Reflections on Palm Sunday: The Power of Discernment

It’s Palm Sunday—the beginning of Holy Week. As I reflect on that very first Palm Sunday, I picture Jesus and His disciples entering Jerusalem during Passover. They were greeted by crowds waving palm leaves and shouting in celebration, but I can’t help but think of the scripture in John 2:24-25

“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.”

Knowing Without Being Told

I imagine hundreds, if not thousands, of people surrounding Him, but He did not need to talk to them to know them. He let their energy speak to Him to confirm who they were. Jesus had the gift of discernment; He knew people without needing to “get to know” them.

I often think about how much would be different—and perhaps better—if we all leaned into that same gift. I believe the Spirit of God lives in us. Since we are made in His image, I believe we have that same ability to discern people just like Jesus did.

The Voice of Intuition

Discernment is knowing, but not knowing how you know. My mother would call it her “Sixth Sense.” It’s that small voice I refer to as intuition, which is ultimately God guiding me. It’s the voice that—every time I am not still enough to listen or I go against it out of my own ego—always proves it was right all along.

I believe discernment needs to be taught to our children. We need to learn to recognize it—not just learn from it, but also to accept it and trust it. After all, do we know better than the Man Upstairs?

Wisdom in Motion

I want to walk in those footsteps of Jesus. I want to trust that inner voice before the heartbreak happens, not after. Because at the end of the day, discernment isn’t judgment—it’s simply wisdom in motion, helping us navigate a world that isn’t always what it seems.