Palm Sunday – April 13, 2025

The Invitation to a New Way

Christopher Ingram

Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:31–32 (The Parable of the Mustard Seed)

The crowds cheer. The road is covered in cloaks and palm branches. Shouts of “Hosanna!” fill the air. They think their king has finally come to claim his throne.

But what kind of king rides a borrowed donkey? There is no chariot, no warhorse, no banners of empire. Just this lone figure, feet dragging too close to the ground, swaying awkwardly on a beast better suited for farm work than a royal procession. If power has a posture, this is not what we expect. He doesn’t look like a conqueror. He looks—for lack of a better word—meek. And maybe that’s the point.

The people expect a revolution, but the kingdom Jesus proclaims does not storm the gates, seize power, or crush enemies. Instead, it is already growing—like a mustard seed, hidden but alive, taking root in those who follow his way. The triumph they expect will not come in the form of conquest but through the slow, transforming power of love and sacrifice.

This is the tension of Palm Sunday. The crowd welcomes Jesus with triumph, but by week’s end, many of these same voices will call for his death. When the kingdom does not arrive the way they expect, when Jesus refuses to overthrow Rome, when he speaks of surrender instead of battle, they turn away. The way of Jesus has always confounded those who equate domination with dominion. But blessed are the meek, the ones who do not grasp for power, the ones who trust that God’s way may seem small but is always at work. They will inherit the earth, not by force, but by faith.

The invitation is to follow Jesus, to take up the way of the mustard seed. But this is no easy road. Those who say yes will not be lifted onto thrones, but sent to serve, to make peace, to carry crosses. The reign of God comes not through grasping, but through giving.

Ask yourself today: Today, I wave my palm and sing “Hosanna!” But will I still follow when the way leads to a cross? Do I long for a faith that makes me powerful, that keeps me safe, that confirms my expectations? Or am I willing to trust the small, hidden way of Jesus?

Prayer: Jesus, you do not come like I expect. You do not take power, you empty yourself. You do not raise a sword, you stretch out your hands. I cheer for you today, but will I follow you tomorrow? The way of the mustard seed is slow, your Spirit’s movement unseen, the way of the cross is hard, but I want to trust it. Teach me to walk your road, to serve, to love, to lose and to find. Amen.