The “triumphal entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday has been a favorite picture of mine since childhood! I loved making construction paper palm branches and waving them high in the air when our Sunday School teacher got to the part of the story where we would shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” I could picture myself being on the streets of Jerusalem waving my palms to welcome King Jesus!
This year God renewed my excitement for Palm Sunday. But this time He waved a new picture of this story before my “grown up” eyes. All four gospels describe His entry into the city. But only Matthew 21 adds a precious and powerful detail to this familiar picture. All the other gospels speak of the donkey Jesus rides into the city. But Matthew mentions the Lord telling his disciples “to look for, untie, and bring a donkey with HER colt to Jesus…because The Lord needs THEM. They placed their cloaks on THEM and Jesus sat on the colt…” to fulfill the prophesy of Zechariah 9:9. The presence of the “momma donkey” changed the picture for me this Palm Sunday. Yes, Jesus needs “donkeys.” But He needs mommas too!
Jesus needs “donkeys.” But He needs mommas too!
The footnote for this passage in my study Bible highlighted that “Jesus mostly likely needed the mother donkey to lead so her young foal would be more at ease in carrying its first (and most important) rider.” The picture for us as moms? God needs us to lead this next generation of colts to carry Jesus. We may feel “tied down” but when the time is right, God needs us to step out by faith so our foals can too! Heart of Womanhood Bible Studies are a creative home-based way to lead our young foals into His fold!
AND one more thing…
The cloaks they placed on the colts on Palm Sunday were most likely prayer shawls! Yes ma’am. The best way to prepare and lead our youngins for carrying Christ into this world is to cover them with our faithful prayers.
Picturing Palm Sunday…all year long!
There’s no doubt that Palm Sunday 2020 will be pictured differently with the empty streets, stores, restaurants, and churches due to this unprecedented pandemic. So, instead of picturing ourselves on the sidelines of the busy streets of Jerusalem waving our palm branches among throngs of people, this year let’s picture ourselves as momma donkeys leading our young daughters, one at a time, to strongly carry Our King into the streets of this world.
Together, this Easter, let’s pursue the picture of our families joining in powerful procession all lifting our hands (palms) and waving the branches of our family trees proclaiming, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See your KING comes to YOU, righteous and victorious, riding on a lowly donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9) Faithful Palm Sunday parenting welcomes Christ’s triumphal entry into our hearts and homes so He can lead us in victorious procession all year long!
