Palm Sunday

Humility is truth

There’s a story told about yet another flight cancellation where a single member of staff was left rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travellers when one angry passenger pushed to the front of the line, insisting that he be served immediately, and given a first-class seat on the next flight out.  The staffer replied, “I am sorry sir!  I’ll be happy to try to help you, but you’ll have to take your place in the line, and I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out.”  Unimpressed, the passenger shouted, “Do you have any idea who I am?” Without hesitating, the staffer grabbed her microphone, and announced through the terminal, “May I have your attention, please!  We have a passenger here at Gate 14 who does not know who he is.  If anyone can help with this, please come to Gate 14!” 

On Palm Sunday, Jesus appears to break the same societal rules around humility and not putting oneself forward.  Even if I know I’m the best in the room, our cultural norms would say that it’s not polite to draw attention to that fact, and, and I should probably offer a modest protest if someone else does.  Here, Jesus seems to not only just accept, but actively set the scene for the adulation of the crowds.  How does that fit with someone who preaches that humility means taking the lowest place?

Teresa of Avila reminds us that humility is truth.  Today, the crowds get it right: Jesus is the Messiah.  Knowing this to be true, Jesus humbly accepts their instinctive response: Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord! 

But the truth is bigger than they know.  Jesus is in fact the Messiah, the one who has come to save them, but not from Roman rule.  There is more to be revealed about Jesus’ identity. 

A week later, before the Sanhedrin, Jesus admits to a deeper truth about who he is: Jesus is the Son of God.  In response to such a shocking claim, the crowds are loud with a different cry: Crucify him!  Crucify him! 

Jesus knew the Jewish Law.  He knew that claiming to be God would lead to his death.  He also knew that by dying, he would save us all.  Jesus, knowing who he was, and what it would cost to admit it, consciously chose the cross.  Why?  For love of us.

Which means that these stories also reveal some truths about yours and my identity…

As those processing with palm branches into our parish churches on this day, we too are members of the crowd who acclaim Jesus as our Messiah. 

As those taking part in the Passion not once, but probably twice this week, we are also members of the crowd who reject him as our king.

As those for whom Jesus willingly died, however, the most important truth about our identity, a truth that we can own in all humility, is that we are the beloved of God.

As we move into the celebration of Easter, ultimately what we are celebrating is the utterly humbling reality that God loves us.  Despite the fact that we don’t really grasp who he is.  Despite the fact that we reject him.  As the second reading reminds us, he chose to leave the comforts of heaven to share our human experience, and then even to give up his life, all for love of us. 

Perhaps as we move into Holy Week and the Triduum, we can allow this truth to be the lens through which we see all that takes place.

 Reflection questions:

1. Where or how in your life do you see a reflection of yourself as a member of the crowd on Palm Sunday?

2.  Where or how in your life do you see a reflection of yourself as a member of the crowd who called for Jesus to be crucified?

3.  What is it like for you to name your identity as being the beloved of God?

Katherine Stone

This blog was originally written for the Diocese of Wollongong