Palm Sunday 10 04 22
Gospel: Luke 19.28-40
We enter the final week of Lent and we begin by commemorating our Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The events that are going to unfold are not going to be a surprise for Jesus Christ. He has constantly informed his disciples about his betrayal, arrest, torture and death. All this awaits in Jerusalem, the ‘city of peace’.
“Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’’
These were the shouts of praise from the mouths of people as they marched to Jerusalem, heralding Jesus as the Messiah. Jerusalem the religious capital at that time has been extremely critical of Jesus and his ministry. They have constantly rejected Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. Jerusalem is the place where several times people had taken stones to hurl at Jesus. Now Jesus goes to this city with joyful praise.
What is the triumphant entry of Jesus mean to people who are going to be confirmed in the church?
1 A New journey of Joy: To be confirmed is to begin to walk with Jesus, to join him in his mission. The visible presence of Jesus in the world is the church and like those pilgrims who travelled with Jesus. The church is the community of people who are journeying with Jesus. There is great joy in this journey, the joy of being with the Messiah.
2 The Rejected one Returns to Jerusalem:
The high priests and the religious hierarchy have been trying to keep Jesus away from Jerusalem. Jesus was rejected and ridiculed. Here he returns with his faithful to Jerusalem.
Jesus is not avoiding Jerusalem though Jerusalem avoided him. Jerusalem had always never wanted him, Jesus now is not returning with a grudge or words of anger but with sounds of praises. Celebrating what God has done and what God does the rejected stone becoming the corner stone. To be confirmed in the faith is to be determined not to give up. Rejection should not be accepted but every time one is rejected withy the power of God we return.
3 People become a priestly community:
It is usually the prophets and priests who identify the chosen one and introduce the person to the people. Here the people are introducing Jesus to the priests the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the teachers of the law. To be confirmed in the church is to become the voice of God to the world. It is God who opens the mouths of the pilgrims journeying with Jesus to shouts of praise and with the voice of affirmation. They were the voice that shook the great city of Jerusalem. As St. Peter describes every one who follows Jesus Christ joins the great company of priesthood of all believers.
This procession tells us about the glory of Jesus. The first thing that we see in this wonderful event is the courage of Jesus to march to Jerusalem, a place which is waiting to arrest him and kill him. It was a situation in which he could have avoided going to Jerusalem fearing impending danger. He marches into Jerusalem and we see the glory of Jesus in his courage. Those who are with him at that time are not going to be with him when he gets arrested, tortured and killed. Yet he accepted the company of the pilgrims and the disciples.
In the Old Testament we hear about a great king David who at a particular point fled Jerusalem and ran for his life. He was a powerful warrior and yet he was so afraid of his son Absolom. He left his city in great anguish and people were not able to bear the sight of their king fleeing his city and they wept bitterly. Here was Jesus knowing there is danger awaiting him marches into Jerusalem triumphantly.
He was fulfilling the prophesy of Prophet Zechariah who said that the anointed one will come riding on a colt. A Colt is a weight bearer and a very ordinary means of transport, the horse on the other hand is grand and is the vehicle of the kings and warriors. The horse is known for its swiftness. The Colt is a humble transport and Jesus chooses the very ordinary means of transport as he travels as the Messiah into Jerusalem.
The majesty of Jesus is seen in his courage, his humility and obedience to God. The crowd rallying around Jesus represents the church which journeys with Jesus, proclaiming him as the saviour of the world and celebrating him as king.
The Palm Sunday leads us to a commitment to walk with Jesus as individuals and as a church and walking with him we absorb his courage, humility and obedience to the will of God.