Palm People

As a child the magic of Palm Sunday was that Jesus somehow magicked a donkey. I remember the first time I heard a sermon, sitting in the choir, on how Jesus might have pre-arranged this whole thing and it might not be magic or a miracle at all  - I was so disappointed. But, of course, the point of the story is not how the donkey comes to be ready for Jesus but that it is a donkey at all.

In their book, the Last Week, Marcus Borg and Dennis Crossan, both well known biblical scholars, posit that there were two processions into Jerusalem on the day we now call Palm Sunday - one was very grand with horses and soldiers in armour, swords glinting in the sunlight. The other, on the opposite side of the city much more low key, a man on a donkey with peoples cloaks and branches thrown to pave the way.

The big civic procession would have been the Roman governer, Pilate coming into Jerusalem to take his ruling seat, the other Jesus. Even if the idea of the two processions is not correct there is little doubt that the writers of the Gospels and, indeed, Jesus followers would have seen Roman convoys. They would have been great hulking groups of people, loud and pushing people aside in their wake - Roman armies were feared throughout the world for their might and brutality. Contrast this then to a quiet entry on an ass, to welcoming crowds who, whilst not forced to carry packs for soldiers or lay anything down, willingly lay down their cloaks.

I wonder what the disciples thought as they went to get that ass - I wonder what they thought Jesus was up to - it was certainly not the triumphant entry which they might have predicted for themselves, even a few months earlier, they were not a rampaging army, but they were welcomed in simple acclamation.

A battle is begun as Jesus enters Jerusalem, not just a battle to see who is the true ruler of the city - is it the temporal power of Rome, or the intransegent power of the Jewish authorities or is it this king on an ass. At this point the latter seems preposterous, the world would have to be upside down for Jesus to overturn both law and sword.

But this king, this kingdom is different to anything which any of them might have predicted and in these few moments Jesus seems welcome - Jesus is bid welcome - Jesus is acclaimed. But we all know that the crowds will turn, they will become angry and scared and will demand Jesus death.

There is no end to this story which does not leave the world upside down, which does not ask for hearts to be given willingly, which does not ask for all our comforts in this world to be laid down. There is no end to this story which does not demand change, attitude change, lifestyle change - the sort of change which God keeps going at. It is no accident that we return each year to this rich cycle of stories, God not only creates, God re-creates and asks that we look at the Passion at Palms and Crosses with fresh eyes.

There can never be a point at which we look at the Biblical narrative, especially during Holy Week and assume that we have seen all that there is to see or learned all that we are going to learn from it.

There was a song which we used to sing in assembly when I was younger -

O Lord all the World belongs to you
And you are always making all things new.
What is wrong you forgive
And the new life you give
Is what's turning the world upside down.

This idea of God's love turning the world upside down is key to Palm Sunday - Jesus sends the Disciples to get a donkey, he has the authority but it is not an authority which derives from fear and might it is one which derives from pure love. He will give bread and wine as himself, he will submit to civil authorities and he will die - and then most upside down of all he will rise from the dead to give life to the world.

This upside down world is both exciting and demanding. It asks us to suspend our expectations and listen to the words which God puts into our hearts, new words and often words of change.

No royal sceptre of gold but a branch of a nearby Palm Tree should warn us that this Holy Week, if we enter in, we will not find fear but the sort of love which we will allow to turn us completely upside down.