting “Hosanna in the highest” to the cries of
“Crucify him”? We move
from the kingship of Jesus to his crucifixion in a short period of time as we
commemorate Palm Sunday today. How does this happen? What does this
tell us about God?
In the
events told on Palm Sunday, there was a power struggle that took place. This
same struggle takes place today, pitting the forces of power and violence
against God’s love and mercy. The
people of Ancient Israel wanted a political and military hero as the Messiah,
one who would restore Israel to glory through war and violence. Barabbas
was a freedom fighter, an insurrectionist who tried to free Israel from the
Romans, so Barabbas was the one the crowd wanted set free. Barabbas was seen as
a military leader similar to the Messiah whom they eagerly awaited. Jesus
isn’t the political leader the crowd anticipated. Instead, he is a suffering
servant. Jesus'
entry into Jerusalem is a prelude to his passion. His riding on a donkey foreshadows the
humiliation of his forthcoming crucifixion. Crucifixion was seen as such a horrible, humiliating death, that no Roman citizen could be
crucified in that society, only non-citizens and outsiders. Here is the irony: that by becoming the suffering servant, by dying for our sins on
the cross, Jesus becomes the king of glory.
Jesus
doesn’t prevail as the Son of God because of any violence he inflicts. Instead, he prevails by becoming the victim
of violence. The
people cry out, “Crucify him.” They
don’t understand the alternative God has for the violence and darkness present
in the world. God
still asks us today to humbly accept the salvation freely offered to us in
Christ's redemptive cross. But, instead of graciously accepting God’s gift, many insist on doing things their
own way, adhering to the ways of the world and choosing violence and power over
a life of discipleship.
Today, on
Palm Sunday, we participate in what unfolds before us, waving palms as Jesus
triumphantly enters Jerusalem. The
choice is still before us. We can accept the significance of Jesus'
cross, we can welcome Jesus into our hearts, or we can ignore this story. Hopefully we have learned some good lessons on our Lenten journey with Jesus. It may
have been a very edifying Lenten journey for us, or it may have been a journey
full of inner strife, struggle, and confusion. No
matter where we have been on our Lenten journey, Christ and his message meets us
in our reality.
As we
reflect on the meaning of Palm Sunday, I am closing my homily today with a
prayer written by Blessed Guerric of Igny, a French Cistercisian monk from way
back in the 12th century. This
prayer captures the spirit of this day: “Lord Jesus, you are the joy and
salvation of the whole world; whether we see you seated on a donkey or hanging
on the cross, let each one of us bless you and praise you, so that when we see
you reigning on high we may praise you forever and ever, for to you belong
praise and honor throughout all ages. In
the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.”
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