Hosanna,
Lord have mercy on us,
we cry out in
our need,
Lord turn towards us,
and in your
gentleness receive us,
we cry to you
Hosanna.
+
Hosanna,
Lord be gracious to us,
we cry out in
our pain,
Lord reach out to touch us,
and in your
kindness heal us,
we cry to you
Hosanna
+
Hosanna,
Lord set light within us,
where all is dark,
and hope is gone
Lord let your life begin,
and in your power renew us,
we cry to you
Hosanna
+
Hosanna, Lord,
Hosanna
+
I am preparing for Palm Sunday and pondering the events leading up to what we so often wrongly ( in my view) call the triumphal entry. The raising of Lazarus, and the annointing of Jesus both speak of life and death, Jesus is heading towards death through which new life would come, but we cannot underestimate the pain or darkness of it. The cry Hosanna reflects this, often misinterpreted as a cry of praise it is actually a cry for release, relief and healing. If Jesus followers kept quiet as the religious leaders demanded he says the very stones of the city would cry out, all of creation is goraning for release. Perhaps Hosanna properly understood should be our deepest prayer as we head into Holy Week.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, this was not a random act and from the scriptures it seems to have been thought out and prepared, he was making a point, the donkey is a beast of burden, and Jesus and his followers would have stood in stark contrast toe the other procession likely to have been entering Jeruaslem that day. Rome was "changing the guard", Pilate would have ridden in on a white charger displaying the might and power of Rome. Jesus power is not of this world, and it is to Jesus that the crowds cried out to for release and healing.
It is sobering to remember that later in the week those same crowds would be crying out "Crucify him". It is sobering to ponder my own fickleness in the light of this.
