We celebrate Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish the Paschal Mystery of his death and resurrection. Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. In a society like USA today, that doesn’t seem so dignified, but that’s the way most people travelled in those days − unless they walked. Horses were generally used for war. Even the kings in Israel and Judea, who lived before Jesus, rode on a donkey, and that is how Jesus entered Jerusalem – as the long-awaited king of Israel, the messiah. Since there probably wasn’t a red carpet nearby, the people spread branches and cloaks to mark Jesus as a VIP. They shouted “Hosanna,” which literally means “save us.” They wanted to have their own king who could save them from the oppressive power of the Romans (which they hated). This made both the Roman and Jewish authorities nervous, and so they put Jesus on trial for claiming to be king. Jesus does not deny his kingship, but does not give a direct answer to Pilate’s question: Are you the king of the Jews? This is a question we must all answer during this week. Who is Jesus to you? Or, as Jesus put it to his disciples, who do people say the Son of Man is? And you, who do you say I am?
Are we like the Jewish leaders who judged him to be an imposter? Do we see Jesus as someone who imposes on our freedom and the way we want to live? Are we with the crowd who acclaimed him as king and messiah when it was the popular thing to do, but who later deserted him? Do we only remember God when we face challenges or it’s convenient for us? Are we with his disciples who were looking for someone to rescue them from oppression and suffering? Or are we with those few faithful disciples who were willing to follow him, even to Calvary?
This week offers us a golden opportunity to reflect on who Jesus is, and especially who he is for us. If for the past 40 days we have not been able to follow Jesus in his passion, this is the time for us – at least this week – to offer him the opportunity to come into the temple of our hearts and cleanse them, so that we can have a new life at Easter. Let us give him a chance to cleanse us, at least in this Holy Week.
Fr. Gabriel Wankar
Priest-in-Residence