Palm Sunday

       Aside from visions of Hunky Jesus or Hollywood Jesus, the image gets a blurred. In fact Jesus was a middle eastern, olive skinned man, likely short of stature and probably more resembling someone we might view as a possible terrorist subject than our Messiah. I note this because of the other simplicities of today's reading for Palm Sunday. We want to celebrate the triumphant King entering Jerusalem but it seems furthest from the truth.

       Unrelenting Jesus calls us to challenge the visions we want from a Messiah. He challenges our world view and visions of everything in life. I took careful note Jesus did not in fact enter Jerusalem as a crowning Prince nor did he arrive in a celebrated caravan as we might think. His invading army was a crew of twelve. Yes, Jesus was welcomed and hailed by his followers but even then, Jesus was riding on an ass, a colt. No chariots or grand fanfare. No red carpet, simple reeds and cloaks.

        We are down to the wire of Holy Week and the message coming from Jesus is still simplicity. Love yourself and your neighbor. Salvation is at hand but it is not in obeying those Ten Commandments. Salvation is through loving in the simplest of forms, not the grandest. While bells and smells try to direct and raise our consciousness to a higher plain, the essence of salvation is through simply loving. Salvation itself from God is the grandest extravagance to us but our salvation comes in the hands of simplicity, our humanity. Our loving in our daily lives, daily routines, in how we treat ourselves and our loved ones and especially neighbors and strangers - that is the point of departure for our salvation. God has given us a gift and continues to give us a gift in the salvation of the cross. It is not elegant or worldly except that it speaks to simplicity and the preciousness of life.

       This week I hope to settle in to the simplicity of Holy Week, living life simply and holy. Honour God by honoring the gift in it's simplicity and power. If I can get in touch with that this week it will be in the simplicity and wonders of the world around me.

          For the ordinary and the wonders of daily life and love, we pray.

Luke 19: 28 - 40 

Luke 19:28 (NRSV) After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 

When he had come near Beth'phage and Beth'any, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?' just say this, "The Lord needs it.'" So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them.

As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen,  saying, 

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! 

Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" 

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.