This Sunday, many churches will celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. I’m not a big fan of the Palm Sunday celebration. Often we're told to process into the church carrying palm fronds and shouting “Hosanna!” Perhaps it’s just my personal aversion to acting, but I find the whole thing kind of phony.
My personal tastes aside, there is a serious problem about what we do in church on Palm Sunday. We often go through the skit with the underlying notion that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is a distant, one-time event. Thus, Palm Sunday becomes a quaint remembrance of something that doesn’t mean much to us anymore. Some people enjoy the theatrics (or some, like me, want to process out of the church instead of into it), but our souls remain untouched by Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
What am I getting at here? Put simply, Palm Sunday should not be merely a commemoration of a one-time event. Indeed it is that, but it also points to Jesus’ ongoing entry into the hearts of men and women today. This is His promise: “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with Me.” (Rev. 3:20)
So Palm Sunday points not just to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem two-thousand years ago. It points also to Jesus’ entry into “the Jerusalem above,” which is our true home and “our mother.” (Gal. 4:26) And so the real question on Palm Sunday is this: Are we ready for Jesus’ entry? He is standing at the door, knocking.
Are we ready? The first two things Jesus did when He entered Jerusalem were cleanse the temple and curse the barren fig tree. (Mat. 21:12-22) Today, if Jesus finds us bartering with God and giving Him things rather than our selves, then He will overturn our tables and drive us out. Remember that “the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken Spirit.” (Psalm 51:17) Moreover, this “broken Spirit” is none other than the Spirit of Christ living within us. He is our sacrifice, and He puts an end to our attempt to barter with God.
Also, if Jesus finds us barren, then He will say to us, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” (Mat. 21:19) And we, like the fig tree, will wither. Remember that Christ's Spirit produces the fruit of “love, joy, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal. 5:22)
We can yell “Hosanna!” all we want on Palm Sunday (I’d prefer we not), but we shouldn’t lose sight of how contemporary this event really is. Insofar as we are not ready for Jesus’ entry, we’ll be offended by Him and end up crucifying Him. Nevertheless, He will rise – Happy Easter – and the promise of His coming to us will be renewed once again: “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with Me.” (Rev. 3:20)
The Lutheran part of me finds the shouting of Hosanna tough, but in some ways I look forward to it because it pulls me out of that box.
ReplyDeleteI think it puts me back 2000 years standing in the streets and the way it was.....
The waving of palm fronds brings me back to my childhood and that child-like faith. I partook in just about every skit and event that ever took place at church and there are certain things that though they seem to be, superficially, mundane or "theatrical" there is a bit of tradition. I think that the reason for all the skits and such is the kids- they seem to learn better and pay attention more when there is something more than just talking. In these skits and such I feel I am brought closer to the meaning of each celebration be it Palm Sunday, Easter, Christmas, Pentacost, whatever because I am brought back to that child-like faith where I can look at Jesus entering Jerusalem and truly shout (yep-born and raised Lutheran and I sit in the front, shout, sing and dance!) HOSANNA! and get chills because I know how the story ends- we may crucify Him, but He rose for us that first Easter and continues to do so every day. That being said- passion week can't be taken in pieces, you have to experience it as a whole or the full joy of Easter will be lost.
ReplyDelete