Hosanna!
There was a crowd standing lining the road that led through the village. It was coming up to Passover and these crowds always assembled to watch the processions of pilgrims going up to the Temple in Jerusalem as their religion demanded. It was always interesting to see who was in the travelling host - was there anyone you knew? Were there any folks from other countries making this so important journey? There were old and young alike on this journey which their religion demanded at this time of year. The population of the City of Jerusalem would be three times its usual size and the bed an breakfast industry would be running at full speed to deal with such numbers.
All the noise and the chatter of so many voices in many different languages made it an important sight as they all passed through the village. But there was a difference this year. In a separate part of the procession there were people running into the road and throwing palm branches in front of a small group of thirteen men and a donkey. Riding on the donkey was a man in his thirties. It seemed that he was the cause of the special interest, the one before whom the palm branches were spread in the roadway. He seemed lost in thought, almost unaware of the special treatment he was getting. People were shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
It appeared that the young man was the prophet they had heard about during the past three years. He was the one who thousands went to hear. He had cured the sick, made the blind see again, even, so it was rumoured, raised the dead! So this was the great man! Well, strangely enough, despite the adulation he did not seem great at all. Considering all that he was supposed to have done, it was all something of an anticlimax! How disappointing!
But the odd thing was that there was something prophetic about the way he was riding to Jerusalem. The scriptures talked about kings riding in procession to claim some city or other. It was said that if a king was riding in war he would be mounted on a huge warhorse and that if he came in peace he roe a donkey. Well, it looked as if this young fellow was coming in peace if he was a king. How could he be a king, though? He only had twelve men with him. Wouldn't a king come with a massive following, clearing the way for him to go forward? Didn't a King have special retainers, hundreds of wives and so on? No, this was no king. But the clamour from those who threw down the palm branches and coats and so on was surprising.
Well, even if he was some sort of king, he wasn't going to change the world, judging by the way he rode on lost in thought. No, he would soon be forgotten as history was written. "What did you say? He used to be a carpenter? Well, no carpenter has ever become a king as far as I know! No, if you're looking for a king, you are in the wrong place. I( mean, all these stories about curing the sick, the blind, the lame, they aren't the sort of thing kings do, are they? No, you must have got it wrong. But, my, aren't the folks making a fuss of him?"
"I think I might just go up to Jerusalem and see what happens when gets there. It might be interesting. I've nothing much else to do at the moment."
All the noise and the chatter of so many voices in many different languages made it an important sight as they all passed through the village. But there was a difference this year. In a separate part of the procession there were people running into the road and throwing palm branches in front of a small group of thirteen men and a donkey. Riding on the donkey was a man in his thirties. It seemed that he was the cause of the special interest, the one before whom the palm branches were spread in the roadway. He seemed lost in thought, almost unaware of the special treatment he was getting. People were shouting "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
It appeared that the young man was the prophet they had heard about during the past three years. He was the one who thousands went to hear. He had cured the sick, made the blind see again, even, so it was rumoured, raised the dead! So this was the great man! Well, strangely enough, despite the adulation he did not seem great at all. Considering all that he was supposed to have done, it was all something of an anticlimax! How disappointing!
But the odd thing was that there was something prophetic about the way he was riding to Jerusalem. The scriptures talked about kings riding in procession to claim some city or other. It was said that if a king was riding in war he would be mounted on a huge warhorse and that if he came in peace he roe a donkey. Well, it looked as if this young fellow was coming in peace if he was a king. How could he be a king, though? He only had twelve men with him. Wouldn't a king come with a massive following, clearing the way for him to go forward? Didn't a King have special retainers, hundreds of wives and so on? No, this was no king. But the clamour from those who threw down the palm branches and coats and so on was surprising.
Well, even if he was some sort of king, he wasn't going to change the world, judging by the way he rode on lost in thought. No, he would soon be forgotten as history was written. "What did you say? He used to be a carpenter? Well, no carpenter has ever become a king as far as I know! No, if you're looking for a king, you are in the wrong place. I( mean, all these stories about curing the sick, the blind, the lame, they aren't the sort of thing kings do, are they? No, you must have got it wrong. But, my, aren't the folks making a fuss of him?"
"I think I might just go up to Jerusalem and see what happens when gets there. It might be interesting. I've nothing much else to do at the moment."
posted by Keith Alexander at Friday, March 30, 2007
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