Sabbath Devotional :: Musings on Palm Sunday

Triumphal Entry (Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem), by Harry Anderson

All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King,

To whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel, Thou David’s royal Son,

Who in the Lord’s name comest, the King and Blessed One.

On a donkey he came to the Holy City. Such an odd war horse. And strangely there’s no weapon of vengeance. This healer, this miracle man, this strange talking Galilean who promised upheaval, overthrowing of false authority, a new world. Surely this was the long awaited King, come to save the people of Israel from the brutal grip of Roman oppression. As Moses delivered the forefathers from slavery in Egypt, surely this Preacher from obscure Nazareth will deliver them once and for all with his mighty arm, with his armies behind him to restore Jerusalem to its primacy.

The company of angels are praising thee on high,

And mortal souls and all things created make reply.

The people of the Hebrews with palms before thee went;

Our praise and love and anthems before thee we present.

There is another chorus if we have ears to hear. “Hosanna! God saves!” sing the angels. “Hallelujah! Praise Yaweh!” the heavenly hosts repeat.

The humans shout, too, waving fronds, ecstatic with anticipation — but, while the words sound the same, their meaning clashes — missing the message of the maestro. They sing on, eager to strap on their weapons, sure that at last the King comes to overthrow the corrupt and broken government! Still deaf to the angels’ meaning, still blind to the nature of the King before them, they shout the same words so sure their well-crafted, precisely interpreted dreams have finally come true.

On this day, with our hindsight — knowing as we do what the upcoming week holds with all its rage and disillusionment, its holy service of cleansing feet, of emblems of remembrance, of bloody grief and glory — are we ready to be those of whom the hymnist writes: “all mortal souls and all things created” finally, finally harmonize with the angel chorus? God saves! Praise Yaweh!

Can we today claim this Sabbath and the upcoming cataclysmic week with the perspective of the angels? Can we see that our battle has never been against corruption in government, has not been about turf and boundaries? Its purpose is not won with weapons. Can we recognize that none of this is a waging of war but an eternal Victory, the ultimate waging of Peace? May we with real intent sing:

To thee, before thy passion, they sang their hymns of praise;

To thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise.

Thou didst accept their praises; accept the love we bring,

Who in all good delightest, Thou good and gracious King.

____________________________________________________________________

Hymn 69, All Glory, Laud and Honor
Text: Theodulph of Orleans, ca. 760–821
Music: Melchior Teschner, 1584–1635