Today is Palm Sunday, or otherwise known as Passion Sunday. It is a feast day that commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It falls on the Sunday before Easter, marking the beginning of Holy Week - the final week of Lent.

In times such as these - with terrorism, violence, weapons and war - may the followers of King Jesus - who rode a peace donkey on Palm Sunday - be a faithful witness the ways and teachings of peace...


The artwork for this post is an orthodox icon. I pray with this icon at my side during my morning prayer liturgy. Icons are the Gospel in color. Iconographers painted icons that shined with metallic gold and bright colors. In their art each color had its place and value. Colors – whether bright or dark – were never mixed but always used pure. In Byzantium, color was considered to have the same substance as words, indeed each color had its own value and meaning. One or several colors combined together had the means to express ideas. The artists would fast during their time of creation in reverence to Jesus. Here is what is being communicated in this icon...

To the left is the Mount of Olives and to the right is the city of Jerusalem. In the center, heading towards Jerusalem, is Jesus upon either a donkey or a colt. The common understanding is that it was the donkey upon which Christ rode into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11). The donkey because it is an  animal of peace and the Jews expected a tough, war-like, Messiah; the colt because it was an animal associated with the Gentiles, while the Jews expected the Messiah to be only for them. Controversial!

Jesus is also carrying a scroll - symbolizing divine wisdom. Peter and John, two of Jesus' closest disciples, are the two closest behind Jesus symbolizing the "pillars of the Church". You can see the disciples huddled together, deep in conversation. I'm sure they are confused and perplexed by Jesus' choice of transport - a donkey. Jesus' head is shown turned backwards towards them as if encouraging them to continue on.

The Jews on the other side are gathered together, ready to shout, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”(Matthew 21:9). Children are seen beneath breaking off branches from the palms and laying them in front of Christ’s donkey, while others are laying their clothing out before Him. That children are laying down their clothes and cutting down palm branches is a detail found in almost all icons of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, despite not being explicitly stated in the Scriptures. I think it's beautiful.

The message in the icon is clear: it is those with child-like simplicity and faith who truly praise Jesus, while the adults – both the disciples and the Jews – tend to get distracted and start discussing among themselves. In many icons, the children taking off their clothes are revealed to be wearing white robes underneath, further emphasizing their purity and innocence. We are to have faith like a child.

TRY THIS: Read Matthew 21:1-11. Read it a few times. Study it. Enter into the story. Use this icon as a backdrop to your reading. Study the icon. Enter into it. Allow your heart to be drawn to the Prince of Peace. Block out the white noise of angry rhetoric, political news, war, violence, terror threats and be drawn to the true King, Jesus. The king who comes on a peace donkey...may we have the courage.

Grace and peace,
BT

(The artwork is Palm Sunday Icon. Artist unknown. Orthodox Church.)