Who cleaned up after the parade? Someone had to clear the streets after the triumphal entry. To make the road passable for the carts and donkeys and foot traffic. It is the part of parades that even now we don’t give much thought to. Picking up all that was left behind.
So, in my imagination, I began to wonder – what went through that un-named person’s mind.
Maybe it was the practical side:
• What a waste of perfectly good shade. This is not very environmentally friendly…
Maybe it was the forlorn side:
• Great. Another party that I didn’t get invited to. So why am I always the one who has to clean up after everybody else’ mess? But maybe it was the redeeming questions that went through his heart:
• What do people see in this Jesus that I don’t see?
• What is it about him that so attracts so many people to follow him? To put their cloaks down in front of him?
• What allowed these folks to reverence him enough to follow with their lives?
If there is a question that this triumphal entry might leave with us this day – can it be just that:
Do I reverence our Lord enough to follow him with my life?