What’s In Your Cloak?

"WILL YOU LAY YOUR CLOAK DOWN, OR JUST WAVE?"

Then an exceptionally large crowd gathered and carpeted the road before him with their cloaks and prayer shawls. Others cut down branches from trees to spread in his path.

{Matthew 21:8 in The Passion Translation}

As many times as I have seen the scripture and celebrated in Palm Sunday services, I have never paid much attention to anything but the Palm Branches being waved, and shouts of Hosanna until a dear sister in the Lord and I were speaking about this verse. She had mentioned that The Lord had especially highlighted to her the Shawls used to cover the road as Jesus came into Jerusalem. It started to get me thinking...


Here is some history about the Shawls:

"The Tallit is a garment worn by those of Jewish faith as a symbol of communal solidarity and devotion to their God. The Tallit (prayer shawl) was to remind the Jews of the Commandments of the Torah. The numerical value of the word Tzitzit (fringes) on the shawl is 600.

Each of the fringes contains 8 threads and 5 knots, making a total of 613. This number corresponds to the 613 commandments contained in the Torah. The remaining number equals the numerical value of the word ehad (“one”) – the last word in the opening verse of the Shema (Hebrew: “Hear”).

The fringes of the Tallit thus not only remind the Jew of the 613 divine commandments, but also underscore the central doctrine of Judaism: "The Lord is One".

According to the Midhrāsh (“exposition, investigation” plural Midrashim - a mode of biblical interpretation prominent in the Talmudic literature. The term is also used to refer to a separate body of commentaries on Scripture that use this interpretative mode) Wrapping ourselves in the prayer shawl can aid us in attaining a proper mood of reverence for God and, a prayerful spirit during our worship."

That is what the Jews did. But is that all????

These two items – cloaks and palm branches – carry significance for them and I believe for us now.


A short note about the branches:

John portrays the Triumphal Entry in Jerusalem as a picture of what happens in the heavenly Jerusalem – with multitudes, palm branches, and shouts to The Lord.

The palm branches also call us back to the Feast of Booths – a feast designated to remind Israel of God’s guidance out of Egypt. In every observance of the Feast of Booths, the people would “take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” {Leviticus 23:40)}.


Spreading garments out for someone to walk on is more than an act of chivalry (i.e., spreading your coat over puddle so a lady does not soil her feet). It is connected with Christ’s Triumphal Entry in that it is a show of deference and honor, but spreading garments out before someone was an act of submission paid to royalty.


I sensed this may be a very important scripture message to us today. What’s in your cloak/shawl?

We are still in a battle, since times beginning, between the forces of Good and Evil. Even though the devil is a defeated foe, his plans and devices have not changed much. If you are in battle and you are leading troops, you need to know two things:

1) Something about your enemy, and, 2) a strategy to defeat them. Nothing has changed. The Jewish people back then knew Jesus was the answer. So, do we? There is not politician that can get us out of the current fickle, I believe!

If you read the passage, the 'crowd gathered' first. The second step was to lay down their cloaks/shawls. The last step was to wave the palm branches and cried "Hosanna", which in that application, meant ‘God save us”.


Are we not crying that now, in these tumultuous times, ‘God Save Us ‘?


Are we in solidarity with the whole gospel message/and our brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we in Relationship with Him, in more than a Sunday visit way? Are we ready to “hear” what He has to say, even when its hard? Are their spots and wrinkles on your ‘shawls’?

What does your shawl mean to you? Since coats / shawls also represent coverings, is Jesus yours? Who or what are you looking to for your deliverance? A vaccine? A leader? Are you a waver or crier? Have you done the first steps?


Back then the people looked to Jesus for Deliverance from Roman Rule! At the Triumphal Entry, Christ was celebrated as the one who would bring His people out of the captivity and slavery of sin (the spiritual Egypt, if you will). Again, are we now in the same spot?

There is so much more to significance to this passage than I am going with this piece. This is just a snippet of what I felt The Lord saying to me when I read this.

 

Here's Bottom line:

I sense the Lord calling the Body of Christ to unity, worship, humility, total surrender and obedience. I believe He is calling us to lay down our 'coats', of pride, fear, disobedience, idolatry and more. He was us to pick up the prayer, ‘shawl’, repent, and put feet to our faith! Then when we cry out "Hosanna, GOD SAVE US", we WILL hear from Heaven.

There are many different interpretations of this story and of the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. Both of these events happened before His crucifixion. Please note, Jesus was NOT a passive individual. He took care of business! I believe we need to seek Him as to where or what He is calling us to, that will unlock the doors to our deliverance. But as my friend was highlighting this passage to me, this is my interpretation.

Are we willing to lay it all down? Are we willing to kick the ‘thieves’ out of our Temple? Then we can come before Him with cleans hands and a pure heart. Then we can offer our ‘Waves’ and Shouts of “Hosanna, God Save us!" without spiritual static!

God answered the cries of His people in Psalm 107!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron.
Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits' end.[b]
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad that the waters[c] were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
And there he lets the hungry dwell,
and they establish a city to live in;
they sow fields and plant vineyards
and get a fruitful yield.
By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their livestock diminish.
When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
but he raises up the needy out of affliction
and makes their families like flocks.
The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

{Psalm 107 ESV}

Remember Good always triumphs over evil! God is not a God that lies or changes!

Be encouraged! Happy and Blessed Resurrection Day!


- Josephine Marie Ayers, April 2021