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From Palms to the Cross: The Question of My Heart

Where Do I Stand?

Palm Sunday opens the holiest week of the Christian year, a week in which believers walk closely with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. The liturgy itself carries us through a dramatic arc: two Gospel proclamations, two emotional landscapes, and two invitations to examine our hearts.

The celebration begins with Matthew’s account of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (21:1–11). Crowds gather in joy, laying palm branches before Him and crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Today, Christians around the world echo that moment as they process into their churches with palms in hand—an outward sign of welcome, hope, and praise.

But the tone shifts quickly. The second Gospel plunges us into the Passion: betrayal, denial, suffering, and death. The contrast is jarring—yet profoundly honest about the human heart. Palm/Passion Sunday does not let us remain in celebration alone. It asks us to stand in both scenes and recognize ourselves in each.

We can welcome Jesus with sincerity. We can shout Hosanna with conviction. And yet, we also carry the capacity to turn away, to deny, to wound, to forget.

This Sunday invites us to look inward as we begin our final steps toward Easter. It invites us to ask:

  • Do I truly acknowledge Jesus as my Lord and Redeemer?
  • Do I recognize His presence in the ordinary moments of my life?
  • Do I welcome Him into every part of my heart—with joy, trust, and openness?
  • Do I live as a beloved child of God?
  • Does my life reflect the faith I profess?

And in the Passion narrative:

  • Where do I stand?
  • Am I among the accusers, demanding that Jesus act according to my expectations?
  • Am I among those who mock or reject Him, believing my failures make me unlovable?
  • Am I among those who wound Him by refusing compassion to the stranger, the poor, the outsider, or the one who challenges me?
  • Do I choose not to see the dignity of those who differ from me in belief, culture, or way of life?
  • Or do I dare to stand at the foot of the Cross and whisper, with humility and hope: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.”

Palm/Passion Sunday is not merely a remembrance. It is a mirror. It is a question. It is an invitation to choose again where—and with whom—we stand.