Happy Palm Sunday? Wait – was it happy? Were there even palm branches? Was it a Sunday? Okay – time to look at what the text actually says (hint: there weren’t any palms), and face the reality that this wasn’t a happy clappy event like some ancient Santa Claus parade. The entry of Jesus and his followers into Jerusalem was more akin to a protest march, and it rightly raised the tensions among his followers, the community, the religious authorities, and even the leaders of Rome. The events of the day we call Palm Sunday struck the match that lit the fuse for the rest of the events of Holy week, culminating in the tragedy of Good Friday. The crowds were loud while Jesus stayed silent. “Rabbi, tell your disciples to pipe down” “No” Jesus replied “even if they were quiet, the stones themselves would cry out!”. We still need to consider the need and timing of silence and shouting today, and Palm Sunday reminds us that both choices come with a cost.
This teaching was preached at Knox Presbyterian Church in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, on this 6th Sunday in LENT PALM/PASSION Sunday April 13th, 2025 by The Reverend Jacquelyn Foxall.
Associated Scripture: Gospel of Luke 19:29-42
Everything [in] Between: “Shouting & Silence” | Rev. Jacqui Foxall
