4th Passiontide
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| John August Swanson |
Palm Sunday
Matthew 21: 1-11
And they
approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage by the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus
sent two disciples ahead and said to them, “Go to the village which you see
before you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there and her foal with
her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him
that the Lord needs them, and he will let you take them right away.”
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
‘Say to the daughter of Zion,
Behold, your king comes to you in majesty.
Gentle is He, and He rides on a donkey and on a foal of the beast of
burden.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought
the donkey and the foal, placed their garments on them, and Jesus sat on them.
Many out of the large crowd spread their clothes on
the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
The crowds that went ahead of them and followed Him shouted:
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the Name and Power of the Lord!
Hosannah in the highest! [Sing to Him in the highest heights!]
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who
is he?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in
Galilee.”
4th Passiontide, Palm Sunday
Matthew 21: 1 – 11
In many parts of the world, Passion Plays are still
performed. The drama of Holy Week is enacted, sometimes with whole villages
participating.
Holy Week itself is a kind of cosmic drama. Each event, each
gesture, each word has deep significance. Christ’s entry into Jerusalem is at the same time the entry into
Holy Week.
The scene is staged by Christ himself. As the all-knowing
director of the drama, He sends His disciples to fetch the props: two donkeys,
a mother and her foal. The prophet Zechariah had already given part of the
script:
 |
| Hippolyte Flanders |
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion !
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem .
Behold your King is coming to you.
He is just and endowed with
salvation
Humble and mounted on a donkey
Even on a colt, the foal of a
donkey! Zechariah 9:9
The people too, are familiar with the script. And when they
see Him entering Jerusalem
on a donkey, they know immediately, or think they know, what this means: their
new king is entering his capital city, now lying under Roman occupation. And
they play their part, shouting in triumph the words of David’s hymn. (Psalm 143)
We, too, in hindsight, know the script. And we know, as does
the Director and true Author of the script, that a profound irony is being
enacted. The people’s expectation of an earthly king will not be fulfilled. By
the end of the week, enraged and disappointed, they will be calling for His
execution.
Yet an even deeper current of meaning flows just beneath,
and above the surface of the narrative. Something unexpected will happen. After
three days His death will be transformed into a kingdom of Life
 |
| William Holman Hunt |
Sometimes with
the bones of the black
sticks left when the fire
has gone out
someone has written
something new
in the ashes
of your life.
You are not leaving, you are
arriving.[1]
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