On Palm Sunday, the crowds shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” This cry of praise also meant, “Save now!” or “Save please!” Jesus offered salvation but not in a way they ever expected. They wanted their situation changed. Jesus instead offered them transformation. That’s not unusual. When we cry out “Save us Jesus”, salvation comes, but along with it we are called into transformation.

Many times when we ask God to intervene, what we are really saying is God, take this or that particular hardship out of life, so life can go back to the way I liked it. Instead, God calls us into new life. When we cry out, “God save us,” unwittingly we are often crying out for God to change us as well.

What if we consciously asked not only to be saved but asked, “God how do you want to change me?” and then chose to follow. How rich might our world be? Rather than being disappointed in God not fitting our expectations, we would have the opportunity to move alongside, not against God’s work and God’s will.