All About Palms

Palm - Why the Palm? I often wonder why the soft part in our hand is called a palm.

True, if you put the palms of your hands together, fingers long and touching, hold it downward and then open the fingers while keeping the two palms connected - and you have the idea of the top of a palm tree, my fingers being the fronds. And daily, I smile at and admire the popular hair styles on young African American tall basketball players, reminding me of Pindo palms with their wispy branches growing every-which-away, without order, at the top of the huge stump of a tree trunk. 

But it is the vision of Palmae Arecacaea, of the tropical-subtropical, monocotyledonous tree family - a simple long stem of a tree crowned at the top by large pinnate or fan-shaped leaves we call fronds. We see these trees along the beaches of the world, often leaning, because of the severe winds that beat on them in storms, bending like a limber Pilates instructor so low to one side you are sure it will fall, or better, one confronts a sturdier straight up palm tree, those that line long streets and roads like a troop of soldiers in many cities and even driveways of the wealthy all over the tropical or semi-tropical areas of this world. 

For me, the entrance to Colonia in Uruguay, with its kilometers of sturdy, military stance, fat, sturdy palms with that flop of leaves at the top, is one of my favorite drives in this world. It makes you smile, and it silently comments that “we are almost there” after two hours or more on the route from Montevideo. It is most welcoming, a strong hello. 

In Jerusalem and Egypt, since the beginning of art or record of the oldest examples of palms, there are these same sturdy trees producing giant clusters of dates which agile and barefooted men climb up the trunk to snip out and throw down the fresh crop of dates (think green grapes gone wild.) Well, nothing so beautifully represents victory, triumph and honor than does a palm branch. In the Kabbalah, it is considered the tree of life. 

Why the palm? Why did Jesus ask for palm branches to cover the ground down which he would travel on a donkey to his death? Well, maybe the answer is because it was what was there, what was easy to get. It was and still is the most prominent tree of Jerusalem, of Israel, of all the Middle East. It was native. It was especially integrated into the life of all those in that part of the world. Every piece of the palm tree was useful: its betel leaf was chewed for energy, as were the areca nuts. Palm branches had a multitude of uses: for furniture baskets, palm oil, wine, for good health, even clothing and religious ceremonies and of course we know dates, coconuts, bananas and hearts of palm come from some sort of palm tree.  In Jesus day, palm dates were vital to human survival, energy food that could be hauled long distances across the hot dry desert. To come across a small group of palm trees in the hot, scorching sun was often a life saver, a much-needed rest.

But with a little research, I learned that the palm was a symbol of triumph and victory. The Romans rewarded the best of the palm branches not only the victorious in games with palm branches but also celebrated military success. It symbolized victory for the faithful over enemies. So, ironically, the scattering of palm branches for Jesus to pass upon on a beast meant triumph and victory, even though he was on a donkey rather than a handsome horse. 

The word “palm” has strange meanings today - magicians and card tricksters do magic with their palms. Baseball players palm thing to conceal in or with a pitch. Basketball players when dribbling and momentarily rest the ball briefly in the hand, commit a violation of palming the ball; soccer players oven knock the ball away from the goal with the palm of the hand and that is a foul or just a dishonest attempt to win. Con men palm off plastic as leather and female shop lifters palm off a lipstick before exiting a store, and of course there are palm readers who like to cover your future and can be either positive or negative in what he or she sees in those lines of your palm.
But for Jesus, in the last moments of his short life on earth, the palm branch became a principal part of adoration of this only Son of God who came humbly to save us, teach us, lead us to the arms of His Father. Palm Sunday heads the most excruciating and painful week in our faith, yet it is a symbol of victory, of triumph, of superiority. He chose the simple things - a donkey with her colt, a simple unadorned cloak as a saddle while the audience which he was passing spread their cloaks on the road on which the palm branches were tossed. And the crowds went ahead of him, like an announcer, shouting Hosannah to the Son of David. “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest heaven!”  

When they stepped across the line of Jerusalem and entered its streets at that moment in turmoil, the whole city was curious, was whispering who is this coming into our city. The crowds knew. They knew who this was. He was not from Jerusalem. They shouted out: “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” That was all one needed to know. And surely most of the crowd was dumbfounded, wondering who was a prophet they didn’t know, and what was someone from Nazareth doing crossing into their city. I wonder if they picked up any of the palm branches over which Jesus and his entourage had walked.

Just as Isaiah in his tough times set his face like flint to his destination, knowing he would not be put to shame, Jesus was ready to confront his adversaries. Isaiah wanted that opportunity to let them know that the Lord God helps him, is there for him. “The Lord God helps me,” he declared.  He knew he would not be put to shame. So, Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee could claim the same thing. Who could declare him guilty of anything? He was on a mission set for him by His Father. So, we can always remember this day. Just open your palm and see him with us always. 

 ~ Rev

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audrey@audreytaylorgonzalez.com
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