Jesus & Banana Peels
What a three year old playing Mario Kart can Teach us about Palm Sunday
We were entering the final lap of an intense race in the Dry Dry Desert. I checked my blind spot before switching lanes and was gearing up to throw my red shell when Uriah said something that made me pause…
“Hey Papa, did you know? I am intentionally driving into the banana peels on the course so that you won’t hit them.”
My heart warmed with pride at this kind-hearted kiddo. I pulled out my phone, texted my wife what our son had just said, and then continued winning the competition. Don’t think that just because I am playing Mario Kart with my three-year-old that I am going to let him win!
It wasn’t until later that I realized Uriah’s actions were precisely what Holy Week is all about.
Jesus’s Triumphant Entry
Today is Palm Sunday. Christians throughout the globe recognize this day as the beginning of Holy Week, marked by Christ’s triumphant entry into the holy city of Jerusalem as their King.
One of the few stories that appears in all four Gospels, Palm Sunday fulfills Zechariah’s prophecy in the Old Testament and establishes Jesus as the King who was sent for the salvation of our souls.
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9, NIV
As Jesus rode into the city on a colt, the crowd that had gathered from all over the world for the Passover festival began waving palm branches, shouting, “Hosanna!” meaning, “Save us, we pray!”
While He was being glorified as their King in these moments, the crowd would soon be shouting, “Crucify!” and “We want Barrabas!” in just a few short days. The same road he was currently being praised on would be a stone’s throw away from the blood-sweat-tears He would be weeping in the Garden of Gethsemane. Make no mistake: Jesus’s triumphant entry took tremendous humility.
The crowd wanted a Savior who would fulfill their political gain. Yet, Jesus had something different in mind: He came to slip on the banana peels so that we didn’t have to.
Mario Kart & Palm Sunday
Jesus used my son yesterday to remind me of what holy week is all about. For those who have never played Mario Kart before, it is a racing game where items can stand in the road and cause your vehicle to stumble. As the race goes on, more and more items appear in the street, making it difficult to drive safely to your destination.
Uriah wanted to ensure that his daddy had safe passage to the finish line, so he intentionally ran into the banana peels in the road so that I wouldn’t feel the weight of their peel. Just as Christ chose the cross to atone for the sins of the world, my son chose last place in our race to guarantee victory for his papa.
Cheesy? Or peely? Absolutely. But now you won’t look at a banana again without thinking about the incredible gift of salvation that is freely given to you because Jesus chose the cross.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
Jesus could have chosen victory for Himself, but instead, He chose victory for His sons and daughters.
So this week, reflect on what God’s gift of salvation accomplishes for you. How are you benefiting from Jesus’s sacrifice? In what ways is God still running into banana peels for you today? Comment down below and share with a friend: