Scripture & Reflection: Palm Sunday and for the week ahead:

Scripture

As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!’ (Luke 19. 36-38)

Reflection

If we take the flattery of others too seriously we are likely to expose ourselves to disappointment. Pop stars and movie stars find this frequently. The crowds that rush out to buy their records or go to their films, can all too quickly suddenly lose interest. More worrying, the media can turn nasty and overnight reputations are ruined and careers in tatters.

Jesus knew this. The crowds who lined the road to cheer him into Jerusalem would soon change and call for his blood. The disciples themselves were fickle and ran away when the going got tough. So this week we are asked what kind of Christians we are. Are we 'fair weather' friends of Jesus, or are we prepared to follow him through the difficult times as well?

Are we up to being disciples of Jesus, or are we just following Jesus to see if we can get something out of it? Are we happy to hang around just whilst the going is easy, or are we prepared to stick with Jesus when we realise just how much peace really costs? That is the challenge of Palm Sunday.

Lyn Hayes ALM