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Praise God With Joy

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you. “Why are you untying it?”” just say this, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought the colt to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, thy sat Jesus on it. 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!” 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 19:29-40

This was the path that God had set for God’s beloved, the Chosen One. There must be sincere praise, pure joy, deep gladness by the multitude of the disciples. Only then can the betrayal by his people and the agony of the cross be true betrayal and true agony. Only then can we also trust others with a trust that generates community out of fracturedness – not because people are trustworthy, but because Jesus trusts us to feed his lambs after our betrayal. But on this Palm Sunday there will be praise, such pure praise that if the people were silent, the stones would shout out!
~ Jin S. Kim

Filled with excitement, all the happy throng
spread cloaks and branches on the city streets.
There in the distance they begin to see,
riding on a donkey, comes the Son of God.
From every corner a thousand voices sing
praises to him who comes in the name of God.
With one great shout of acclamation
loud triumphant song breaks forth:
“Hosanna, hosanna to the King!”
~ Rubén Ruiz Avila, trans. Gertrude C. Suppe

That first Palm Sunday saw the final ride on the high road of principle, obedience, and faith that would lead to the death of Jesus. The disciples may have wished otherwise, but deep in their hearts they must have known that this ride was like no other Jesus had taken and would bring the end of the life they knew as his followers…Jesus’ desire to be faithful was so overwhelmingly strong that he rode on in confidence and ultimate trust in God.
~ A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God

It is difficult for us to imagine the depth of longing and hope with which the people of Israel looked for the messiah. Crying “Hosanna!” and waving branches as Jesus enters Jerusalem, they express ecstasy at the long-awaited arrival. However, even though the prophesied donkey carries Jesus into the city, the people have become so focused on looking for the imagined messiah that they cannot accept the real Messiah.
~ Carol Padgett

“Hosanna in the highest!”
that ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice!
~ Jeanette Threlfall

These reflections are for use during the week of March 28 – April 3, 2021 and based on the lectionary for March 28.

Joyce D. Sohl

 

Joyce D. Sohl has been Laywoman-in-Residence since 2009 as a full-time volunteer. She retired as CEO of United Methodist Women in 2004. She is the author of 4 books, a teacher, retreat leader, writer and non-professional musician. Here at the Center her work is in the area of Spirituality & the Arts with such programs as Tuesdays in the Chapel, Vespers & All That Jazz, Poet’s Corner, quarterly retreats, and art exhibits.

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