Palm Sunday, 13 April

Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, / for my hope is in your ordinances. Psalm 119:43

The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ Matthew 21:9

Those of you reading this who have ever attended a Palm Sunday service will have I’m sure on several occasions heard a sermon (or preached yourself) about the fickleness of the crowd who shout 'Hosanna' on Sunday and 'Crucify' by Friday. It's a powerful message to remind ourselves that sometimes we shy away from the demands of our faith or that at times our commitment is stronger than at other times. That message is certainly a helpful one, yet a closer reading of the gospels suggests that in this familiar story there are in fact two different crowds. The crowd that went ahead of Jesus shouting hosanna, are a band of Jesus own country followers from outside Jerusalem, whilst those shouting crucify a few days later are the urban elite of Jerusalem. Or to put is another way, those who shout ‘Hosanna’ have everything to gain from Jesus message, whilst those who condemn believe they have everything to loose.

Today the followers of Jesus come from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures and economic situations, yet do we all hear the message of Jesus in the same way, or do those with less resources still hear a different message from those with more?

It is certainly true that in recent years that the theology that has emerged from developing nations has been starkly different from the traditional teachings of the church in the developed world. And I suspect if we in our own communities were to enquire how the people on the margins of our society viewed the teachings of Jesus, that too might be quite different from some of our presuppositions.

So as we continue our lentern journey, let us be mindful that what our readings and reflections say to us may be startlingly different from what they would say to our neighbours.

Mike Walsh

The United Reformed Church