Palm Sunday

Author: Agustín Quiles

I have always heard the story of Jesus' triumphal entry as an invitation to let Jesus into our hearts today or, as a story that confirms that Jesus is the Messiah as it fulfills prophecies made by the prophets or sermons about Jesus' humility that serves as an example for us. However, this year the Spirit presents this story to me in another way. My call is to invoke the churches and their leaders to take a prophetic role before the Florida capitol on behalf of those who are the least, those whom Jesus in his parables calls us not to forget; these are the immigrants or the incarcerated or others who suffer injustice. 

When Jesus enters Jerusalem I see Jesus announcing his kingdom. His kingdom is a kingdom of sustainability, of fullness of life, of justice and equity so that all may have what they need to live dignified lives. In the face of the injustices of the governor of Florida who has limited the ministries of churches with immigrant children's centers, revoking their licenses from the state to provide professional services, and currently with his new bill also seeks to criminalize the undocumented community and all who serve them which would make it a felony with fines of 5,000 and jail sentences up to 15 years, in the face of his insistence on implementing the death penalty without mercy to people who have been victims of abuse or who are not mentally capable of understanding their actions, in the face of the way they take away the financial allocations needed to provide quality education in poor neighborhoods, Jesus wants to go in announcing the values of the kingdom and denouncing, as he did with the money changers, the injustices of these.  

The evangelical church in Florida is doing just that, marching, invoking God's presence, protesting, having conversations with legislators of both parties on these issues. We are raising our prophetic voice to make room for the righteousnesses of the kingdom-this is symbolic of laying palms on Jesus to come in, for his kingdom to come in our midst and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  

We see this moment as the time to declare that Jesus is lord of lords over all the powers of death and destruction. Today Jesus invites us to his great parade announcing his kingdom among us (Luke 17). Join a group or create one to announce his kingdom and thus denounce the powers and authorities of death. Join Jesus' parade, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in Jesus' name!