Palm Sunday

 

 

Put your palm frond in the air and wave it all around!

Here we are at the start of Holy week. Jesus is coming into town today,

and everybody is waiting for the King.

 

     When you were a child and got hurt what did you want to happen? Think on that for a minute. What do you remember happening when you were hurt (physically or emotionally), upset, or sick as child? Did your parents attack the boy who broke up with you? Did they publicly humiliate the kids who made fun of you? Did they sue the doctor when you got sick? No..... They loved you.

     They loved you and healed you; whether you were rocked, held, given a band-aid, soup, medicine, or sang to you. You needed love. You needed to be comforted and humanized.

 

     When Jesus came people were looking for a king; armor wearing-vengeance seeking-warrior king. They wanted someone to come in and put down all other nations and raise them to their glory and status. In today's language, they weren't going to be a third-world country. They were going to be the richest, strongest, and most desired nation of all. So what the hoo-ha was he doing on a donkey?!

     They expected a king, not The King. This man who rode into town on a donkey was going to overthrow the entire system and save everyone?  One man, woman, and child at a time. He saved them with love. When we have been wounded what do we truly seek? Not the smiting of a king, but the love and understanding of The King. Jesus brought people to him by acts of love, not shows of power. He refused the demons to speak because they knew who he was. He did not want people to come to him because of his relation, position, or any of that stuff. He wanted people to choose him out of love. He fulfilled the needs of the many, and what were their needs? Acceptance, to be humanized, to feel loved, and to be appreciated.

We all deep-down want the true love of someone who will lay down their life to save ours.

Some knew when Jesus rode into town on a donkey that he was their King.

 

     If Jesus was alive today, right this very moment, would he still be put to death? Would His words in today's world be any different than they were then? Would He be loving people, healing people, humanizing people, and railing against what is so wrong with our world?

 

You do understand that Jesus had a choice, right?

There came a moment when he had to decide:

If I continue doing this I will die. Or I can stop. Stop loving everybody, stop healing, stop telling people about God... and I can live.

Jesus chose to die to prove that he loves you above his own life.