Read: Mark 11:1–11
Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Mark 11:8–10
This story seems to be a most imprudent display of celebration. This is the ticker-tape parade before the championship has been won, it is the victory lap before victory has been had, it is the celebratory headline printed in the paper in anticipation of an accomplishment that has not yet been achieved. The people along the road were celebrating Jesus as if He were a conquering hero, even though He had neither conquered anyone nor done anything particularly heroic. This is the kind of display of enthusiasm that most prudent people would never dare getting sucked into.
Those who followed Jesus, however, were anything but prudent. They were grateful. They were hopeful. They were excited. They had an unquenchable sense that Jesus represented something new and different and wonderful entering the world. They felt that they were in the presence of a Lord, a Savior, a God who would change the course of history and establish heaven on earth. Right or wrong, they decided to celebrate the presence of Jesus in their midst.
When was the last time you got really excited about Jesus’ presence in your life?
Dear Lord, I can’t remember the last time I got excited about our relationship. I am sure there was a time, but it eludes my memory. I think about the people jammed along the roadside hoping to catch a glimpse of You, or hoping that You would catch a glimpse of them, and I can’t help being a bit envious. I long for that kind of enthusiastic faith, but I have chosen a more placid spirituality. And, truthfully, I am bored…and I am not growing. I want to catch a glimpse of You that prompts me to throw my coat on the ground, wave palm branches in the air, and shout “Hosanna!” at the top of my lungs. Please, hear my prayer. In Your name, I pray. AMEN.