Cloaks on the Road - Pastor's Pen for 13th April 2025

Evening palm tree, Forrest Hill

This Sunday is often called 'Palm Sunday' and I have been known to organise a mob to parade through the church waving branches, but this requires the co-ordination of someone to remember to bring palm branches, and the corralling of various young people to wave them and cause a ruckus..

Reviewing the gospel accounts, I was a little surprised to find that only John talks about palm branches, Matthew and Mark have leafy branches and Luke doesn't mention any foliage whatsoever! But he does have the people throwing their cloaks on the road to honour and adore Jesus. Indeed, the "whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power they had seen..." (Luke 19:37)

Us Presbyterians are not a particularly excitable bunch, but let me ask you what would cause you to shout Hosanna and throw your outer garment on the road with adoration? Okay, maybe this is a figurative exercise and we mostly get excited on the inside. But really, only Jesus is worthy of our praise and enough commitment to throw our cloaks on the road. No other would be monarch or leader, no rock star or celebrity is worthy.

I find myself preoccupied with world events at the moment. Henri Nouwen reminds us that "to adore is to be drawn away from my own preoccupations into the presence of Jesus."May the Holy Spirit draw us once again to Jesus as we approach Easter.