What are you afraid of? Are you scared of spiders, ... snakes perhaps? Are you afraid that you'll not do well on your next test? Most people are really afraid of one thing more than any other – and that thing is change.
Jesus calls our attention to a strange parade--a parade that makes its way into the kingdom of heaven right through the front gates. At the head of this parade, in the place of honor, are some unlikely candidates.
Tony Campolo has a famous sermon for Good Friday entitled "It's Friday, but Sunday's Coming." Again and again, his voice rings out, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming."
One of the joys of serving as a parish pastor is the privilege of helping couples prepare for their married lives together. For me, the joy comes in helping them prepare for marriage.
Would you have been among those who shouted, “Hosanna in the highest!” Or would you have been among those who cried out, “Crucify him!”?
These were powerless people that rallied around Jesus. They were just excited about the fact that someone actually reached out to them.
In the Triumphal Entry, Jesus seems to be playing a game, "Guess who I am." This story for Palm Sunday is all about the identity question. The people were saying, 'Who is this?'"
Appearing on a donkey put Jesus at odds with those in authority and power. The donkey symbolized that the way to salvation is the path of humility.
A double crime occurs. First, the murder of Naboth. Second, the illegal seizure of his ancestral property. When the king acts like this, is it possible to appeal to a higher authority? The biblical answer is a resounding yes.
Though Ahab is the king of Israel, he has gone through life choosing poorly, and one of his worst choices was to marry Jezebel. And with Jezebel, when it comes to devotion to one’s god, there was no compromise.