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Jesus Against Empire



Palm Sunday kicks off what within the church is called Holy Week. And Holy Week leads up to the church's "Super Bowl Sunday" which we know as Easter. Palm Sunday commemorates what Matthew 21:1-11 calls Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. I call it Jesus' counter-hegemonic donkey ride. A hegemony refers to the dominance of a particular group or ideology over others, and Palm Sunday challenges the hegemonic power of the Roman Empire and the religious authorities of Jesus' time. Palm Sunday is a whole vibe! Check out Jesus! 


At the time of Jesus, the Roman Empire was the dominant political and military power in the region, and the Jewish religious leaders had a great deal of authority over the people. The people of Jerusalem, particularly the poor and oppressed, yearned for a leader who would challenge the status quo, relieve them from Roman rule, and offer them a more hopeful future. They got the right one in Jesus the Disrupter!


So, when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he did so in a way that defied the norms of the Roman Empire and the religious authorities. He rode into the city on a donkey, which was a symbol of peace, humility, and solidarity with the poor. Another way to look at this is that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a Jackass - therefore, he was literally riding Caesar 😂 Anyway, I digress. This donkey-riding contrasted with the typical image of a triumphant military leader riding into the city on a horse. In fact, this is what Caesar and the bullies in his party were doing on the same day. 




The people of Jerusalem, who were expecting a political savior, saw Jesus as someone who would challenge the DeSa...n and the hi-jacking evangelical religious leaders. Oops! I meant, to say, challenge the evil and vicious Roman Empire and the scared, power-worshiping religious authorities. Where did that other thing come from? (Not flesh and blood for sure 😜) 





The Gospels show the bullied people welcoming Jesus with palm branches, which were a symbol of both victory and resistance. By doing so, they were challenging the dominant power structures of their time. These days when we take to the streets to protest our palm branches come in the form of t-shirts, shouted slogans, placards, art, and dance as we declare, "Black lives matter!" "Gun control now!" "CRT now!" "Trans lives matter!" "Free the women's wombs!" and other similar cries that echo the first Palm Sunday's "Save now!" 


This first Palm Sunday ride is still overturning tables in the church and society. It is also still scaring people and pissing off many. One cannot escape the subversive nature of this donkey ride, and whenever those who are discomfited with this action of Jesus and locate themselves as being in Caesar's camp, there is always a mad scramble to make Jesus into ONLY 'gentle, meek, and mild'. Nope! Jesus was Jesus-ing, contesting the legitimacy of Roman rule! Since that first Palm Sunday, the call is echoed for every faith community to not only join the crowd in crying out for salvation, but to join Jesus in bringing salvation from the oppressive rulers and rulings of our time; Join with Jesus in the mission of liberation against Caesars everywhere and their policies. 


What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments and let's talk!


#hermeneuticofsuspicion #palmsunday #resistevilinjusticeandoppression




Born and raised on The Gem of the Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda), I am an immigrant living in the U.S. with my Fantastic Four and High School boops.

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