Of Palms and Protests

Jesus entered the city on a donkey, lauded by masses of people waving palm branches. Women, children, and the poorest welcomed him into Jerusalem with cheers of adoration, hope, and joy. They all knew what they were doing, and so, I think, did those in power.

This was not just a welcoming party.

It was a protest.

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During the height of the Roman Empire, legions of trained military personnel were continually sent forth to expand the already massive empire. They achieved their expansion through a cruelty of force – forcing others into subjugation with threat of the sword. The Roman armies would bring the ‘gospel’ of Rome – colonizing foreign cultures with the Roman way of life. When another military victory was achieved, warriors returning home would be lauded as they entered the city by their friends, families, and civilian onlookers.

How were they celebrated?

They would enter into the city on a glamorous horse while people waved palm branches.

The people, or at least some people, took great pride in their ever-expanding empire. Their nationalistic ideals drove them to treat their military like gods. Well, lesser gods because they all knew Caesar was the actual god. People saw Rome as a shining city on a hill, a bastion of hope for a lost and broken world, and the greatest city on earth.

For this reason, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey with palms being waved was more than just a celebration for this wandering religious leader.

No – it was a mockery of Rome. It was a protest.

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The Gospels are littered with anti-Roman bias. Even the term ‘gospel’ is a play on the popular term of Roman conquest. Within the story of Jesus, we find a theology and social ethic that is focused on criticizing the empire. Is it any wonder why he was crucified (a distinctly Roman manner of execution) days later?

It is for this reason that Palm Sunday is one of my favorite days on the Christian calendar. A theology of liberation is uniquely juxtaposed with a theology of empire. This is a message that has been echoed throughout the nearly two thousand years of Christian history. Sadly, Christians have often fallen prey to the temptations of the empire, pursuing political power instead of being an accomplice of the poor and powerless.

Many today have committed a fatal error: propagating religious nationalism. It is one of the deadliest forces on earth. We have often traded away Jesus for Caesar, worshipping an ideology and a way of life rather than following in the footsteps of the Crucified One.

On this Palm Sunday, may we see that there is a better way of life – one that is centered on the margins instead of the halls of empire.