Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

“Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!  See your king shall come riding on an ass, the foal of an ass.”  (Zec. 9: 9).  

“As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace-but now is hidden from your eyes.”  “For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you when your enemies will encircle and hem you in on all sides.  They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”   (Lk. 19: 41 - 44). 

How unfortunate the scribes and Pharisees were so closed minded that they refused to see what the prophets spoke of as to what would identify the Messiah.

Of course the one time he infuriated the Pharisees; “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”  (Lk. 4: 18 - 19).  (cf Is. 61: 1 - 2).

“Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the streets.”  (Is. 42: 1-2).

“The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.  Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.”  (Is. 11: 2 - 4a).

“And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins, and I will make his kingdom firm.  It is he who shall build a house for my name.  I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.”  (II Sm. 12 - 14).  

Couldn’t the minds of these leaders read the scriptures?  However, they were waiting for a warring Messiah who would lead them in battle, not in peace.  They failed to understand the very essence of a God who welcomes his enemies with forgiveness and love.  If only they could see the Father of Jesus with parables such as the Prodigal Son.  God is waiting and looking for his prodigal children to wrap each of us with the warmth of forgiveness.

Perhaps the most intriguing statement Jesus made was as he hung on the cross and said; “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”  (Lk. 23: 34).  Even here Christ (God) shows the extent of his love by forgiving his enemies.  Because of sin, each of us is an enemy whom he has forgiven.

Ralph B. Hathaway, Palm Sunday - a time of forgiveness through love.