Hosanna
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Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out." -Luke 19:40
The Palm Sunday story in Luke does not mention branches at all. Instead, the people spread cloaks on the road in front of Jesus as he rides into Jerusalem on a young colt. My study bible tells me this has royal significance, but they did not wave branches. People both spread their cloaks and “cut branches” in the gospels of Mark and Matthew. In the gospel of John no cloaks are mentioned, but specifically, ‘branches of palm trees’ are described. You’ve got to wonder why some details are included or left out in the gospel stories.
No matter how much you read the Bible, you always discover new things. For example, I hadn’t noticed before was that Luke is the only gospel that does not quote the crowd crying out the word, “Hosanna!” This prompted me to look up the meaning of the word Hosanna, and it turns out to mean, “God please help us!” Now that was new to me. I had always just assumed that the word must be a word of praise - that they were cheering Jesus on as he made his triumphal entry. But it is not a cheer, but a plea. They are crying out for God to help them by bringing in the Messianic age, and for many of them, Jesus represented the start of that age. But I guess this is not the year to talk about that because the gospel of Luke doesn’t even use the word Hosanna anyway!
Bottom line, no matter which gospel story you read, on the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the people knew they were witnessing something important, and so did the authorities, who felt threatened by Jesus’ popularity, his words of justice and the potential of unrest. The people were hoping Jesus represented the saving help they needed from God . The authorities were betting Jesus was just a troublemaker and they wanted to make sure that he would not disturb their own systems of authority.
When the authorities told Jesus to make his followers quiet down, he responded, in effect - Let the people cry out for the help they need! The injustice they suffer is deep and it is wrong. People of faith should be the first to see that, but apparently, even rocks understand that better than you do. His response certainly did not make the authorities like him any better.
This Sunday we will take palm branches and process around the square before coming inside for our service. We will use our own bodies to re-enact the people’s hope for salvation in the presence of Christ. Hosanna! We need your help as much now as ever. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
