Sunday, March 24, 2024  

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Today's Hymn
“Ride On! Ride On in Majesty!”

Ride on! ride on in majesty!
The hosts of angels in the sky
look down with sad and wondering eyes
to see the approaching sacrifice.
Ride on! ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
bow thy meek head to mortal pain;
then take, O God, thy power, and reign.

by Henry Hart Milman
Hymn 198, Glory to God
verse 3–4

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Reflection

Although lesser known than the triumphal sounds of “All Glory, Laud, and Honor,”, or even “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna,” our hymn text this morning from “Ride On! Ride On in Majesty!” is exceptional at capturing the juxtaposition that lies at the center of this Palm/Passion Sunday. Our eagerness to claim the triumph of Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem often means ignoring the sinister undertones present in the biblical text as the Pharisees stand plotting on the sidelines, ordering the crowds to stop. Jesus, though, rides on undeterred — even as he recognizes the mortal danger quickly approaching.

There is certainly very little “majesty” present, at least in how one would typically conceive of majesty. From a humble donkey to “lowly pomp,” the scene was an upending of royal processions — fitting, I suppose, for the one who had upended so much! But in the excitement and expectation of the crowds, such that “even the stones would shout out” (Luke 19:40), we at times cannot help but get swept up with similar hopes along with them.

Yet in this slow procession, one can almost feel the inevitability of what is to come for Christ: a confrontation at the temple, arguments with leaders, betrayal from one closest to him, being arrested and put on a sham trial, being sentenced to death on the cross. This refrain of “Ride On!” then, takes on a determined, defiant tone rather than a triumphal one. Even knowing what lies ahead, Christ rides on — determined to demonstrate the depths of God’s love for us, even at the expense of his life. May we be eternally grateful for that wondrous love, this Holy Week and beyond!

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Prayer
God of glory and majesty, we are in awe that you embraced that long, lonely journey to the cross for our sake — riding on even in the face of betrayal, suspicion, and hate. May we never doubt your love for us, and may we never cease to witness to that love. Amen.

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Written by Matt Helms, Associate Pastor for Children, Family, and Welcoming Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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