October 19th, 2016
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Triumphal Entry

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Opening Prayer

Mighty God, forbid it that my words of praise be in words alone. May I keep the road to my heart always open to You.

Read 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: [38] “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” [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.”

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

“Jesus’ entry is a major statement about God’s plan and the nature of his kingship. It is a message some rejoice in, others do not understand, and still others emphatically reject” (Darrell Bock).

Think Further

Enter an Israeli town or village today and the chances are that there will be a sign saying “Blessed is the one who comes.” What to us sounds like a special greeting was in fact the standard way of saying “Welcome.” What changes here is that the one who comes is “the king” who comes “in the name of the Lord” (38). This makes all the difference, since this is also “the time of God’s coming to you” (44).

Once more Jesus was being provocative. He could quite easily have passed on this occasion, but his entry to Jerusalem was a staged event carefully arranged beforehand, however spontaneous and genuine his disciples’ welcome may have been (37). Jesus engaged in a prophetic action through which he was asserting himself to be a king for Israel, as the prophets had predicted (Zech. 9:9). Yet, far from entering on a war horse to take Jerusalem by force, he came in humility and peace, riding on a donkey. This expressed the nature of his mission: to come in peace in order to make peace. It was because the inhabitants of Jerusalem rejected his way and preferred the way of violent rebellion against Rome that Jesus understood them to be rejecting him (42). How different things might have been had they trusted in God! As he gazed at Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, Jesus foresaw that 40 years later the legions of the Roman army would encamp on that same spot as they laid siege to Jerusalem and in AD 70 destroyed both city and Temple, with all the terror and cruelty that went with such an event (43,44).

Jesus made peace with God on our behalf, but the peace he brings also means laying all hatred towards others on one side.

Apply

“Whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me” (Mark 9:37b). As you reflect today, welcome the King of Peace once more into your life.

Closing prayer

Dear Lord, let my thoughts, words and conduct keep me on the good path You have laid out for me.

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