The Mezuzah and the Palm

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

—John 12:13

I glanced at the corner of the door frame where I had tucked my palm branch under the edge of a mezuzah. I smiled at the juxtaposition of the two objects of faith, seemingly diametrically opposed to one another, the mezuzah of Jewish origin and the palm branch a symbol of Christianity.

My friend Stan brought the mezuzah back from his trip to the Holy Lands. As I unwrapped the souvenir and turned it over in my hands, Stan explained its significance.

Found in most Jewish homes, the mezuzah is a parchment scroll, contained in a decorative case, inscribed with specific Hebrew verses from the Torah, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21.

Stan didn’t need to recite those verses to me, because I was already quite familiar with them. In fact, I had just returned from a writers’ conference in Atlanta where I pitched a children’s book built on the premise of teachable moments. I had included those same verses in the book’s Note to Parents.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”—Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Taking verse 9 literally, Jews hang the ornament on the doorframes of their homes.

As Stan went on to explain why Jews install the mezuzah on the doorframe in cater-corner fashion, I sat, awestruck and open-mouthed, my eyes glued to the gift—more than a souvenir from a friend but a confirmation from God on my work.

I didn’t have a souvenir from my trip for Stan, but I had news to share that was about to burst through the slits in my mouth—a testimony of the goodness and faithfulness of God that spilled out before he finished his last word.

Praise.

That is what unites these unlikely companions of the faith, the mezuzah and the palm.

In the book of John, we read of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As the King of Kings rode in on a lowly donkey, a crowd (which I’m sure included children) walked along the road and welcomed Him, waving palm branches and praising, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!”

Praise.

That is what the King deserves—the King of Kings who rode in on a donkey. Another juxtaposition. For you might expect a king to arrive on a horse, but a donkey?

Yes, a donkey symbolizes peace, for Jesus came to serve and to save the oppressed. He came to save me. He came to save you. He came to pay a debt He didn’t owe, which is the greatest juxtaposition in the greatest story ever written.

Jesus paid the debt for every boy, girl, man, and woman. And for that, He has made a way for each of us to triumph over sin and gain entry into the city of the great King (Psalm 48:2).

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised” (Psalm 48:1)!

My palm branch tucked under the edge of the mezuzah at the entrance of my room reminds me to give praise to the One who gave me entrance to my room in heaven. Won’t you join me throughout this Holy Week and beyond in giving praise—praise as we impress the resurrection story on our little ones, praise as we sit at home and walk along the road, and praise as we share our God-stories with family and friends.

Dear Lord, thank You for taking my place on the cross, paying the penalty for my sins, and filling my heart with peace, my mouth with praise. Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!