This Sunday is “Hosanna Sunday.” The name in Syriac comes from a verb meaning “to acclaim Hosanna!” That word then passes into Arabic as meaning not “palm,” but “palm branches.” The Syriac icon is titled Had b.shabo dousha3ne, which means “Sunday of (Acclaiming) Hosanna.”
Fr Badwi says of this icon: “The elderly and the children stand in front of the gate of Jerusalem, throwing down their cloaks, (and) palms and branches, to welcome the great king, (who is) mounted on the colt of a donkey and (is) followed by the Apostles. This theme is traditional in Oriental and Occidental iconography. Our icon reflects simplicity in composition with a minimum of elements.”
And it is simple, in that it has fewer elements than this icon is usually given, but it is also full in its simplicity. Note, first, how the Lord’s halo (anticipating in its internal design His death on the Cross) is central, and is right underneath the highest dome of the Jerusalem city walls. This not only draws our attention to the Lord, but also signifies the centrality of Him on the colt. He is not upright like a conquering warrior. He is not riding it like a jockey. He is sitting upon it as if upon a chair, is noticeably bending to the right, and is not watching the road before Him, but is – rather – gazing at us. In other words, while the historical Jesus entered Jerusalem on this day, He is also, today, entering the city of our hearts.
In His left hand is a scroll, representing, I suggest the scroll of the prophet Zechariah. This prophet lived in the sixth century B.C. In fact, it is clear that he was writing between 520 and 518 B.C. He was writing when the Persians had restored the Jews to Israel, and so the idea of the return to Jerusalem was very much alive. God knew that His people were receptive to the concept, and so He inspired Zechariah to prophecy: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech. 9:9) A “colt” is a young male horse or young male donkey. The female would be called a “filly.”
But now, because this icon is a sacred icon, its symbols can have more than one meaning, and both can be true at the same time. I think that the scroll in the Lord’s hand may also represent the Gospel, the Good News. With His right hand, He makes a gesture of humility (as do the two apostles whose hands we can see.) This is very fitting, the very entering into Jerusalem on a young donkey is a sign of the utmost humility – it contrasts with the pride which the wealthy took in their powerful prancing warhorses.
Next, consider the gates of Jerusalem. What do we see? It is in darkness. We do not see the city, the street, or people inside the city. This stands for the tomb, I believe, and not only for the tomb but also for the Week of Passion He was about to undergo: the horrors of the scourging at the pillar and the inhumanity of His crucifixion and everything associated with it. The Lord was knowingly going to His passion and death.
It is said that a great multitude that had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” They used whatever they had at hand to welcome Him: olive branches, palm branches, their own cloaks. It is, once more, a sign of great humility. This reception is to be contrasted with the great parades and shows put on for the high and mighty. No trumpets, or soldiers in brass and bronze for this king: only children and ordinary people.
Next, consider the gates of Jerusalem. What do we see? It is in darkness. We do not see the city, the street, or people inside the city. This stands for the tomb, I believe, and not only for the tomb but also for the Week of Passion He was about to undergo: the horrors of the scourging at the pillar and the inhumanity of His crucifixion and everything associated with it. The Lord was knowingly going to His passion and death.
So can we take anything more from this? I think that this Gospel reading leads us to meditate upon the paradoxical nature of the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is not that Jesus was not a king, He was and is THE King of Kings. But He overturns our idea of what it is to be a king. This was the problem they had then: they had thought their king would throw out the Romans and establish a Jewish Empire. And He gave those who accepted Him the grace to be citizens of heaven even while living on earth, so that no matter what the political situation, they are free. By that I mean, their freedom comes from knowing that the Emperor, the dictator, the parliament, the police, whoever, can never kill their soul – only their own sin can do that. You can take my body, Caesar, but you cannot take my soul.
It is not that Jesus did not enter with pride – but He showed us that we are most proud when we are most humble and submissive to God. Because then our pride is that we have overcome our fallen natures. It is not the palms and the cloaks spread before Him were not a wonderful welcome for the King – they were, but their beauty is found in the simplicity of heart of the children who offered them. The innocent gift of a child is worth more than a diamond set in gold from a flatterer.
In other words, on this great day, we are reminded of the reversal of the world’s values in order to live under the values of heaven which is Our Lord and His Gospel taught and exemplified. We do not reject the wrong values which abound in the world because we are contrarian: we reject them where they are opposed to the faith because it is they which are upside down. It is a great day to go back to the simple things and to see that they are the best of all because they shine with the light of heaven, and are not dimmed by our pride and our sin.
