[S]hout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
Behold: your king is coming to you . . .
Humble and riding on a donkey.
—Zech 9:9
“I pictured branches waving and voices crying ‘Hosanna’ as the humble King rode in. It reminds me that true kingship looks like humility and mercy,” says Joy Gonzales of her painting, Humble and Meek (madeseen.com). The soft, muted tones convey the air of joy and jubilation as Jesus enters the city. The Palm Sunday liturgy begins with a reenactment of the procession with palm branches, which often includes the singing of “All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer King!” The artist’s mental image of branches waving and voices shouting is spot on as we begin the liturgy that kicks off Holy Week.
In that same liturgy, only several minutes later, the chant of the crowd changes to, “Let him be crucified!” To say that this is a sudden and dramatic reversal is a serious understatement. Even when considered in the timeline of the events in Jerusalem leading up to the crucifixion, it was only a matter of days. We ourselves can be prone to this kind of sudden reversal—sometimes justifiably, but frequently because we may be too quick to judge, or perhaps subject to persuasion due to the changing tides of popularity. As we continue our journey through Lent this month and approach the holiest week of the year, let us be mindful of whom and what we. follow. May we remember to model our own behavior and mindset on that of our One True King: humble, meek, and always abounding in love and mercy.
