Palm Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons - 20 March 2016

Medieval woodcarving

Palm Sunday March 20 2016

That image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem, on a colt, surrounded by adoring crowds is a poignant one, for underneath the triumphant shouts of "hosanna' is the brooding sense that all this excitement and joy is going to end in sorrow and death! On the donkey sits the lonely figure of Jesus, who has just wept for Jerusalem and its people and now seems detached, lost in his own thoughts, aware that now the hour of his test is at hand!

The Gospels of that entry into Jerusalem give us a number of clear pointers to the fact that now Jesus is revealed as the true Messiah. He leads the people in that moment of cosmic destiny, all is going to change, from suffering and death a great victory will come, that sure and certain hope that as Christ rose from the dead so shall we to live with our true King forever.

At the heart of this procession is the little figure of the donkey, they have been part of human existence for many thousands of years, strong little creatures, intelligent and very hard working, unfortunately often treated badly as mere beasts of burden, when in fact they are also the carriers of kings. The selection of this animal for Jesus by the disciples is not accidental, the animal must have belonged to friends ready to give Jesus anything he asked for when he needed it, there is no argument from the owner, it is enough for his disciples to say, 'the master needs it' and it is given.

We understand that this animal is a colt, the foal of a donkey and has never been ridden, highly symbolic because it fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9,9.

See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

It was clearly understood that a donkey was an acceptable animal for Kings to ride, and could not then be used by anyone else, this little animal is set apart, consecrated for the King. By riding on it, Jesus reveals himself as the promised Messiah, and is acclaimed as such by the joyful crowds. The meaning of this joyful entry is underscored by the crowds' use of psalm 118, a psalm of thanksgiving for the mercy of God, now revealed in Jesus.

But the donkey also challenges us, it has been part of his story from birth to death, a faithful companion. As we celebrate Palm Sunday might we ask ourselves, "am I ready to let Christ claim me as he did the donkey, be ready to respond to the demands God makes in my life?"

Let us run to accompany him as he hastens toward his passion, and imitate those who met him then, not by covering his path with garments, olive branches or palms, but by doing all we can to prostrate ourselves before him by being humble and by trying to live as he would wish. Then we shall be able to receive the Word at his coming, and God, whom no limits can contain, will be within us.

From the Homily on Palm Sunday by St Andrew of Crete.

Fr Robin is an Eastern Rite Chaplain for the Melkite Greek Catholics in Britain. He is also an Honorary Canon of Christchurch Cathedral Oxford.