Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday. Every year on this day I think of how amazing it is that Jesus was willing to receive the praises of people he knew didn’t get it. They were excited about an illusion: specifically, that Jesus was going to hit the scene like a holy tornado and kick Rome’s ass. When that illusion evaporated they sold out their new Messiah in a heartbeat.

Neither their illusion nor their disillusionment was a surprise to Jesus. But he inhabited the hosannas nonetheless. This is a big relief to me because my praises are shabby and misdirected too. I bring all sorts of illusions and disillusionments into worship, and Jesus just draws a bigger circle around it. He says, “We can work with that.”