Today’s celebration of Jesus’ entry into the city of Jerusalem is popularly called Palm Sunday. Filipino Catholics bring to church and wave their palaspas or coconut fronds, the native version of palm branches that the crowd is said to have waved to acclaim Jesus. On closer reading of Mark’s account, however, we see that the people are spreading their cloaks on the road; others cut leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. There is no mention of palms nor of people waving them in acclamation. What liturgy and popular imagination have adopted is John’s version: a great crowd take palm branches and go out to meet Jesus (12:13). Jesus is welcomed the way pagan kings and emperors were welcomed by a populace waiting for favors. Later, in Christian liturgy and art, the palm will become a symbol of martyrdom. A great multitude of martyrs stand before the Lamb—Jesus in glory—holding palm branches in their hands and crying out, “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb” (Rv 7:10). John’s account appears like a festive liturgy.

“Hosanna!” the people shout. It means “Save us!” This cry would without doubt alarm the Romans garrisoned in the Tower of Antonia and supervising order and security in Jerusalem on the Passover feast that celebrates Israel’s liberation from the slavery of the Egyptians. This would also alarm the Jewish High Priest and the Sanhedrin of the danger that Jesus would start an uprising that would be violently suppressed by the Romans, who would then remove them from their position for failing to control the crowd. In Matthew, the religious authorities express their indignation when the children cry out in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David”; they say to Jesus, “Do you hear what they are saying?” But Jesus replies with a text from Scriptures, “Out of the mouths of infants and nurslings you have brought forth praise” (21:15-16; Ps 8:3).

But Jesus does not enter as a fiery prophet or a revolutionary. He enters as a meek king, riding not on a war horse but on an ass, a beast of burden. Pope Benedict XVI comments that Jesus is not building on violence; he is not instigating a military revolt against Rome. His power is of another kind: it is in God’s poverty, God’s peace, that he identifies the only power that can redeem.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.