Everyone loves a parade, even Hannah, our beginning-of-the-first-millennium seeker of the meaning of life.
Hannah started with a one and a half day fast in the wilderness where she stumbles onto the Jesus at the end of his 40-day fast. He gives her the answers to her questions, but she is not ready to hear them.
Hannah next goes to visit Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown.
There she meets friends, family, local rabbis–one sympathetic to Jesus, one definitely not–plus a Joseph and Sons carpentry customer, who is so disturbed that his job is not finished yet, because, he thinks, that Jesus has left town.
Bethany is the next stop. Hannah crashes a party celebrating Lazarus’ return from the grave. She tries hard, but remains an outsider.
Hannah just misses Jesus as he turns over the tables in the Temple, but she hears a vendor’s wife who has had a religious experience. (“I feel like I could be a new woman…somehow I don’t feel trapped anymore.”)
And, then, Hannah tries to get Jesus to come to her on her terms to rent a boat from which to preach on the Sea of Galilee.
And, last Sunday at the First United Methodist Church of Crystal Lake, Hannah stood with expectant residents of Jerusalem waiting for, as Pastor David Seyller put it, “The triumphant entry.”
Renee Schulz, author and director of this week’s script, put is slightly differently: “the way He should have been treated the whole time.”
Everyone loves a parade, especially one where a popular leader will appear. Jesus was at the height of his power on earth the week before his crucifixion. The expectations of the people lining the road to Jerusalem might remind people today of those awaiting the appearance of a worldly celebrity.
But this was more.
People were expecting “the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords,” as Pastor Seyller put it, “at least for a day.”
As the scene opens, the crowd is mingling Those present are excited. Two girls dance to the singing of “Beautiful One.”
Hannah is seen in the crowd’s back trying to see what’s happening.
Eventually, she crawls through and is near enough to hear young girls talking about Jesus.
“This is so exciting. Look how many people are cheering and happy to see him,” says Sapphira.
“I’m so excited I can hardly stand it,” Anna adds.
And, then that line, a variation of which, every parent has heard,
“Is he here yet? Is he here yet?”
Then, they see Abigail.
“I’m so glad you’re alive!”
“Yeah, me too,” the little girl replies.
Abigail’s mother Rahab explains that they wanted to make sure she was all well first.
Rahab talks about the miracles Jesus has performed.
“He deserves to be honored.”
“Did it hurt Abigail?” Sapphira asks. “I mean when you died.”
Hannah’s ears perk up:
Died?
After getting permission from her mother Abigail explains,
“It was very warm. That’s all I remember. I think my fever was quite high.
“I felt like I was going to sleep, and then I heard Jesus’ voice. It was so nice, you know, like he was my best friend ever. He’s amazing.”
Her three friends seem jealous.
“I had to die, Sapphira. You’re weird.”
“Am not!”
“You’re certainly back to your old selves,” Abigail’s mother remarks, as Hannah starts to get up, but bumps into her sister and stays on the ground, hiding from Joanna.
“Oh, no. What’s she doing here?” Hannah asks.
Hannah hears that Esther, Hannah’s sister’s friend, has been healed after touching Jesus’ robe.
“She was completely healed! Amazing,” Hannah says.
“Jesus make my life new,” Esther explained. “I feel like a child, full of life and love,” Having been healed, she was no longer cut off from society.
Tomorrow: Hannah discovers all of her family is in the crowd looking for her.