Palm Sunday

Waiting for my second worship service to start this morning (The first was Airborne Chapel on Ft Benning), I thought for a while about Palm Sunday.  There is a darkness to the day that I don’t think we discuss.  We arm our children with bright green branches and parade them through the aisles.  We present out choral “hallelujahs” with neatly pressed robes or by jumping up and down and swinging our arms around.  We present a contrast to the angry mobs shouting for blood on Thursday night and Friday morning.

           

The shouting crowds in Jerusalem (and the doxology we sing on Sunday) are not in contrast of the crucifixion of Friday.  It is a few yards down the same fiver.  We cheer God when God fits what we want.  We turn to a murderous mob when God’s will no longer fits what we find comfortable. 

Luke explicitly tells us that the multitude of his disciples cheered the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  At best, these people abandoned Christ.  No doubt many also called for his death before a Roman governor. 

There is a darkness to Palm Sunday, but it is not just the darkness of a crowd that turned on Jesus.  It is the darkness of our own hearts.

This morning, when Emily sat beside me in church she told me Isaac was with the kids for the palm procession.  Please do not misunderstand my reflection.  The procession and focus Dr. Elder took was a spiritually deep, biblically focused, thought-proving sermon.  Basically, it was the type of sermon we’ve come to expect at FBC Columbus.  His was a far more profound reflection than what has preceded my “disclaimer.”