Who is this?
It is Jerusalem, during the seven day festival of Passover. Pilgrims have come to Jerusalem from distant places. Frequently they have been met by the citizens of Jerusalem, who came down the road to welcome them and escort them into the city. Together greeters and greeted sang sacred songs as they journeyed towards Jerusalem, enraptured by their first sight of the great temple that Herod had built for the worship of God.
On the day that we are reading about, while the pilgrims are preparing for worship in the temple, they hear it whispered that 'He' is coming. As people hear this, women children and men rush out of the town eagerly, laughing and excited. Who are they going to meet?
In order to find out the pilgrims follow the crowd. On the way they receive snippets of information. "This is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." 'He is a teacher." "He is the healer; he brought a man back to life after he had been dead for three days. The man who was dead is still alive and some of us have seen him, he lives just two miles from the city.'
As the procession comes into sight, people begin to rip off their cloaks, laying them down on the road to make a welcome carpet for the prophet to ride over. People wave huge palm leaves, shouting loudly, "Save now, save now" children jump and dance around clapping and shouting.
The man they are cheering looks very ordinary, none of his followers carry a banner, and he has no emblems on his robe, no uniformed retinue walk beside his horse, which is not a horse but a young donkey. This is Jesus. He is not smiling and acknowledging people like a celebrated person would, he does not ride with the proud posture of a monarch, actually who could do that while riding on a donkey? He does not wave and smile at the crowd around him. There seems something almost grim and determined about his expression, but what is he determined about?
Jesus stops riding and gazes at the city, the crowd stops and waits, and is suddenly amazed. The man they are giving a delirious welcome to is crying. Crying aloud in public. These are no quiet tears, like this man is reputed to have shed at the grave of his friend. No; these tears are accompanied by loud, lung wrenching sobs. The kind of sobs people weep in the time of tragedy. What is he weeping about? He is weeping about Jerusalem, city of heartbreak, scene of tragedies past and more to come. But why weep about the city, is he not the miracle worker, can he not remedy all and any of Jerusalem's tragedies?
"If only you knew,” Jesus says, speaking to the city he is looking at, "if only you knew what makes peace for you, but it is hidden, and your peace will not come, because you did not recognize the visitation of God."
He resumes riding and the mystified crowd moves with him. Those going in front and those following behind shouting out "Blessed is the coming reign in the name of our father David." As they come near to the city the priests come out and tell Jesus to keep the people keep quiet. Jesus gestures at the rocks around the city and says, “If the people keep quiet the rocks will shout out.” Nobody knows what he means.
During the days of the great feast of Passover Jesus remains in the neighborhood, sleeping in the little town of Bethany and returning daily to preach in the temple. He preaches in the various courtyards, and even called out loud in the temple itself. Making incredible statements like, “Whoever believes in me, living water will flow from his inner being.” Telling meaningful but not understandable stories about tenant farmers and vineyards, and visiting princes. Again and again people ask, “Who is this?” "Who is he really? They do not know, but on their answer to that question hangs their peace and their future.
Sources:
Wikipedia.org (Passover)
Alfred Edersheim: Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Pub Eerdmans
Wept over it: Luke 19:41
Who is this? Matthew 10: 10
Hymn. (This is not a link) Go to: http://www.cyberhymnal/. Look for title: Hosanna, Loud Hosanna.
On the day that we are reading about, while the pilgrims are preparing for worship in the temple, they hear it whispered that 'He' is coming. As people hear this, women children and men rush out of the town eagerly, laughing and excited. Who are they going to meet?
In order to find out the pilgrims follow the crowd. On the way they receive snippets of information. "This is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." 'He is a teacher." "He is the healer; he brought a man back to life after he had been dead for three days. The man who was dead is still alive and some of us have seen him, he lives just two miles from the city.'
As the procession comes into sight, people begin to rip off their cloaks, laying them down on the road to make a welcome carpet for the prophet to ride over. People wave huge palm leaves, shouting loudly, "Save now, save now" children jump and dance around clapping and shouting.
The man they are cheering looks very ordinary, none of his followers carry a banner, and he has no emblems on his robe, no uniformed retinue walk beside his horse, which is not a horse but a young donkey. This is Jesus. He is not smiling and acknowledging people like a celebrated person would, he does not ride with the proud posture of a monarch, actually who could do that while riding on a donkey? He does not wave and smile at the crowd around him. There seems something almost grim and determined about his expression, but what is he determined about?
Jesus stops riding and gazes at the city, the crowd stops and waits, and is suddenly amazed. The man they are giving a delirious welcome to is crying. Crying aloud in public. These are no quiet tears, like this man is reputed to have shed at the grave of his friend. No; these tears are accompanied by loud, lung wrenching sobs. The kind of sobs people weep in the time of tragedy. What is he weeping about? He is weeping about Jerusalem, city of heartbreak, scene of tragedies past and more to come. But why weep about the city, is he not the miracle worker, can he not remedy all and any of Jerusalem's tragedies?
"If only you knew,” Jesus says, speaking to the city he is looking at, "if only you knew what makes peace for you, but it is hidden, and your peace will not come, because you did not recognize the visitation of God."
He resumes riding and the mystified crowd moves with him. Those going in front and those following behind shouting out "Blessed is the coming reign in the name of our father David." As they come near to the city the priests come out and tell Jesus to keep the people keep quiet. Jesus gestures at the rocks around the city and says, “If the people keep quiet the rocks will shout out.” Nobody knows what he means.
During the days of the great feast of Passover Jesus remains in the neighborhood, sleeping in the little town of Bethany and returning daily to preach in the temple. He preaches in the various courtyards, and even called out loud in the temple itself. Making incredible statements like, “Whoever believes in me, living water will flow from his inner being.” Telling meaningful but not understandable stories about tenant farmers and vineyards, and visiting princes. Again and again people ask, “Who is this?” "Who is he really? They do not know, but on their answer to that question hangs their peace and their future.
Sources:
Wikipedia.org (Passover)
Alfred Edersheim: Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Pub Eerdmans
Wept over it: Luke 19:41
Who is this? Matthew 10: 10
Hymn. (This is not a link) Go to: http://www.cyberhymnal/. Look for title: Hosanna, Loud Hosanna.
posted by Jessie Coates at 8:53 PM
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