By Palm Sunday starts Holy Week for Christians. The triumph of His entry into Jerusalem, with next Sunday being Easter which celebrates the triumphal victory over death and the grave.
One thing I love about Palm Sunday is that a lot of churches have the kids come in and sing and wave the palm branches. For some of my friends this day is both exciting and a bit overwhelming. The day gets crazy, church service is disrupted, and things don’t ever go as planned. Yet there is something about hearing the children sing out Hosanna! Anyone else out there with me?
In the midst of this, I think back to the chapter in Luke when this scene plays out.
“As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!””
Luke 19:36-40 NLT
I often wonder, who would I have been on that blessed day? Would I have been one that was waving palm branches? Would I have been one of the Pharisees that told him to have the followers be quiet?
One thing that sticks in my mind is the response. That even the stones would burst into cheers!
So today I think, in the messy, loud and chaotic feeling that Palm Sunday brings to some churches (because trying to get a group of kids to do anything can get crazy), maybe the point is to join in. Maybe I should make sure that a rock is not going to take my place praising Him.
