FLAUNTING IGNORANCE

Jesus sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord has occasion for it and will return it shortly.’”

-Mark 11:1-3

Introduction: More Than a Parade

Palm Sunday is often presented as a joyous prelude to Easter—children waving palm branches, choirs singing “Hosanna,” and churches celebrating with smiles and songs. But beneath the surface of this “celebration” lies a tragic misunderstanding—both historically and theologically.

How many ever bother to ask: What were the people of Jesus' day actually celebrating? And an even more pressing question: Are we, like them, misunderstanding the King and misrepresenting His mission while we're busy flaunting ignorance?

The Political Symbolism of Palms and “Hosanna!”

The waving of palms in 1st-century Judea was not a spontaneous show of joy—it was a nationalistic and political gesture. Palms were engraved on Hasmonean coins as symbols of Jewish independence, and the cry of “Hosanna” (“Save now!”) had become a rallying cry for Messianic deliverance from Rome, not a call for spiritual salvation.

📖 See: John 12:13; Psalm 118:25-26; Zechariah 9:9

The crowd wanted a warrior king, not the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. They wanted a political revolution, not personal redemption. And when Jesus didn’t meet their expectations, the same crowd that shouted “Hosanna!” shouted “Crucify Him!” just a few days later.

Stoicheia: Traditions Rooted in the World, Not the Word

Paul warns believers about being captivated by “elemental principles” (στοιχεῖα, stoicheia)—the basic, worldly traditions that masquerade as spiritual wisdom but are devoid of true gospel power.

📖 Colossians 2:8 – "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world (stoicheia), and not according to Christ."

Blind religious tradition—especially when divorced from God’s revealed Word—becomes a form of idolatry, even if it masquerades as worship.

A Misunderstood “Need” in Mark 11:3

Jesus said, “The Lord has χρείαν of it [the colt]” (Mark 11:3). Virtually every English translation (except for the Mace New Testament of 1729 AD) renders χρείαν as “need,” yet the use of that word can be theologically misleading. God is not needy.

In truth, Jesus didn’t need the colt—He chose to use it. χρείαν here is better understood as “use” or “purpose.” The donkey becomes a metaphor for the Church—not necessary to God's mission, but graciously included for His glory. When we twist this into thinking God needs us, we fall into prideful tradition and false religion. The kings of Israel and Judah got to that dark place of believing God "needed" them to accomplish His will. Therefore God declared through Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” - Isaiah 7:14

📖 Acts 17:25 – “Nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything…”

When Tradition Trumps Scripture:

This is where the Protestant Reformation stood firm: Scripture over tradition. Yet Roman Catholic doctrine, especially as codified in the Council of Trent (1545–1563), elevates church tradition to an infallible status equal to Scripture—an inversion of God’s order. That's the exact same error the Pharisees made with their oral traditions, and King Jesus rebuked them, saying in Matthew 15:3-9, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?... So for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly of you...”

Here are just a few anathemas (official curses) from the Roman Catholic Council of Trent that contradict Protestant beliefs:

❌ Canon 9 – Against Justification by Faith Alone

“If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone… let him be anathema.”

✅ Contradicted by:

• Ephesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

• Romans 3:28 – “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

• Galatians 2:16 – “...a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ...”

❌ Canon 24 – Works Required to Preserve and Increase Justification

“If anyone says that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works… let him be anathema.”

✅ Contradicted by:

• Galatians 3:3 – “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

• Romans 11:6 – “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”

❌ Canon 30 – Denial of Perseverance of the Saints

“If anyone says that after the grace of justification has been received… he cannot lose grace… let him be anathema.”

✅ Contradicted by:

• John 10:28–29 – “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

• Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

• Romans 8:30 – “And those whom he justified he also glorified.”

❌ Marian Doctrines (Not directly from Trent but rooted in post-biblical tradition and official dogma)

"Mother of God", "Full of Grace", "Perpetual Virginity", "Co-Redemptrix"

✅ Contradicted by:

• Luke 1:28 – “Greetings, O favored one...” (Greek: kecharitōmenē = highly favored, not "full of grace")

• Matthew 1:24–25 – “...but knew her not until she had given birth to a son.”

• Mark 6:3 – “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?”

• 1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

The TRUE Church’s Call: Return to the WORD, Not the World:

True worship is not found in traditions like waving palms or following empty rituals. It’s found in our total abandon unto YAHWEH, i.e. surrender—like the donkey, content to carry the King in humble obedience.

Jesus Doesn’t Need Us; He Chooses & Invites Us:

This Palm Sunday, let us not cheer for a Savior we’ve remade in and conformed to our image... only to betray and abandon Him when He doesn't perform for us. Instead, let us fall on our knees and faces before the King who came to die—and examine whether our worship is shaped by the WORD of God or the traditions of men in this fallen world.

📖 2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith…”

Call to Action:

As we enter Passion Week, let us resist the allure and ignorance of shallow celebration. Let us ask ourselves:

• Am I waving palms in ignorance?

• Do I, like that crowd at His Triumphal Entry, only want Jesus if He advances my plans? Is my prayer that He would increase and I diminish (John 3:30)?

• Am I following religious tradition or biblical truth?

  
  

The invitation from the KING of kings and LORD of lords is not for us to flaunt ignorance. Instead, it is for us to find joy and contentment in being like that donkey—anonymous, unglamorous, selected, and not "needed" but used. Am I faithful rather than fickle? If so, I am chosen to carry the weight of GLORY, indeed the light of the GOSPEL, into the dark chaos of this fallen world!

Blessings & love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Senior Pastor

Big Island Christian Church