MK 11: 1-11 (or to 17*) 

Marginally Mark…Liturgy of the Palms…Revised 2018

When is a procession not a procession? When it doesn’t go anywhere! Did any of those who took part in, or just watched the Jesus procession wonder, ‘Is Jesus going anywhere?’ We may say, “We did at least go round the church aisles, or the grounds, singing, ‘Ride on, ride on…’” But did we get anywhere? Faith-wise? How can Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem today be a stage on our own faith journey as we mark Holy Week liturgically? Jesus will soon lead another procession; this time to His Cross! In our faith journey, let’s never settle for going round in circles! If we choose to go nowhere, resurrection will remain out of reach, too. 

We’re used to hearing Jesus is fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy [9:9] of a king entering town on a donkey. Brendan Byrne¹, also points out David assures Solomon’s succession as king by having him ride his (David’s) royal beast [I Kings 1:32+]. Now Jesus, too, rides into the city on someone else’s mule to claim His crown as a Son of David; though His crown will be of thorns! This is all very biblically connected, joining all the dots, as well as a clearly political statement regarding what’s going on here. Of course our children are welcome in the Palm Sunday procession, but the occasion is really a very adult one!

Robert Alter ² on Ps 118:25-26 (yet another O.T. connection) translates ‘Hosanna’ as ‘rescue’, which strikes me as a little stronger than the traditional ‘save’. Who, or what, do we need rescuing from today? Do we trust YHWH God to play His part in that? Or are we too busy trying to rescue ourselves, one way or another? 

MK has Jesus leave the Temple as it’s late, return to Bethany for the night, then come back the next day to cleanse it. What’s important is not really when Jesus cleanses the Temple but that He does! Jesus is making a royal visitation, a head-on challenge to the corrupted religio -political power the Temple represents. This, a last straw on top of His raising of Lazarus, precipitates his Passion. When is it God's time for us to do any religious or political challenging, cleansing, etc. we need to do? Waiting for God's time must not become an excuse for doing nothing in the mean-time.

If ‘we are the Body of Christ’ we claim to be eucharist by eucharist, it is through us Jesus will challenge today’s systems sacred or secular when that’s called for. Today’s procession is a challenge to move on & out & keep on moving on & out against people & systems that feed off the poor & the vulnerable - the very ones for whom God has a special place in His heart!

The fig tree speaks to us today of our God-given responsibility to bear fruit, in season & out of season, for God & each other; not least for God’s ‘little ones’. Think, also, of the Palm Cross we never seem to know what to do with, as representing a costly ticket to walk with Jesus on His way to Golgotha, rather than a free ticket to ride on a trip to nowhere.

• If not reading to v.17, at least draw attention to the cleansing of the Temple as sealing Jesus’ death warrant. ¹ A Costly freedom, Liturgical, Collegeville, 2008, p.176   ²  The Book of Psalms, Norton, NY, 2007, ad loc.