Palm Sunday was this past Sunday.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week followed by Easter Sunday.
It is the time Jesus rode in to Jerusalem, while the crowd waved palm branches and embraced him as a king, yet only five days later the crowds were yelling, "Crucify him!" Palms were a symbol of royalty and nobility in Jesus' time, and everyone who lined the streets of Jerusalem had a different reason for waving those palms. Some were activists hoping that Jesus would liberate Israel from Roman rule. His disciples were expecting Jesus to establish himself as an earthly king. Many were just curious onlookers casually joining in on the cultural festivities of the day.
What would it look like if the biblical accounts of Palm Sunday were taking place in our generation today? Imagine Jesus entering Pea Ridge during Holy Week. I'm sure the crowds would welcome him with awe -- especially if the network news channels had just reported him raising Lazarus from the dead. We'd strike up the band, line the streets and enjoy the parade. Folks would be lined up along Curtis Avenue hoping to capture a selfie with Jesus passing by behind them, so that they could post it on their social media profiles. However, there is something I am equally sure of: by the end of the week, we'd have him nailed to a cross, too.
Why? Because the Kingdom Jesus came to establish still threatens the powers of this world -- lust, greed, power, self-promotion -- even religious bigotry. Loyalties in our day can be rather capricious and temperamental. You can be loved one day and hated the next simply because of one petty action, an offensive statement or a politically charged Facebook rant.
Jesus knew why he was coming into Jerusalem -- to give up His life as the Savior of the world. He had a mission, while everyone else had an agenda. You know, it is a lot easier to cheer for Jesus than it is to lay down our lives for Jesus. It's easy to praise the name of Jesus and sing "Hosanna" when it doesn't cost us anything. Posting inspirational Bible verses for the world to read doesn't require much of us -- certainly no degree of sacrifice.
It's easy to sing about Jesus on Sunday. But it will cost us much more to follow him all the way to the cross the rest of the week. Don't wave a palm branches when it is convenient -- let's lay down our lives in daily submission to His Kingdom. Think about that, beloved, as you seek to abide in Him this Holy Week.
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Editor's note: The Rev. Dr. Scott Stewart is the pastor of Pea Ridge United Methodist Church and Brightwater Methodist Church. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 479-659-9519.
Religion on 04/17/2019