Revisiting Palm Sunday

Revisiting the Triumphal Entry

Lk. 19:28-44

God bless Palm Sunday!

What if you were there to witness for yourself the events of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday Celebration? How would you feel? What would you have seen or heard? What would you be thinking?

Imagine with me, what it would be like… Imagine I am the owner of the donkey colt that the two disciples of Jesus are untying to put Jesus on. Setting: house of the donkey owner talking with a friend…

What a week this is gonna be, eh Jo. Folks will be coming from all over the country to Jerusalem, to celebrate the Passover Feast at the Temple. It’s a big deal and I wonder just how Vancouver can pull it off with the 2010 Winter Olympics sized crowds with their tiny little roads and famous traffic jams. But I am sure Mahmoud will be happy, his Holiday Inn business will be packed out. Yeah, I know our famous Middle Eastern hospitality will be taxed to the limit, without question, but hey we are very open and very generous, and it’s just neat to party this whole week.

Look, Jo, there are two strange out of town guys walking right up to my donkey. What the…? Did u just see that? They are taking my steering lock off, untying them. Those 5.99 Walmart locks are useless! They are stealing my donkey right in front of me! Is this a home invasion?

That’s my colt! I can be hospitable as Ishmael over there, but ask me first. Think with me, how would you feel if someone just came by your house and started to turn on the ignition of your brand new car.

“Excuse me! Hey hold on a bleeped censored ancient cuss word minute there! Why are you untying the colt? If you want the colt, show me the money first!” “Don’t give me the excuse that it is tough week to get anything at Budget rent a donkey with the crowds streaming from all over the Middle East to celebrate the Passover Feast here. You can’t just drive away my brand new donkey colt, which no one had ever ridden (19:30). This is my new ride, with zero kms, my wheels for my business. It’s my livelihood you are taking away! It’s what I have to feed the kids! Let’s see what you gotta say before I call the cops and you know what they do with thieves here. They will crucify you! Like nail you on the cross, and torture and ohhhh the pain. Want some pain? So what’s the deal here?”

The disciples said, “The Lord needs it!” (v.34).

The Lord needs it?? Four words, man of little words, eh? That’s a new one! What kind of answer is that? I have heard my mother is pregnant and needs a ride to the local midwife. Or I need to get a ride to see the chariot race playoffs, because the superstar LeBron is racing. Or I need to get impress my future in laws, and your brand new colt here would be just the thing! But the Lord needs it? Huh?

Suddenly a light came on! Read 19:11 “he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.”

Donkey owner thinking: “The Kingdom of God is going to appear right here and now. Man, the Lord needs it!” My donkey is gonna be used by a soon to be crowned king! Revolution, yeah, about time! Overthrow the pagan pork eating despised foreign occupation of our ancestral land. That’s big! Wow! Jesus wanting my colt! That’s like having free advertising for me too. The Lord is endorsing my product! That donkey is going to be a part of history making. Lemme see what shall I call my donkey products “Air donkey”, nah, that’s lame, as if anyone down the road would call anything air something, can anyone touch wind, might as well be playing air guitar.

Anyway, The Lord needs my donkey colt! Yeah! That’s cool! What can I say? No way?!? Over my dead stinking hairy hands? Or shall I say, Mastercard or Visa? If the Lord needs it, that means something big is going to happen. I can just feel it, see the goosebumps… ohhh… we will finally see the return of the King! Every Jewish guy is talking about the expectation that this Jesus guy is the real deal.

Bring it on, the Kingdom of David, the Kingdom of Israel is on the comeback trail, this will be bigger than King Kong. And my donkey is part of His plan! Yes! Maybe one day they will make a video game of it and what will they call it, Donkey Kong? Take it! Take the donkey colt.