Palm Sunday has all the elements of a classic drama: great characters—frightened disciples stumbling along behind him, cheering crowds, conspiring politicians—and behind it all the clash of huge civilizations and religions and worldviews. And in the center—in fact towering over it all—the figure of one man, a young man, riding on a donkey, on his way to his own death.
He did not have to do it, of course. He could have stayed in Galilee and avoided the risks of the city, lived comfortably and safely, working as a carpenter, teaching in the synagogue as a thoughtful and helpful rabbi. The decision to go to Jerusalem itself is significant for what it tells us about the life of faith.
By deciding to leave the safety of Galilee and assume the risks of the city, Jesus shows something very important about the geography of faith. Living faithfully means living thoroughly in the world. He didn’t come to a quiet retreat center or monastery; he did not elect to stay in the relative comfort and security of Galilee. Instead he seems intentionally to be leading his disciples and us into a more intentional life of radical involvement in the world.
Dr. Willy L Mafuta, Ph.D, Th.D
Senior Pastor,
Hopewell United Methodist Church, Hopewell, NJ 08525