John 12:13

How The Children Helped Jesus

Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. John 12:13 (AV).

Imagine a lovely April morning on the slopes of Mount Olivet just outside the walls of Jerusalem. The slopes are covered with the tents of pilgrims who have come up to the Feast of the Passover. Suddenly someone looking up the hill towards the Bethany road cries, “Here He is!” and the whole hillside is immediately in a buzz of excitement.

Yes! it is Jesus Christ. He is riding on a donkey and He has with Him quite a troop of followers. Those folks on the hillside are mostly from Galilee, where Jesus wrought so many of His miracles, and many of the children are Galilean boys and girls. Some of them had been at the wonderful picnic in the wilderness of Bethsaida when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes. It was from one of themselves that Jesus got the five loaves. And had not their fathers and mothers told them of the little girl who was raised from the dead? Jesus was a special Friend of theirs. Soon the tents were stripped of their decorations. The boys and girls gathered branches from all the trees within reach.

With their fathers and mothers they ran to meet Jesus, waving the branches all the way; then they turned and followed Him. Young and old were together in the crowd that surrounded the wonderful Teacher. Palm branches were spread upon the ground for Him to ride upon. It was like a royal procession.

“ Who is this?” asked the people of the city. The procession caused quite a stir on the Streets. The pilgrims from the north were full of enthusiasm. “Bravos,” and “hurrahs,” rose from their lips, and sweet children's voices blended in the “Hosannas.” To the city the whole thing meant nothing. “The Galilean peasant prophet, forsooth!” said they. “And He is going to the Temple. What desecration!” But they could hear the shrill voices of the children joining in the hymn used at the Feast of Tabernacles. “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” The Temple masters were angry they could not restrain themselves; but the boy and girls cared not. They had eyes only for their Friend. “Hearest thou what these say?” said the scribes and Pharisees impatiently. Jesus was calm. He loved to hear the children. “It is such praise that God loves best,” was His answer; and it meant a great deal.

Perhaps some of you wish you had been in that procession. You wish you could have shouted, and sung, and flung your branches on the road to make a fair triumphal path for Jesus. Perhaps some of you think you would have preferred to scatter rose leaves in Jesus' way. You feel that only the best and the sweetest would be good enough for Him.

Well, boys and girls, you can still cast your palm branches or rose leaves at Christ's feet. You can still make beautiful His way. We are sometimes apt to think of Christ as being far up in some vague region beyond the skies which we call Heaven. That is a great mistake. Christ is in Heaven, but Heaven is much nearer us than we imagine, and He is also on earth. He comes to us in every opportunity to help our fellow-men. And if we are doing anything to make their road in life easier or more beautiful we are casting our palm branches and our rose leaves in Christ's path; we are making His way smoother, we are workers along with Him, making the world better and sweeter.

Shall I tell you a story I read the other day? It is an old tale, and it comes to us all the way from Hungary. There was once a good Queen of Hungary named Elizabeth. She was always thinking how she could help her subjects, and she was specially kind to those who were sick or in want. She was so interested in them that she often carried them food with her own hands. Now her husband was not pleased about this. He thought that it was beneath a Queen's dignity to do such humble service, and he forbade her to do it any more, saying that he would punish her if he found her doing it again.

One winter morning when the King was out hunting Elizabeth heard of some people who were hungry and in great distress. She filled her basket with bread and slipped out of the palace gate. And at the gate whom did she run into but the King himself, who had unexpectedly returned from the chase? He saw the basket and sternly bade her show him what it contained. Trembling, she removed the covering, and lo! the basket was filled with the most exquisite roses.

That is a story with many meanings, but what I want you to remember about it is this. Our little bit of help to others may in our eyes be but a small crumb to offer to the great Master. In His sight it is a fragrant rose of love.