When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’
The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’
— Matthew 21:10-11
God of the palms, God of the passion,
we arrive at this Palm Sunday remembering and celebrating the story.
We, too, need to ask ‘Who is this?’
for we can forget who we follow.
We can get lost in the fanfare, wanting Jesus to be a powerful king.
We can get lost in the personal comfort of Jesus as our personal saviour.
Like the citizens of Jerusalem, we need reminders of just who Jesus of Nazareth was and is.
Remind us that his passion for an unpopular cause,
his selfless devotion to truth and justice, did not waver.
Remind us that his persistence to establish a more equitable world
stood firm in the face of abuse and criticism.
Remind us that he entered Jerusalem in defiance of the status quo
and in solidarity with the weak, the poor, the outcast.
God of the palms, God of the passion,
remind us just who this Jesus is, this Jesus we claim to follow.
This Palm Sunday eve,
restore in us the passion of Jesus
and his commitment to transform our world.
Amen.
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- photo by Ben Ulrich
