David and the Parade -- a Story for Palm Sunday

David was tired.
He had been walking all day, and for several days before that, rushing to get to Jerusalem in time. Passover was in just a few days and David needed time to get ready for the feast. Now he could almost see the city walls. Just a few more minutes and he would be there!

As he struggled up the path out of Bethany and started climbing the Mount of Olives David thought about the upcoming festival. He was meeting his family in the City, family he hadn’t seen for a long time. Not since he had headed north to Tiberias in Galilee seeking to find work. It was good to be back. Cresting the top he looked ahead and had his first glimpse of Jerusalem. His heart soared. Soon he could visit the Temple! He jingled the purse with the coins he would use to buy a suitable lamb for his family to eat at the Passover celebration.

Coming down the path David came through Bethphage. He was almost there!

Suddenly David realized that something special seemed to be happening. The road was crowded but that was normal. Everyone was hurrying to Jerusalem for Passover. No it was more than that. From behind him he heard people singing and shouting. “Hosanna!” they were saying. “Blessed is the one who comes in God’s name!.

David stepped over to the edge of the road and stopped to catch his breath. He looked back toward Bethphage to see what the noise was all about.
He couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing!

There was a man riding a donkey. As he approached people were tearing branches off the trees and laying them on the road. Others were taking their cloaks off and putting them on the road. It was almost like they were making a carpet for the donkey to walk on. As the donkey passed people were cheering and shouting, singing and dancing. Why would they be doing that? What made this man so special?

Then the man looked at David. Well maybe he was just looking in David’s direction but David felt like the man was looking right at him. And David’s heart started to beat faster. “Who is that?” he asked a woman near him.

“Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee”, came the answer before the woman joined in the singing and dancing and cheering.

David had heard of this Jesus. Stories about him were being told all over Tiberias. But David had never seen him in person. Some people said Jesus was going to make everything right with the world. Some even said he was the promised Messiah. Curious David stepped closer to the road, peering intently at the man on the donkey.

The man looked at David again. This time David was sure. Their eyes met and locked together, just for a moment. But in that moment David remembered.

He had just been a boy. It was so long ago. They had been out in the hills around Bethlehem, watching over the sheep. There had been an angel. There was a new baby born. They had all run to see the baby.

David remembered how he had felt that night. He remember the song the baby’s mother had sung. He remembered how happy and hopeful he had felt looking into the baby’s face. Could this man be that baby all grown up?

David looked closer. He looked at Jesus’ eyes. They were the same eyes he has seen all those years ago. There was more worry there now. There was a different glow in them. But the hope, the brightness was still there. This WAS the baby he had seen so long ago. This WAS the baby the angel had called the Messiah. Suddenly David could hear the angel song again. He could hear the lullaby about God making everything right, about the hungry being fed, about people in power being pushed out of their fancy chairs and poor people lifted up, about God remembering God’s promises. David’s heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.

Overcome with joy and hope David joined it the singing and dancing. His tiredness disappeared and he danced his way into the city following the donkey, following Jesus, the prophet from Galilee, the baby he had seen so long ago.