Sermonette: Hosanna in the highest

As we approach the beginning of Holy Week, our hearts are filled with anticipation and reverence for the profound journey that lies ahead.

Palm Sunday marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, a moment of celebration and jubilation for the people gathered there. Yet, woven within the palm branches and shouts of "Hosanna!" lies a deeper significance – a reminder of the paradoxical nature of Jesus' mission and our own call to remain humble in the midst of our complicated world.

As we wave our palm branches and join in the chorus of praise, we are reminded of the fleeting nature of our hosannas. The same crowd that welcomed Jesus with shouts of joy would soon turn against him, swayed by public opinion and pressure from the powerful.

In the midst of this scene, Jesus stands as a beacon of humility and steadfastness. He enters Jerusalem not on a majestic war horse or surrounded by an army, but on a humble donkey, as the servant king who comes in peace. This act of humility challenges our modern notions of power and authority, inviting us to reimagine even modern leadership, not as power over, but as service to.

As a result, we are called to follow in the footsteps of our humble Savior, embracing a path of servanthood and compassion. In a world that often values strength over vulnerability and success over sacrifice, the message of Palm Sunday is different – it is a way marked by radical love and solidarity with those we church insiders might consider outsiders. We are challenged to look into our own heart and to see with truth and wisdom just who it is we consider “other.”

In the Gospel of Luke, just as Jesus is about to descend into the city of Jerusalem, we read:

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children with you.”

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, lamenting the city's failure to recognize the things that make for peace. His tears are a poignant reminder of the brokenness of our world and the urgent need for reconciliation and healing. As we journey through Holy Week, may we join Jesus in Jesus’ lament, acknowledging the ways in which we have contributed to the divisions and injustices of our time.

As we honestly lament the conditions of our world, may we also confidently hope for restoration and new life. For the same Jesus who weeps over Jerusalem offers himself as a living sacrifice for the redemption of the whole world. Through his death and resurrection, death is defeated.

As we gather to commemorate Palm Sunday this year, let us do so with hearts open to the transformative power of Christ's love. May we be willing to lay aside our own agendas and ambitions, embracing instead the humble path of servanthood and sacrifice. And may we, like the crowd gathered in Jerusalem so long ago, raise our voices in praise of the one who comes in the name of the Lord, knowing that in him alone we find true peace and salvation.