The Triumphant Entry

It was just amazing;
the noise;
the shouting;
the excitement.
I have to admit that
we were rather
afraid;
subdued;
apprehensive
to begin with.
Well, it was only natural
wasn’t it.
Jesus
had been going on about
all sorts of horrible things
that were going to happen
in Jerusalem;
mocking;
insults;
flogging,
even killing.

I think He really meant it.
And we had believed it too,
after a fashion.
Well you had to
with Jesus.
If there was one thing we had learnt
about Him,
He told the truth.
But this ….
I mean,
this was just too much.
After all
who would want to
mock Him,
never mind kill Him?
And why for heavens sake?
The things he told us
were just out of this world.
Surely no-one could object,
not to that extent anyway.

But, let me get back
to what I was telling you.
We were all a bit down really
so I was glad of the excuse
to get away from the rest
and go and find
this donkey
that Jesus said was
waiting to be collected.
It certainly took our minds off
the dark predictions
of what was to be.
We didn’t ask Jesus
any questions.
Well you just didn’t ask
sometimes.
But our minds were full of them.
Why did He want to ride?
We’d always walked before
so what was
so special this time?
And why a donkey?
And how did He manage
to arrange for this one
to be just where He said?
And who was the man
who just let us take it?
We resolved between us
that we would ask
as soon as we returned.
Well one of us would …
Well … maybe.

But when we did return
the excitement
just overwhelmed us
and we joined in
with gusto,
throwing our cloaks
over its back
and helping Jesus
to mount.
Someone
laid their cloak out
on the ground
in front of the donkey
and this caught on.
Everyone began
to spread their cloaks
on the road
and those without cloaks
began to cut palm branches
to spread instead,
or just to wave.
The noise
just got louder
and louder.
Hosanna!
Blessed is He!
Hosanna!
It went on and on
until we were all hoarse
with shouting.
We were so happy;
so excited.
This was going to be
the best
Passover
ever.
And now everyone knew
about Jesus.
Everyone liked
Him.
What an opportunity.
Surely this
was going to be
the start
of something
so tremendous,
so earth-shattering,
so mind-blowing
that things just
wouldn’t be the same
again.

‘and the Son of Man
will be betrayed…’

Suddenly,
amidst all the shouting
I heard His words
in my head.
as clearly
as when He had said them
before.

But,
He must have got it wrong
Surely
He had made a mistake
this time.

He just had to be wrong.

© Kathleen Wilks