NOTES:
1] The set reading is the Passion, but if we're going to walk through Holy Week with Jesus, we'll read that on Good Friday. 2] To study, if not read, as far as v.17 helps us get MK's overview of what's going on. 3] The Gospels report the events of Palm Sunday in differing order. 4] For MK this is Jesus' first visit to Jerusalem. 5] 'Hosanna' means 'Save, we pray!'

WARMING UP: Where do we stash our old Palm Crosses - if we don't have them burnt on Ash Wednesday?

TREASURES OLD & NEW: Identify God at work in anything this week?

ENTERING INTO THE STORY:

1-3      Does what Jesus says here seem to be just a casual arrangement, or part of a plan (see ZECH 9:9)? Given Jesus could have raised (& no doubt failed in!) a popular uprising against the Romans if he'd entered Jerusalem on a war-horse as the Messiah most Jews were looking for, rather than a donkey, what do we make of the play for power the 'Religious Right' is making in countries like Australia & the U.S.A. today? Would we be more effective today if we rode war-horses instead of donkeys? More effective at what / as what? Does Jesus attract us or just puzzle us as the kind of Messiah he chose to be?

4-6      Do we ever feel uncomfortable at any approaches to life Jesus calls us to take? Do we ever find ourself, like these two disciples, having to justify what we do for Jesus? How obedient are we prepared to be to what we believe God wants us to do? Where do we draw the line? How should we check whether it is really God who wants us to do something?

7-10     How much do processions appeal to us? What kind of a pull do they exert on people in general? What point does a procession try to make? What point was Jesus trying to make? How well did he make it? Do we like the point he made? Is there scope for making more & better use of processions in the liturgy?

11        Does the fact that Jesus judges the time inappropriate for his next step alert us to the need to choose God's time, not  our own, to do whatever needs to be done? How do we identify what is God's time & what is not?

(12-14)  What might Jesus have wanted those who were with him to learn from his cursing of the fig tree? What can we learn? How do we feel about Jesus cursing anything? If it's OK for him, doesn't that make it OK for us?

(15-17)   Do we ever challenge, or feel like challenging the way church, government, or commercial world do business? What about when we see someone being victimised, the system failing them? What principles must we apply if we're to challenge the status quo as Jesus does & expects us to do too? Are we too busy counting the cost to actually do anything?