Palm Branches

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” John 12:12-13 New International Version

Today is Palm Sunday, and many churches will be filled with palms and will hand out palm branches to parishioners. But what is the significance of the palm branches?

Most of you know that when Jesus returned to Jerusalem, the masses meeting him there ran ahead of him spreading palm branches on the streets and waving them overhead as Jesus passed by. At this point in the story, I always recall that he is riding on a donkey and am concerned that the donkey will slip and fall on the palm branches under foot or shy away from the waving branches and dump Jesus at the side of the road. Of note is that the Bible elsewhere states that this is a young donkey which had never been ridden before. So how does this beast of burden navigate this ride? Anybody else ever wonder that?

But back to the palm branches. In ancient times, palm branches symbolized victory and were often waved when kings returned home triumphant. So, here was Jesus returning home and the people were acknowledging him as their king, their conqueror. Only thing is they were still thinking that he was saving them from their Roman overseers, returning Israel to its glory here on Earth. It would take them a while to get it and in the meantime, Jesus dies for them. What must they have thought of their victor then.

My Continuing Search

So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendent of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant. Luke 2:4-5 The Message

Me: Excuse me. It is awful busy in this town.

Donkey: The king wanted to count all of the people in this land, so he told everyone to go back to the town of the ancestors. I guess a lot of people are from Bethlehem.

Me: Looks like. I am trying to find a young woman named Mary. I went to Nazareth looking for her, and they told me that she would be here.

Donkey: That’s her and her fiancé Joseph over there. I brought them here. It was a lot easier than the work that I usually do. Even though she’s going to have a baby, she doesn’t weigh as much as the carts I usually pull.

Me: I see. What are she and Joseph doing talking to that man?

Donkey: They are looking for a place to spend the night. They have relatives in town, but all their houses are filled. I don’t know where they are going to stay.

Me: It looks like she could have the baby anytime.

Donkey: If you say so. Who are you anyway?

Me: Just someone who is trying to find out who Mary is and why she is so special.

Donkey: I wish I could help you. I could tell right away when I met her that she was special. She told Joseph that she could walk all the way here from Nazareth, but he insisted she ride and that’s why he borrowed me from my owner. I don’t think they have much money. I hope they find a place to stay.

Me: What about you? Where will you stay?

Donkey: I’m used to sleeping outside. What about you? Where will you sleep?

Me: I don’t know. Even though I have traveled a lot the last few days, I’m not tired. Maybe I will go out into the countryside. Enjoy the peace and quiet away from the city.

Donkey: Well, have a good night and maybe we will meet again.

Me: Maybe. In the meantime, I still have to figure out why I am drawn to this woman Mary. But it will have to wait until morning now.

(This weekend, as last, the pictures are from my daughter Val's trips to Africa.)