What? You never heard of Cloak Sunday? Well, it is actually my own spin on an old idea. I'm thinking it is really going to catch on quickly. What do you think? Here, to understand what I am talking about, read a prophecy from the Old Testament, written 500+ years before Jesus' birth. Then, read about the fulfillment of that prophecy as written in the New Testament.
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Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter
Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Matthew 21:6-9
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in
the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
(Biblical passages from the New Revised Standard Version)
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Today is the beginning of Holy Week for Christians. Holy Week starts out beautifully as we remember Jesus returning to Jerusalem, being welcomed like a celebrity. This is referred to as Palm Sunday because of the reference to people cutting branches from trees and spreading them on the road before Jesus. They also put their cloaks down so I am thinking you could call it Cloak Sunday if you wished. Don't you agree? Many churches, like our's, order palm branches and we hold them up and sing, "Hosanna in the highest!" It is kind of majestic and parade-like. I wonder, if I hold up my coat (cloak) and wave it, will others join me? I probably won't try it. It could turn out like the year I heard that in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day the Catholics wore green and the Protestants wore orange. I am a Protestant so.... well, let's just say that was a painful March 17 for me!
Seriously though, by next Sunday we will be celebrating Easter, which is my all-time favorite holiday. Between now and then, however, we are travelling through the stories of Jesus' last days. Most of the stories are really quite horrible and dramatic. Without them, though, Easter means nothing. For today, Cloak Sunday, we get to be jubilant. We are welcoming the King!
(Yes, after seeing me haul coats out to our driveway, throw them down and try to snap a photo while the Wyoming wind tossed them about, our neighbors do indeed believe I am crazy.)
I will finish posting the ABC's of Bible Memorization after Holy Week. Remember, I will make a prize for any of you who tell me you memorized them all!
3 comments:
Love it--though when I just looked at the first photo I could not figure out what it was! Clever Susie. I never thought about why it was Palm Sunday and not cloak Sunday. In this part of the world getting cloaks (or coats) is certainly easier than cutting palm branches!
Yes, coats would be easier to come by. I must say, though, the palms sure looked pretty today with everyone waving them overhead. Later, my little kid Sunday School class spread them out to ride their pretend donkeys over them. It was fun.
That could be a great conversation starter, maybe open the doors to sharing the gospel. It's raining, so I think I'll wait. Besides, this neighborhood is funny. If I throw cloaks out, someone will carry them off, singing 'yippee, I got me a freebee!' :-)
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