Reflection by Mike Hansen
Jesus Is At The Gates
The excitement was palpable!
I saw them coming down the path
from the Mount of Olives.
The Master was riding a donkey,
his disciples full of excitement
singing and praising God.
Ordinary people along the road were
spreading their cloaks in honour,
others were stripping palm branches
to make a path of glory for the group.
Amid the flurry of palm fronds,
pluming cloaks and raucous singing
I catch a few of the words:
Blessed is the king…
Peace in heaven.
Everyone seemed to be caught up in the moment.
I have heard so much about the Master…
his powerful teachings full of simple stories…
the cures attributed to him, lepers even…
his unflinching bravery in the face of hypocrisy…
the unlikely story of him feeding a huge crowd
with a couple of barley loaves and a few fish…
his challenging acceptance of public sinners.
They say that when he looks at you he seems
to see into to your very soul…
and that look just melts all resistance to him.
But it is the way he refers to God as his father
that melts my heart… his absolute insistence
that we are the Belove-ed of the Holy One.
However, I also know a few home truths…
The Master is not universally popular.
He has upset some important people.
His charismatic popularity is a threat.
The Romans will side with the powerful.
Crowd behaviour is a fickle barometer of the heart.
Do I remain an onlooker from the parapets
or do I go to the open gates of Jerusalem
and welcome Jesus as the Prince of Peace
who comes in the name of the Lord?
Mike Hansen
