Sunday, March 24 Luke 19:28-40
Katherine Smith
On Palm Sunday, the church marks Jesus’ triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. We are told in
Luke’s gospel that a crowd gathers to watch the procession. The disciples make a big ruckus, praising God
for all the miracles that they’ve seen Jesus perform. But there is something odd about this
procession. Don’t they know that Jesus
is being led to his death? Weren’t they
paying attention back in Luke 9:22 or 18:31-33 when Jesus told them what would
happen? Why is there so much
celebration?
It always strikes me as strange that Jesus would
choose for disciples a rag-tag bunch of folks who clearly don’t get it. They think that a new king is coming to town
to rule Israel. Even these – his closest
friends – don’t realize that Jesus is preparing to triumph over death, not
their enemies. They are thinking small,
but God has the bigger picture in mind.
I am reminded in passages like this that God uses
even the unlikeliest of instruments to be vehicles of God’s love and
grace. This is why Jesus proclaims in
verse 40: “I tell you, if [the disciples] keep quiet, the stones will cry
out.” If the disciples didn’t shout out
the coming of the Messiah, even the very rocks under our feet would find a way
to make it known! Not our human limits
of understanding, nor the dark road of death ahead, will stifle the good news
that God is coming in triumph.
What if Palm Sunday marked a reverse procession for
the church? As Jesus rides forth into
Jerusalem, what if we used the talents and gifts (and faults and weaknesses)
that each of us has to go out into the world to share the good news that Christ
has come? God does not need perfect
instruments to proclaim hope, to do justice, and to love kindness. Instead, God asks it of us.
Prayer: Dear
God, help me to listen for how you are calling me to be a disciple for you
today.
Daily Challenge: Keep your eyes and ears open for someone who needs a word of hope and
encouragement. Offer a helping hand or
just a helpful presence.
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