March 24, 2024
Palm Sunday of di Lord im Passion (Year B)
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Di people wey dey go before Am and di ones wey dey follow Am continue to shout: “Hosanna! Blessing dey upon di One wey dey come for di name of di Lord! Blessing dey upon di kingdom of our papa David wey dey come! Hosanna for di highest!” Mark 11:9–10
Throughout Jesus im life, E travel go Jerusalem many times. When E still be small pikin, dem present Am for di Temple. When E dey twelve years old, dem find Am for di Temple as E dey teach di teachers of di Law. As E dey grow, E dey regularly go pilgrimage for di Temple. During Im temptation for desert, di devil carry Am go di highest point of di Temple. For di Gospels, we read about at least four different times wey Jesus go di Temple during Im public ministry. But di journey to Jerusalem wey we dey commemorate today no be like any other one. As Jesus enter Jerusalem this time, di religious leaders don already dey look for way to kill Am. Even with that one, Jesus enter Jerusalem with great solemnity, and plenty people notice Im coming. “Hosanna! Blessing dey upon di One wey dey come for di name of di Lord!” na wetin di crowd dey shout as Jesus ride donkey enter Jerusalem, while dem spread palm branches and cloaks for ground before Am.
Even though this na di way wey fit pass for people of faith to welcome their King, their warm welcome, their shouts of “Hosanna!” and their excitement benefit dem more than e benefit Jesus. Jesus na God. E no need our praise and honour. But Jesus come meet us to invite us to praise Am, honour Am and worship Am because e good for us. We need to praise Am. Na wetin dem create us for be this. Na this dey lead us to live our lives to di full.
As we begin Holy Week, try spend time to think about this picture of di people wey dey honour our Lord with plenty eagerness. This picture dey show di kind people we must become. As we continue through this Holy Week, we must dey know more and more who di God wey we dey praise and worship be. Na God wey humble Imself for everybody eye, take di form of slave, allow dem label Am as serious sinner, and allow dem reject Am, beat Am and kill Am. This week especially, na Christ wey dey suffer we dey worship. We dey worship one Man wey dem arrest and treat with cruelty. We dey worship one Man wey dem hate and maltreat for di worst way wey person fit imagine.
To worship Christ wey dey suffer with all our heart na important thing we must do. For many ways, e easier to worship God as E dey for Heaven, for Im glorious throne. When we think deeply about di countless angels wey gather round Am, di saints of every age wey dey bow reach ground, and di glory and splendour wey dey shine from Im face, worship dey look like di right thing to do. To worship one Man wey dem accuse of being criminal, wey dey suffer death sentence and still dey endure di hatred of many people, hard pass to understand. But if we fit use di eyes of faith see Jesus and look beyond di hatred and lies wey surround Am, then di humility of our God wey come meet us this way go fill us with deep wonder and reverence.
As we dey worship Christ wey dey suffer, E dey also invite us to share for di virtue wey E show as E endure everything wey dem do Am. When we worship Christ wey dem humiliate, di humiliation wey we dey face dey get new power and meaning. When we worship Christ wey dey suffer, our own sufferings dey rise to share for Im work of redemption. When we worship Christ wey dem reject, despise and persecute, any way wey we too dey share for these hardships dey change.
Today, think deeply about di God wey you dey worship this Holy Week. No turn away from everything wey Jesus endure. Look well at how dem reject Am and at Im Passion. Look at di hatred wey E endure. As you dey do this, no see only your glorious God; see also di remedy for all your troubles. God come down meet us for this most humble form so that E fit meet us where we dey and raise us to new life with Am.
My Lord wey dey suffer, I dey worship You and praise You with all my heart. As You enter Jerusalem for di Passover, You plan to give that celebration new power by becoming di New and Eternal Paschal Lamb. Make I always worship You wey suffer for me, and give You everything wey I dey endure for life, so that Your saving act go transform am. Jesus, na You I trust.
Meditation for Palm Sunday of di Lord im Passion:
40 Days for Desert
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Scripture Meditation Dem for Lent
Read More – Palm Sunday
Di main image above: Jesus Christ im Icon, wey come through Adobe
