The loose coins jangled in my pocket, it felt strange to be so rich, and even more alien to be in the favour of the religious elite. One look at the likes of me usually set them rabbiting off all the laws I had broken by just waking in the morning. I had been dubious whether to accept their pay, but they just wanted information. To keep a close eye on a man, Jesus, the one they are starting to call the Messiah. Where was he going? Who was he talking to? What was he saying? If he began to incite the crowd, I was to notify them immediately.

Tensions were running high in the lead-up to the Passover. Excitement started to bubble up that the man who was going to save us from the Romans was coming. I’d tracked him from Jericho, hidden in plain sight amongst the crowds. He approached Bethphage. Jerusalem stretched out below him.

As he walked, he talked with his disciples. Snippets of conversation caught in the wind. Something about a horse. Was he ready to ride into battle? Suddenly two of them broke away and hurried towards the village. Concealing my identity with my cloak, I followed from a distance. Entering the narrow streets of the village, they glanced at each other, as if unsure of their next steps. Then resolutely they strode on until they came upon a colt, this was no stallion, no war horse, just the young of a donkey. They hesitated again, bolstering their confidence. As they made to steal the donkey the owners angrily rushed out of the house.

‘Hey, you! Why are you untying our colt?’

The reply came more calmly than expected from the clearly nervous disciples.

‘The Lord needs it’ they parroted back.

It must have been code, because the owners retreated back inside satisfied, as they strode back to Jesus with their prize. Approaching him they threw their cloaks over the colt. Jesus smiled gently at them. A look of tenderness. A gaze of compassion.

He swung himself easily over the colt’s back. It hardly flinched, yet it didn’t appear old enough to have been broken. Now, as he started to ride down towards Jerusalem, his face was set with a steely determination. Anticipation and excitement burst out of the crowd. Throwing their cloaks before him to mark his way, they began to praise God for all that he had done for them. For the friends they said this Jesus had healed. The people he had fed with just five loaves and two fish. The demons he had cast out. The dead he had raised to life. Compelled by their enthusiasm I threw my cloak in front of him, joining their shout.

‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven and glory to God in the highest.’

Was he really the Messiah? Was he really coming to overthrow the Romans? To bring salvation? Had God finally heard the cry of his people again?

‘Hosanna! Hosanna! God save us!’

Guilt overcame me, whilst the words were still forming on my lips. The Pharisees’ coins weighed heavy in my pocket. I wasn’t supposed to be joining him. For Israel to be redeemed, we couldn’t support this upstart of a Rabbi from Galilee. We had to stay pure, to stay clean. Nothing good can come from Nazareth. We all might break God’s law a little bit. But he really broke the law. He worked on the Sabbath. Healed a cripple, a woman no less, in the synagogue. An abomination the Pharisees said. I had had to quash my secret rising satisfaction that their pompousness was being brought low. But of course, I agreed with the Pharisees. This man was nothing but a troublemaker. Not the Messiah, just a fraud. He couldn’t even find a stallion to attack our oppressors.

I searched for my cloak amongst the torn and tattered garments strewed over the road. Grabbing one, I wrapped it around me again. I didn’t need to report my findings to the Pharisees. They were already here:

‘Tell your disciples to be quiet’.

‘If they were quiet, even the very stones would shout out’ replied Jesus.

I knew it then; the crowds were deceived. This charlatan was no saviour. He wouldn’t last much longer. He would fade away into oblivion soon enough. Hugging my cloak around me I slipped away. Desperate for God to save us.

Hosanna. Please, Lord. Hosanna. Hear my cry!