Tomorrow, Christians at the whole world are to celebrate “Palm Sunday” or “Branch Sunday”. The feast commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem where people received Him as a King carrying palm fronds and tree branches, chanting for Him, though He appeared modest in that procession as He rode a donkey, a colt and the foal of a donkey.
In that procession, we will catch a glimpse of different groups of people that each one of them saw Jesus Christ in a different way and hence they dealt with Him differently. It is depicted during His entrance to Jerusalem on that Sunday.
We can see the disciples who accompanied Jesus; not only did they join the procession, but also they prepared the way and spread their clothes on the road. No wonder, they offered all they had as they were the people who have come to know Him well. They witnessed His miracles that healed the needy, listened to His teachings that summarizes love to all people, experienced His compassion toward the weak and the poor thus they rejoiced at His procession and offered all what they owned out of an abundant love to their Master.
The entire multitudes joined the procession joyfully rejoicing as some of them were healed by Him, others listened to His teachings about love, forgiveness and sacrifice, while there are those who ate the food at the wilderness and felt His love and compassion especially the children who kept chanting for Him, “Hosanna to the Son of David”. People wanted to join the one who felt their pain, understood their needs and helped them. They wanted to crown Him as a King so that He would save them, yet they wanted to do that in a worldly way that did not suit His purpose of ministry at all.
On the contrary some people were troubled due to that procession as they thought Jesus Christ, the One whom they feared His teachings and miracles, would shake their power and authority before people. Thus, scribes and Pharisees tried hardly to prevent His entrance that they kept asking Him to prevent the multitudes from chanting and kept charging Him with the worst accusations so that they could justify getting rid of Him. Thus their attitude to get rid of Him was out of their unfair and biased judgment that was based on their selfish interests not their mission that they had toward the people.
Many happy returns to all of you, I wish peace and prosperity to prevail in Egypt and to be enjoyed all Egyptians and I hope God grant the world peace and tranquility.
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
