Homecoming Parade

If you really want to throw a great surprise party for someone special, you will, of course, encourage all in attendance to take off their outer garment and lay it on the ground for the guest of honor to walk upon. And you will, no doubt, get a couple of folks and hack off some limbs of nearby trees to lay down on the ground as well. Do this, and you will, assuredly, elevate the meaning of “Surprise Party” to a new level!

Palm Sunday – the day we commemorate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem for his last and most dramatic week of life, began with such a party. We look at this event and scratch our heads. But in the first century, all of the elements employed made one bold statement: Jesus is King.

Who have we invited to the party? The majority of the people lining the street into Jerusalem that day were raving fans of Jesus. Many of them had probably heard Jesus teach and watched him do his thing in the region of Galilee. Some may have been healed, forgiven, raised from death. Others may have been exposed to Jesus only by what they heard from someone else who had been impacted by Christ. These were invited to check out Jesus for themselves: Sit next to them during the parade; share some popcorn or cotton candy while they lined the street awaiting Jesus; maybe grab some grub after the procession where they could talk about their impressions of this Christ. If you’re reading this, someone, somewhere along the line invited you to check Jesus out. How have you thanked them? How have you reached out to someone and invited them to join you to check out Jesus together?

How do we honor Jesus as King? Our faith ancestors, guided by their cultural memory, communicated their allegiance with what they had in a meaningful way. How do you suppose their public display of affection toward Jesus affect God and His Son? What impact did it have on them as individual followers of Christ? What do you suppose it did for the community of believers? How about surrounding onlookers – how do you think their pageantry messed with their thinking?

How long do we honor Jesus as King? Some of the people lining the streets that day lined them a few days later. Except when they shouted the second time, they were yelling insults and calling for Jesus’ crucifixion. Certainly, others of those who celebrated the Triumphal Entry at the beginning of the week were present at the stations of the cross that Friday as well. But they weren’t present to hurl verbal abuse. Rather, they were there – at personal risk – to simply catch Jesus’ eye to show their support, to communicate that they still loved him, that they still believed, and that they would still follow him even when everything seemed to be coming to a horrible conclusion. Which type do you most resemble – running away when it gets tough, or, when the going gets tough, do you get going – stronger and stronger in your love for Christ?

How do you avoid being a jackass? Of course, I’m quoting the King James translation in reference to the beast Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day… What a day for that donkey! As he carried Jesus along the streets paved with people’s coats and freshly cut greens, he certainly must have thought they were cheering for him! That donkey had no idea he was so special! What a surprise! The lesson: don’t be a jackass – it’s not about you. Too often, when we give honor and worship heralding Jesus as King, we do so in ways we like, without thinking about the actual recipient of our affection – Christ. How do you make sure that the focus of your worship is on what pleases God more than what pleases you?

May God, the source of hope,
fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.