FAITH MATTERS
Essence of God’s love displayed on Palm Sunday
Transformation of the flock who celebrated arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem into a mob days later illustrative of the human condition.
April 12, 2025
By Bishop Gerard Bergie
Contributing Columnist
For many Christians throughout the world, Sunday is Palm Sunday. We commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
We are told that crowds lined the streets holding palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel.” (John 12:13)
The gospel proclaimed on Palm Sunday is the Passion of our Lord (Luke 22:14-23,56). It stands in stark contrast to the joyful crowds praising Jesus as he enters Jerusalem. Only five days later, the same crowd is jeering at him and crying out “crucify him!” Why such an abrupt change?
Some would say it is because of the “herd mentality.”
Wikipedia states that herd, or mob, mentality happens when people’s behaviour or beliefs conform to those of the group to which they belong. This psychological phenomenon can have profound impacts on human behaviour. This was clearly demonstrated in the crowds who surrounded Jesus.
In a large crowd or mob, people can be easily manipulated by others to act impulsively. This was certainly the case with Jesus. Initially, the crowds praised Jesus, and then they condemned him.
I believe we often see the herd mentality in the protests that our world has been experiencing recently. Even in our country of Canada we have seen gatherings that began peacefully and then deteriorated into chaos and arbitrary violence. Sadly, this mentality is part of our human condition.
In this present world, we can so easily become followers of the herd. From a faith perspective, this is not what God wants for us. We are called to something better.
In the eyes of God, we are a flock, not simply a herd.
Jesus states, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:14-15,27)
A flock is a community; it is not a crowd or a mob. What unites the flock is not a certain mindset or ideology. The source of unity is the shepherd who forms a cohesive group, not a crowd. They are bound together by the love and care of the shepherd. This sentiment is captured so beautifully in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
Jesus knows us as unique individuals and calls us by name to follow him and not the crowd. In order for this to happen we need to know the shepherd’s voice. First, we need to remove the noise and distractions and then make an effort to build a relationship with him.
We grow in trust because we know that we are loved by the shepherd. He is willing to lay down his life to save us.
This brings us back to Palm Sunday and the Passion. Here we see the essence of God’s love. It transcends mere sentiment and is rooted in sacrifice.
In the Gospel of John we read the following, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Jesus freely offered his life on the cross in order to save humanity.
The world can often treat us like a herd. The truth is that we are a flock, and the Lord is our shepherd who became the sacrificial lamb to save us. “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”