The sun’s heading down the horizon; it’s time to go home for the day. The sun’s glaring straight as we headed home, facing the west. We have nothing to shade our delicate body from the blazing rays casting straight on our face.
Our toiling routine for the day is over. In the construction site where we work, we’re only holding and lifting edgy as well as hard objects. Our hands have been filled with blisters, crack, and hardened, which erased the once soft skin.
Since we have no umbrella and the likes, we hold some leaves and branches, which are velvety soft in our hands, shading ourselves from the blazing rays glaring us. To ease our worn out body, we talked about the money we had earned and how it could be beneficial for us.
So the leaves and petty amount of money in our hands becomes our valued possession. It is hard to say whether we’d let go off our little possession and take part in a triumphant rally of an untested entity with thousand promises.
It would take a great leap of faith, for us, to take part in acknowledging or supporting an entity who might deliver us from our bondage.
Leaves, Branches, and Cloaks on the Road:
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road, recorded Matthew. (Matthew 21:8)
The crowds believe the kingdom of God has finally come; their much-awaited freedom on the horizon, not a blind faith as they saw his work. Living in oppression would have never been easy. And the wait for a deliverer has been long overdue. Despite the hard life they are living in, they came out in great number.
They wanted to be part of the Triumphal Procession, although they do not know how and when their deliverance would Jesus proclaimed. It is more of their hope and faith put into action as they lay out their belongings welcoming the Son of God.
It is a sign of their surrender to Jesus, for him to rule and take reign. Their humility and faith in the word of God showed from their actions. They need deliverance right away; it is not easy to live in the bondage of man and sin.
Magnifying: Shouting Joyfully:
When he (Jesus) came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began shouting, “Hosanna”, joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles, recorded Luke. (Luke 19:37)
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” With a loud voice they are magnifying God in their best possible ways.
When the Lord is magnified in our lives; our fears go away, our indifference withered, and our difficulties in life forgotten. It won’t be wrong to put my assumption; but I believe the experience of the crowd who took part in this procession would be precious!
More of the work of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit depreciate the intensity of our problems. The problem lies in the fact that we did not magnify God to the extent our personal whims and desires fade away.
Some spread cut-out of branches, some spread their cloak; Jesus treads upon them all. It is the joyful heart which is more significant, more than the quantities and qualities. Jesus is for all mankind.
So let us shout Hosanna, confessing and recognizing, the plan of God for humankind; especially in our personal lives! Let Christ be magnified in our lives!
Following His Timeline:
When it is time for the Son of God’s triumphal entry, crowds flooded the streets praising and applauding the soon-to-be sacrificial Lamb of God. There’s no mention of an event planner, except for Jesus sending the disciple finding a colt.
Since the time hasn’t come yet, Jesus didn’t allowed people messing with his timeline. Jesus is very much able in handling the desires of man. Yet he is able to wait for the right time. From time to time, there are open windows for us, to play our role, in fulfilling the purpose of God.
The ways of God is far superior to the wisdom of man. God is in control. We cannot make our God do what we wanted, here the crowd trying to make Him as a king, because His purposes are beyond the thought of man.
Waiting, putting our trust, on Jesus is what we should be contended for. For the so-called learned people, the ways of God are rubbish and illogical. Yet it is the way bridging earth to heaven.
The leaves and branches in my hand could hardly shade me from the glaring sun. While the leaves and branches in the hands of the joyful heart, who have abiding hope in Christ Jesus in the midst of adversity and oppression, is big enough to give praise to the One who come from the highest.
Sing Hosanna
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Cast away; looked down by people
My hope’s dim; my dream lost
Sin has oppressed my life
I could barely look up
My life’s battered; my charm fades
My worth depreciate each day
Just then I remember one thing;
You came looking for me.
Just as I am,
I come to you now.
~
So I sing Hosanna!
I shout with joy; Hosanna!
Deliver me please, I beg
Hosanna in the highest!
I’ll dwell on your promises
Be big; be magnified in our lives
Lifting my praise to you;
I shout from my heart; Hosanna!
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Deliverance’s on the way
In the cross you free me
Shackles of sin shattered
Be magnified in my life
Shade me from the glaring sun
I am wearily burnt
Nourish my life
Fill my life again
Let me be a blessing
I pray unto you now
