Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!””
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, March 10, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Hosanna means “Pray, save us!” The people, oppressed by Rome (and their own leadership) were desperate for deliverance. Jesus’ reputation preceded him, and the people proclaimed him God’s promised messiah. Which, of course, he was, though no one understood exactly what this meant. They were hoping for a military coup. They got eternal life, through no deserving of their own.
God still works in the world in mysterious ways—ways which we do not always understand. And we still stand in the streets shouting, "Pray, save us!” as we watch the senseless violence in Ukraine, the climate crisis, the ongoing oppression of BIPOC folks in the US and around the world—the list could go on and on.
God is there. In the midst of everything. Holding, guiding, strengthening, loving. I want answers. I want solutions. I want God to fix everything now. I can only trust that, like those first people in Jerusalem shouting “Hosanna” with no idea what they were really asking for, God will deliver far more than I can possibly imagine.
How do I see God showing up amid the current crises all around?