FROM THE PULPIT: FEEL THE LOVE, PEACE AND GOODNES OF PALM SUNDAY

In the season of Lent the Christian Church retraces the toilsome and painful steps of Jesus to the mount of Calvary and it seems to me that each year we do not forget that in some mysterious way Palm Sunday is a glad day in the long memory of the church.

Palm Sunday was a day of rejoicing for the pilgrim throng that accompanied Jesus into Jerusalem. The people recognized him as the one who came into their midst preaching, teaching, healing and working amongst them.

They perhaps recognized his disciples and those who followed him or were around him. It would only seem natural for the people to get excited when they saw Jesus coming into Jerusalem.

Jesus had done great things in their sight. It is not too hard to imagine what they must have felt. I am sure in a much lighter fashion the Kentucky Wildcat basketball team will experience a bit of ecstasy when they return home as "Kings of the final dance" in college basketball.

The people were paying homage in this first Palm Sunday to their king who was coming home to the royal city. But Jesus did not come to the Jerusalem to be crowned a king.

His kingdom was not of this world. Consequently on Palm Sunday Jesus had not come to wear a royal crown but a crown of thorns, not to sit on a throne but to be nailed to a cross.

Does it seems out of place for us to rejoice greatly on this day of Palm Sunday if Jesus came to die? Not when we consider why he came to the royal city. Jesus came to be our life and salvation.

On Palm Sunday and during the week of Holy Week we must ask ourselves some important questions. Who really is our King? What is our devotion to the one who comes.

As we hail him on this Palm Sunday, does our homage come from the heart or is it merely routine and superficial?

Do we just "go along" with others out of a sense of duty and temporary surge of emotion?

Is our Hail Hosanna a matter of deep conviction and true loyalty? Will we hail Jesus today and let Him be crucified later? Or shall we spread before Him the palm branches of our love, devotion and service and bid him to enter into depths of our hearts and lives?

This Palm Sunday may you sense the love, peace and goodness of God who sent Christ to save us in your hearts each day of our lives.