Hosanna

Hosanna

A Short Story about Palm Sunday

By Ella Quill

“Anna…” Micah softly tousled his sleeping sister’s hair. 

The seven-year-old stirred and slowly opened her eyes. “Micah, what are you doing?” She yawned, clutching the doll her Eema had made her. 

“Come, little lamb.” Micah gently pulled her up. “We’re going to go see an important man today.”

“That doesn’t sound very fun.” Anna rubbed at her eyes as she followed her brother out and into the main room of their home. Their parents were still sleeping in the other room that was partitioned by a curtain. She grabbed a cup and drank thirstily from it while Micah combed through her hair. “Why are we going to see this man, Micah?” 

“Because he is a good man that I want to see.” He replied, handing her a pair of sandals, which she slid on. Then he took her by the hand, and led her to the door. 

She watched as he kissed the Torah scroll that was on their door frame on his way out. The morning air was a bit chilly, and she huddled close to Micah as they made their way through the city. 

A large crowd was slowly forming as the sun rose higher in the blue sky, and Micah, with his strong arms, lifted Anna onto his shoulders. “Ah, here we are. Can you see anything?” He asked her. 

“No, there’s nothing there except for all the people.” She replied. “They are taking off their cloaks and laying them down on the road. Why, Micah?”

“Ah, that’s a way of showing honor to the man who is coming.” Micah answered, moving through the busy crowd. He nearly bumped into another man, who was holding a large bunch of palm leaves.

“I’m sorry.” The man said, and then he glanced up at Anna. “Are you excited to see Jesus?” He grinned. 

She cocked her head. “Who is Jesus?”

“Some say he’s a prophet. Others say he’s the Messiah.” The man replied, and then he took a leaf from his pile and handed one to her. “Here, child. We are waving palms to celebrate his entry.”

Suddenly, a triumphant cheer rose up from the crowd and Anna bounced on Micah’s shoulder, pointing. “There he is, Micah!”

A man riding on a donkey colt came down the line of cloaks covering the road. He smiled wide at all the people gathered there. Several men flanked him, keeping the crowd from pressing in too close. 

Micah nodded, a smile growing on his face. He then shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David!”

Others around him began echoing it, shouting out, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!”

“Hosanna!” Anna cheered, waving her palm branch.

Jesus looked her way and made eye-contact with her. His kind smile struck Anna and it made her wave the palm branch even more. “Hosanna in the Highest!”

Jesus rode on past them and towards the temple. Micah went with the crowd who followed him. He let Anna down off his shoulders and took her hand. “Come! Let’s go follow him!”

She gripped her palm branch as they followed Jesus into the temple courts. 

Jesus got off the donkey and stepped inside the temple courts. Anna tried to keep up with Micah, and as they watched, Jesus began overturning the money changers tables. 

“What is he doing?” Anna asked, looking up at her older brother. 

“He is setting things right.” Micah replied. “Making the temple a holy place again.”

Some children nearby were still waving their palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna!” 

Anna joined them, raising hers and chorusing with them. “Hosanna to the Son of David!” 

A man nearby, dressed in fine robes, exclaimed to Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” He huffed, adjusting his long prayer shawl. 

Jesus replied with a smile towards the children and then said, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants, you, Lord, have called forth your praise!’” And then he walked away. 

Anna tugged at Micah’s robe. “Is that man a king?”

Micah shrugged and gently squeezed her hand. “I don’t know, little lamb, but I hope he is.”