The central motif of Palm Sunday, of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem in the week before his crucifixion, is humility.
While the circumstances change, Jesus is the same at either ends of the week: humble.
This provides compelling insight into the character of our lives as Christians: we are humble in every circumstance.
We are not simply humble when circumstances dictate, and something else if circumstances change.
Christ died that we might be forgiven; Christ died that we might be humble.
From Esau McCaulley’s book Lent – The Season Of Repentance And Renewal.
What Palm Sunday reveals Jesus’ humility. He is not like other kings who enter cities atop war horses in celebration of bloody victory. He is the humble king who saves by dying for the sins of the world. Jesus’ care for the lowly has long been a source of solace for oppressed people.* If we are going to follow Jesus, then we do not have to fight the way the world fights. We do not use their tools and means to get what we want. Palm Sunday challenges us to consider whether we have adopted the efficiency of force and cruelty instead of the way of Jesus. Stated differently, Jesus’ life was not just a means of salvation; it was a way of being human.
Rejecting the way of violence extends beyond critiquing kings and war horses. It includes how we treat those we love and those we disdain. It extends to how we interact with our friends, family, children, and coworkers. Are we people of violence? Can we put aside that violence and follow Jesus into the city, knowing what love demands of us?.
Esau McCaulley, Lent – The Season Of Repentance And Renewal, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. 2022, pgs. 76-77.
mgpcpastor's blog 