2025 Palm Sunday

As Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, towards his arrest, trial and crucifixion, the story of his last few days gets more and more frantic.  Three times Jesus predicts his death, but no-one understands him; three times he encounters people seeking transformation - the rich young ruler, the blind beggar and Zacchaeus the tax collector but only two of them will accept what he offers; he blesses children and he tells stories, parables, about the Kingdom of God and how even sinful humanity might enter into its gates.  Everything he does is a sign that the Kingdom of God is near, it is time now, now, now to repent that we may enter into the Kingdom of God when Jesus enters to sit on his throne.

Perhaps the people who swarmed around him thought that this was it, this was the moment when Jesus would enter the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, and take his place on the throne, above all powers and kings, all kingdoms and thrones, above all that the world admires and exalts.  The crowd saluted him as a conquering hero, carpeting his road with cloaks and palm branches, updating well known hymns of praise with Jesus’ name, attaching themselves to his retinue for the triumphal entry.

Ah, what a day it was when Jesus entered Jerusalem: the crowds, the cheers, the sense of hope.  We look on indulgently: enjoy today Jesus, enjoy today crowd, enjoy today children - and donkeys too, for we, we who are wise with the hindsight of two thousand years, know that this is the last stand of a man who is about to be scourged, humiliated, defamed, assassinated.  Today the crowd is shouting hymns of praise, by Friday they’ll be baying for blood.  We are too wise to join in with the passing crowd’s adulation because we know how it will all end.

Or are we wise? 

Jesus said that if the children were to stop crying out praise to him, the very stones of the streets and the walls, and the temple itself would shout out “Jesus is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Jesus is the one who has done the works of power that are the sign of the Kingdom of God coming here on earth; Jesus is peace on earth; Jesus is glory in the highest heaven.”  If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10), then surely the wise ones are those who, today of all days, give themselves up to extravagant praise without worrying that they might look foolish, undignified, over-emotional or niaive.

Jesus said “take no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”  Don’t worry about what happens next, just join in today.