Matthew 21:8-11
Imagine thinking someone was so important they deserved to have your coat lay in front of them. Not your old coat, but the coat you wear every day. The symbolism of cloaks and branches is powerful. Jehu was declared king over Israel with the laying of cloaks; in Maccabees the Jewish people celebrated by waving palm branches. This very large crowd put their hopes in this prophet from Nazareth. He would start the revolution, the uprising, the revolt that they longed for. Of course, our hindsight perspective knows a different story. Jesus was the messiah, he was their liberation, but on a much deeper, all-embracing level. He was the saviour of all people. And still he liberates and saves. In the difficult circumstances we find ourselves, as people suffer and die, we need that liberation and salvation more than ever. Our deepest yearnings cry out to God for help. Yet, we learn through Holy Week that our own expectations of the way in which God will transform the world could well be off the mark. God doesn’t offer simple solutions and quick fixes, he enters deeply into the suffering, journeys through the darkness, and liberates, saves and transforms the world. The question is, are we ready for the changes God will bring or are we fixed on our own expectations?
Prayer
Saving God, who liberates and transforms,
Saving Christ, who suffers and endures,
Saving Spirit, who redeems and guides,
be present among us in our suffering and darkness,
be in our hearts so we can love without measure,
be our wisdom so we may understand your ways.
Guide us through the present time into a better future,
liberated, saved and transformed by you.
In deep humility, we pray,
Amen.