Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, March 24, 2013 Read – Luke 19:28-44 All four gospel writers tell the story of Jesus entry into Jerusalem in words that are strikingly similar. We have not mentioned the gospel of John very much since most of John’s story is not found in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). From this point on the story in all four gospels begins to converge. Lest we think that they all tell the same story however, we need to be watching for the modifications. Luke is basically following Mark. The first part of the story relates how Jesus sent two of his disciples into the town to fetch a donkey for Jesus to ride in a procession into Jerusalem. This is not the first time Luke tells us that Jesus sent disciples ahead to prepare the way. We need to recall the sending of disciples into the village of the Samaritans when Jesus began the journey (Luke 9:52). It appears in all the gospel stories that Jesus has made arrangements ahead of time with the owner of the donkey – though all four gospel writers also want to picture Jesus has a prophet who keeps his word. The story is a bit ambiguous. Once the donkey is secured Jesus begins his journey into Jerusalem. He would have come over the top of the mountain and looked down upon the city. Even the today the view is spectacular. The site is the Mount of Olives and that is significant for the story. The prophet Zechariah had prophesied of the coming day when the Messiah’s feet would stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4-5). In Zechariah’s vision the mountain is split in two as a cataclysmic sign of the impending “Day of the Lord.” That does not happen in the story however the recollection of Zechariah’s words is important. It was also Zechariah who prophesied that the Messiah would come riding on a lowly donkey (Zechariah 9:9). The gospel writers, Luke included, want their readers to be mindful of these words. Only Matthew specifically quotes from Zechariah at this point – the others are content only to make a clear allusion. We are so used to thinking of the cutting and spreading of palm branches in this story that we might be surprised to see the Luke leaves that part out. We will learn soon enough why Luke has done that. Luke joins the others in telling about the crowd travelling with Jesus removing their outer garments and spreading them on the road. In a symbolic gesture they are divesting themselves of their symbols of status. The whole event may also recall the enthronement of Solomon as king (1 Kings 1:33-35) and of Jehu’s rise to power (2 Kings 9:13). Finally, the words of Psalm 118 are ringing through the air – “Blessed be the king who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 118:26). And Luke’s readers immediately recall the lament over Jerusalem of Jesus spoken long ago on the journey – “And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Luke 13:35). The words of Jesus are coming true. The next words in the story are uniquely from Luke and they are words that recall the previous experience when some Pharisees came to warn Jesus about Herod (Luke 13:31). Once again Pharisees arrive bidding Jesus to stop what he is doing. Our immediate impression is that these Pharisees are enemies of Jesus and their rebuke is meant as a hostile affront. That may in fact be the case – but there is at least another possibility and that is that these Pharisees meant well and their actions were really meant to protect Jesus. We are so used to thinking of Pharisees as the “bad guys” that we have a hard time imagining any of them as well motivated. Perhaps what was really going on what that the Pharisees recognized just how offensive the actions of Jesus were toward the Roman authorities and the powers that be in Jerusalem. They recognized what Jesus was doing – he was coming as the long awaited Messiah – and by doing that Jesus put himself at great risk. It is worth noting that Luke will not include the Pharisees in any of the attacks against Jesus in Jerusalem – it will be the other religious leaders, the chief priests, the scribes and the Sadducees, who do the attacking and the convicting and the handing of Jesus over to death. Whether the Pharisees were hostile or not in their warning of Jesus, Jesus will have none of it. From at least Luke 9:51 we have known that Jesus was resolute about fulfilling the destiny God had ordained for him – a destiny that had been revealed by Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration – the “exodus” that Jesus was to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9:28-31). Once again Jesus breaks forth in lament over Jerusalem. With weeping voice Luke’s Jesus describes almost exactly the scene of the Roman conquest of Jerusalem as Josephus will describe it years later. The Romans cast a bank up around Jerusalem to prevent anyone from either coming in or going out. In the end few survived the siege – they were dashed to the ground and even children were killed in the slaughter. And not one stone of the Temple area was left on top of another – Jesus would say those words later and it would lead him to be asked when this would happen. It is very likely that Luke wrote after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD at the end of the Jewish War of 66-70AD. These words and this description are found only in Luke. And most significant of all the words in the lament of Jesus are the concluding words – “because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44). No more passionate and painful words have ever been spoken by Jesus. Luke has been proclaiming the gospel of Jesus as the visitation of God to his people – the gathering of the people of God under God’s wings – but they would not! We noticed before that Luke left out the palm branches – they were a sign of joy – but there is no joy in the visitation. It is not the time for palm branches according to Luke. There are a few OT passages that are alluded to in this scene. The visitation of God to his people and to his Temple recalls the words of Malachi 3:1-2. These words will also be appropriate to recall when Jesus enters the Temple to drive out the money changers. Jeremiah 6:6-21, 8:18-21, 15:5, and 23:38-40 sound the same passion of God upon the destruction of the first Temple by the Babylonians. It is likely that Luke was aware of those words too. This was the second destruction of the Temple – both events were filled with pain. Psalm 137 and Isaiah 29:3-10 speak the same language as we find here. Luke and the people of that day had resources to recall as they reflected on the fate of Jerusalem. For Luke, the whole scene is not a joyful entry – it is the painful approach of the Messiah who knows that he will not be welcomed – Israel does not know the time of God’s visitation.