Lent Reading: Week 5, Day 1 (April 8)

Reading: Luke 19:28-44

²⁸ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

³² Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. ³³ As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴ They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵ They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

³⁷ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

⁴¹ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴² and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴ They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Reflection

The events of Palm Sunday begin "Holy Week" which culimates in the death and resurrection. No week of Jesus' life and ministry is as well documented and presnted to us as this week. So much happens during these 8 days (from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday)!

And as we look a this passage we see that Palm Sunday, like the entire Holy Week, is full of so much seemingly opposite emotions.

A few things to notice about this passage:

1. The journey to Jerusalem is still very much in the mind of Jesus. From the events that happened in Jericho (end of chapter 18 and earlier in chapter 19) Jesus is "going up to Jersualem" (verse 28). Nothing will stop his journey into Jerusalem and what awaits him there.

2. Jesus is organizing and almost staging the events of Palm Sunday. He is the one who directs his disciples to get the colt (verses 29-34). It is Jesus who "sits on the donkey" (verse 35). Jesus is in control of this event and indeed all the events of this Holy Week.

3. The response of the crowd is very much like the song of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus: “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (verse 38). Whenever Jesus comes--whether as an infant at Advent or into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday or back to the earth at the Final Judgment-- there is the message of peace and glory.

4. The final verses are startling (verses 39-44). The scene of Palm Sunday is both about (1) triumph and celebration and, at the very same time, it is about (2) judment and weeping. These two seeming contradictory emotions and responses (joy and sadness, celebration and lament) go together more often in the Bible's Story. We find also that these two emotions and responess so often go together in our lives. And, we also find out, that these are the very same two emotions of the season of Lent: (1) the judgment and sorrow over sin and (2) the joy of Jesus' victory over the sin.

May this same sorrow and joy wash over us during this season and whenever we think about Jesus' death and resurrection.