Mt. 21:1-11; Is. 50:4-7; Phil. 2:6-11; Mt. 26:14-27:66
The triumphal procession paraded through the streets with captives, representations of conquered cities, peoples, rivers, and mountains. It was a magnificent display of martial power, the glory of war, and the splendid rewards for victory. The culmination of the procession was the appearance of the triumphing general in his chariot drawn by four horses. The triumphal procession created an otherworldly visual experience for the spectators, in which they saw the foreign, the exotic, and the mythical, parade before their eyes.
The Jews look away as Roman troops parade through the streets of Jerusalem, holding high the standard bearing the Roman
eagle. Every time they shop in the market square, they pay merchants with Roman coins stamped with the likeness of Cesar. Rome’s presence, power, and domination is seen everywhere, even in their court system where the governor of Rome administers Roman law, overriding their own high priest and religious leaders.On this last Sunday prior to Easter Sunday, we are celebrating another triumphal entry. It proclaims the Kingship of Jesus.
The First Reading from the Gospel of Matthew [Mt. 21:1-11] provided us with the account of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This event was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah who said, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." [Zech. 9:9; Mt. 21:5]
Summarizing the Gospel Reading [Mt. 26:14-27:66] that gave an account of the Passion of the Lord, we heard of the betrayal of Judas, of Jesus celebrating the Passover with His disciples, of His institution of the Lord's Supper, the foretelling of Peter's denial, the praying of Jesus in Gethsemane and of His arrest. Then there was the appearance of Jesus before the high priest, Peter's denial of the Lord, Jesus appearing before Pilate, the death (suicide) of Judas, Pilate questioning Jesus, the people being given a choice between Barabbas or Jesus, Pilate handing Jesus over to be Crucified, the soldiers mocking Jesus, the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus and the event surrounding the guards at the tomb.
The triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday was the most famous parade in history. It was strictly a pick-up procession, starting from the suburbs of Bethany, up the hill from the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem, and was about two miles distance from the city gate known as The Beautiful Gate. That gate has long since been sealed over, but the arches still show in the wall.
The population of Jerusalem was about 120,000 in Jesus’ time, and the city was jammed with thousands more visitors for the Passover celebration. It was a perfect time for the Messiah to come into the city. It was likely a straggly procession, with Jesus on the donkey, and the donkey’s colt plodding alongside of them; then, the cluster of disciples, and close followers either running ahead to spread palm branches or trailing along behind.
So, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem that morning, the crowds that sing and shout and follow him are admirers. They like that Jesus stands up to their own corrupt political leaders and religious figures. They like that Jesus seems to be a man of the people, that he eats with sinners and talks with prostitutes.
They have been looking for a hero, and Jesus is the flavor of the day. And, of course, there were strange reports that he could heal people, feed people, and that when he prayed evil spirits fled from those they possessed.
All the more reason to admire Jesus — he was both a revolutionary and a mystic. A great combination for the nation.
But the problem with admirers is that they see what they want to see in their hero of the day. What the crowds saw in Jesus was the son of Joseph, not the Son of God. They saw him as a revolutionary, not as Redeemer. They wanted another Maccabee, not a new Messiah. In short, they admired Jesus because they thought he was the answer to all their problems.
Jesus Picks Up Some Opposition on is journey. In what is an otherwise jubilant scene of singing and shouting and celebration, the Pharisees shout out to Jesus, “Rebuke your disciples!”
In other words, “Tell them to stop. You’ll upset the Romans, and besides, you’re no king or messiah.”
Jesus’ reply is that even if he tells his followers to be quiet, the stones themselves will cry out with joy.
This is not the first time he has encountered opposition. Jesus has been opposed from the very beginning of his ministry:
-In Nazareth, the synagogue crowd didn’t like his interpretation of the prophet Isaiah;
-When he healed the man on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused him of being a Sabbath-breaker;
-When he re-interpreted the Torah, the Law of Moses, they murmured against him;
-When he proclaimed that he would tear down the Temple and rebuild it in 3-days, they tore their clothes and shouted in disapproval.
No, this wasn’t the first time he met opposition, but now the opposition was determined to stop him. He was too popular, too charismatic, too much trouble for him to be allowed to continue. He had to be stopped, even if they had to kill him.
It is overwhelming to sense the power, the armament, the majestic aura, that surrounds the presence of a king. There is something awe-inspiring about royal power. We could add that there is something awesome about all political and military power which marks the trains of kings, prime ministers, and presidents.
There is one exception with Jesus. Jesus is a different kind of king. Whereas most royalty comes determined to rule, He comes determined to serve. Whereas most monarchs spend time building their egos with the perquisites of office, He comes with a totally disarming humility. Whereas most kings ride white stallions or majestic cars, King Jesus rides a donkey. The King chose His vehicle of transportation. The horse stands for war; that’s what the people wanted. They yearned for a leader who would set them free from the yoke of Rome. Jesus rode a donkey, a symbol of meekness, of peace. How different are the swishing of palm branches from the click of crossed swords or the deafening blast of gun salute.
Jesus was different in every way; He stopped and wept for Jerusalem. He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37).
He healed broken bodies as the blind and lame freely approached Him the days after His triumphal entry, which so quickly turned into the day of His crucifixion. He didn’t keep them waiting. He didn’t flaunt His rank in their faces. The simple people, the people with broken bodies and shattered dreams, the people with bruised spirits, the people who hurt in the soul where you can really feel hurt, these He took to Himself. He did it then; He does it now. That’s the kind of Lord He is!
Today, as we pause at the doorway of Holy Week, we sneak a look at the man riding on the donkey, and we see him gazing about at us…and then looking on ahead to the pain, the suffering, the darkness, the betrayals, and the cross that he knows awaits him. And as we look upon our true King, his arms spread wide in forgiving love, we proclaim: “That’s our God for us! Yes…that’s exactly what our God is like!”
And from the donkey’s back, Jesus urges us to trust him, and to trust his intentions to provide what we need…what we really need.
Satish