Triumphal Entry Rethought

Each of the Canonical Gospels, and many of the Pseudopigrapha, contain the kick off to Holy Week as the “Triumphal Entry”, on the liturgical calendar it is Palm Sunday (yes with the advent of Passion Sunday we are loosing an important piece of our spiritual lives).  So what is this celebration of Palms?

It is the recognizing of the poor/disenfranchised celebrating the coming of the Christ to Jerusalem at the holiest time of year. The time of year when the Empire was the most concerned about an uprising (70 active rebellion “Messiahs” in one place with rebels would make one a bit jumpy).  So on the other side of the town, the religious and political leaders, merchants and upper classes were celebrating another entry–the legions of Caesar coming into the city ready to put down any trouble by razing the city, and ensuring those in power would maintain power, inspite of their professed belief in God.

So what is there to rethink, fairly straight forward? Yes and no. For we can internalize this story, like in Eastern philosophy there is yin-yang; or Karmaic Balance, so to do we see the mystery balance within this story of Jesus‘ life. A teaching of the interior thought as we draw close to the Holy Mystery (Jerusalem at Passover). There are two entries (entities) within us: Worldly Oppressor (Caesor/Pilate/Herrod/Sanhedrin) or Spiritual Freedom (Jesus and the Palms).  This is our true eternal choice, which entry are we going to welcome into our Jerusalem within and allow to guide us? The ravaging destruction of the Holy through the Merchant’s entry or the thriving growth of transformed life and community (salvation) through the Palms?

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