Celebrating With Palms

Palm Sunday was yesterday and now the calendar would tell us it is time to move on from Palm Sunday kinds of thoughts.  But even today, on this next morning when there are so many things to be done, Palm Sunday thoughts continue.

 On that first day of Palms, the crowd shouted.  They celebrated.  They proclaimed Him King.

And then they turned their backs on Him.
When the crises came days later, they no longer shouted Hosanna.   They turned to Barabbas.  They turned to the easy route, the direction of the crowd.  They ran scared, afraid to speak up.  They gave up on hope.

We celebrate Palm Sunday year after year knowing all the while the end of the story.  We know the cross is coming.  We know the victory of the resurrection is coming.   And so we celebrate Palm Sunday with Easter eyes all the while wondering at the shallow perspective of the crowd when Jesus rode that humble donkey through the waving of palm branches.

We think less of them, with pious assurance that we would not have acted as they did.

Yesterday morning singing "Hosanna, hosanna, You are the God Who saves us, worthy of all our praises     Hosanna, hosanna,  Come have Your way among us.  We welcome You here, Lord Jesus", I had to wonder at the glory of having been there that day.  Then I realized the people in that crowd with palm branches in hand, had pre-Easter minds.   Would I have realized the glory of the Lord in that moment?  Would I have had the depth of character and faith to stand on who I knew Him to be -- even in the danger of the events of the next week?

What about this week in 2013 and this day?  Will I have the alertness to recognize God and His Spirit at work and will I have the strength and courage to stand and act even when I cannot see the hope of next week?

Oh Lord, that I would... that I will.




*Words to Hosanna by Paul Baloche