Palm Sunday
“HOSANNA” IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC
Ezekiel Ette, Ph.D.
(Matt 21 : 1 – 11)
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” (Matt. 21 : 1 - 3
The world is in a locked down mode this Palm Sunday. Streets are empty and businesses are closed. We are told to stay home and if we must venture out, to avoid touching our face and to wear mask to avoid spreading the deadly Corona Virus. Thousands are dead around the world and hundreds of thousands are sickened with no end in sight. Fear is everywhere and individuals scramble to write their last wills here in the United States. No one is safe and no social class is immune. From China to Iran and Italy thousands are dead and in New York in the United States the dead are packed in refrigerated trucks. Fear and anxiety has gripped nations despite our claimed sophistication and knowledge of science. What the Spanish Flu did in 1918 when it killed millions has happened again with the corona virus. In our anguish and our fears we ask why and seek meaning for an invisible enemy that appears meaningless and violent in its ferocity. As I look outside my window in my neighborhood, however, I can see the signs of life and the coming of spring. The flowers on the trees shake against the breeze in this sunny day. The daffodils in their many colors and shades shake against the wind and in God’s earth these plants announce a new year and the unfolding of a new season. It is Palm Sunday today, and as I read in Mathew’s Gospel about our Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem certain things from the story jump out at me. Yet this Palm Sunday is like no other. Perhaps those who have lived through war time can tell you about the angst and worry about survival during a holiday. Yet for us Christians, the message of Palm Sunday has a very rich meaning in this trouble times.
Turn with me to the Gospel of St Mathew 21 : 1 – 11 and read this old story.
The story is a simple one. Jesus is approaching Jerusalem and is getting ready to cross the three ridges called the Mount of Olives 2.4 miles outside the city of Jerusalem. As St Mathew recalls the event, Jesus called two of his disciples and sent them on an errand. “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.” (V2). Then one more thing he told the messengers in verse 3 “If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” Our Lord knew that there will be questions asked and people will need answers. Many commentators have disagreed on this passage. Was there a prior arrangement between Jesus and the owner or did the Lord of the universe foresaw what would happen if the owner of the donkey saw strangers untying his donkey. Many theologians think that this knowledge is supernatural. After all, the Prophet Zechariah had prophesied long ago that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey. This was the messiah and his entry into Jerusalem that day fulfilled this prophecy.
It all happened as our Lord had instructed and when they brought the donkey back, the people took off their cloths and put on the back of the donkey for Jesus to sit. Those who had no cloths or the poor whose cloths could not withstand the wear and tear that might result, went into the woods and cut branches and put on the road so that the king might ride past. You can imagine the noise and the surprise of people in the city especially since there were many who traveled long distance so they could enjoy and worship during the feast of Passover.
I want to draw your attention this palm Sunday to two things in this old story of our faith: The first is the human need for meaning and the second is the human plea for deliverance and the need to rely on God. Let us first examine the human need for meaning. The human need for meaning is overwhelming. We must make meaning of actions and events for through this, we make sense of the world. We all as human beings have a set of expectations about life and these expectations allow us to plan. We know time will continue, we will finish school, have jobs, get married, work and retire. All these form what social scientists call the assumptive world. The problem we have is: what happens when things occur and our assumptive world is violated? Where do we turn to when things are no longer the same? It was not different in Jesus’ time. Our Lord knew that questions would be asked and reasons for such actions sought especially since the donkey belonged to someone else. This need for meaning is still strong today and becomes the more pervasive and urgent in a post-modern world where few things make sense. We just push to get on but we merely get by. We wonder what the purpose is to try and be good, organize the community and make our lives meaningful. Erik Erikson, the American Psychologist had said that our middle age years represent a struggle between generativity and stagnation. We struggle to create something meaningful for our communities and try to make our lives meaningful. Yet as we try to contribute, others may see our efforts as displaying our ego and question our sincerity. Like those who witnessed the untying of the donkey, people may question “what are you doing?” Who do you think you are?” As we watch the carnage of this pandemic, it is natural to wonder why and to ask where God is. As we hear about the need to protect oneself we wonder how we can shut ourselves inside without food and basic necessities. Some have lost jobs and means of livelihood in order to stay alive. Our assumptive world seems to be violated. We have lots of questions but very few answers and no one seems to know the right answers. How long will this last? What should we do and where do we turn to?
As instructed, the disciples sent to fetch the donkey were simply obeying the voice of the savior. “The Lords needs it” they said. The Lord needs you in God’s kingdom. The Lord needs you to gather the broken pieces of the lives in your community. The Lords need your hands, your hearts and your minds no matter what twisted meanings others may find. The Lord needs all of us. You do not need to go outside and expose yourself to this virus in order to serve your community. You can call others and use social media to stay in contact. The Lord needs you to stop the spread by avoiding gathering in places with close contact with others. A few short weeks ago, a church choir defied the ban on gathering. Forty members of a church in Seattle went to choir practice and nearly all caught the virus and as I am writing tonight, two are dead and many of them are in critical condition in a hospital. The Lord needs all of us to do our part in curbing the spread. In a letter that the Apostle Peter wrote to Christians who fled Jerusalem to other lands he specifically reminded them that it is Christian duty to obey authority whether it be governors or kings. (I Peter 2 : 13 – 15). This he reminded the church is pleasing to the Lord. If you insist on going to church when the authorities are banning public gathering, you are not serving God.
The second thing I want us to note in the story is the human plea for deliverance. It is common for us humans in difficult times to seek help. It is also possible to ask the wrong people for help and to get false help. This virus has no cure yet someone may try to sell you some snake oil.
At the time of Christ and during colonial rule in Palestine, conditions were unbearable. In our time as we are forced to shelter at home and see the world through television reports and our smart phones the fear is overwhelming. Reports of people who are battling the virus or dead are sent to us daily on our phones and smart devices. This virus respects no class and no hierarchy. From the Prince of England to the actors in Hollywood, from the very poor in public houses in New York to the poor factory worker in China to the powerful politicians in Law houses, no one is immune. Like those who were under the Roman yoke on that bright day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem we too must echo their cry “ “Hosanna” or save us now.
So in the middle of a pandemic what should we do? The Bible provides some suggestions. Our faith has always endured crisis and those before us had depended on God who has always been our help in ages past and our help in years to come. Consider these examples of what those who lived in fear and angst did on that day and what you can do on Palm Sunday:
1. Have hope do not despair. The ancient took comfort in the word of the Lord. They reminded each other of the words of the prophet Zechariah that God does not forget God’s people. God told the prophet: "Say to the daughters of Zion, behold your king is coming” Do not lose hope, the Lord will come and will take away this scourge and life will return to normal. It was not an accident that the crowd on that day of Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem chose a song often sung during procession to the Temple. It was a song of anticipation of a better day in the future “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.The Lord will give us his peace and will provide what we need.
2. Do not forget to pray. Waiting can take us to God but it is important to remember that it can also take us away from God. With people out of work and not having enough to do at home, there may be temptation to drink excessively. “Your King is coming” the Prophet Zechariah had announced. We cannot wait for the king in a manner that does not honor the sovereign.
3. Tune out a little sometimes because listening to the news at all times can create fear. Hope should be devoid of fear.
4. Find something constructive to occupy your time. Sometimes the overlooked things may find usefulness. The donkey was a beast of burden and was considered unclean because it does not chew its cud (Lev. 11 : 26), yet our Lord chose it as a means of transportation.
5. You may not have all what you need think about improvising for what you do not have and avoid self-pity. Those who did not have cloths to throw on the donkey and on the road cut branches and participated in the praise.
6. Use your time indoors to tell the stories of your life to each other.
It is Palm Sunday and amidst the pandemic, may we never forget in the lines written by John Brownlie more than 100 years ago
Behold, the Lord to Zion rides,
And crowds hosannas sing;
They spread their garments in the way,
And hail Him as a king.
May our praises continue to ring for Jesus our king and may we continue to be sheltered in his everlasting arms. Thanks be to God! Happy Palm Sunday!
