Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here." So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?" And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

"Hosanna!

'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'

Blessed is the kingdom of our father David

That comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the Highest!"

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

- Mark 11:1-11

Yesterday, the reading told us about blind Bartimaeus, who was a beggar on the road outside of Jericho. Jesus is passing through Jericho, on His way toward Jerusalem. Bartimaeus calls to Him, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" He persists even when the crowds tell him to be quiet. Jesus calls Bartimaeus, and asks, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Bartimaeus asks for his sight, and Jesus tells him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." The gospel tells us, And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here." Jesus arrives in Jerusalem through the villages to the east. The Mount of Olives, according to my study bible, rises higher than Jerusalem (about 27,000 above sea level). According to expectation, the Messiah is to appear and enter Jerusalem triumphantly from there. We recall that in yesterday's reading, Bartimaeus calls Jesus, "Son of David." The expectation is that Jesus will restore the throne of David, following in his lineage as ruler and king of Israel, and re-establish that kingdom. To say, "the Lord has need of it" (referring to the donkey's colt) is at once to invoke images of the kingly stature of David -- but at the same time a privilege for its owner, that it is a gift to God. So, Jesus sets the tone deliberately for confrontation with the authorities by approaching Jerusalem in ways that make this a messianic act. Clearly He is very popular and has many followers awaiting what will happen here.

So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?" And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. To ride into Jerusalem on this donkey's colt is also a kind of a sign, but it is of the way in which this kingdom will come into the world. Jesus doesn't ride in as a warring king, with a war-horse or chariot, symbols of worldly power and force. Instead He comes in as a man of peace. That it is a colt on which no one else has sat, suggests my study bible, is "appropriate to the dignity of the messianic entry of Jesus." We understand, in some sense, what this kingdom will be like, and what this king will do, in ways the people cannot know at this entry into Jerusalem. But Jesus gives them the first sign of it by riding on the colt. He has no army with Him, no military. He bears no weapons but comes in on this donkey's colt. And the colt gives us one more picture: it is that of innocence.

Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!" The crowds honor Jesus in His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. He has many followers, and many who believe in Him -- many for whom He represents the expectations of Messiah. In the popular culture at the time, many looked toward a messianic deliverance from the Roman Empire, in the person of a king like David or other kings of Israel, who would bring a sweeping material power and warlike ambition to dispel the Romans and re-establish Israel as a powerful kingdom. But these faithful clearly honor Jesus although He has no army with Him -- and only their cloaks pay Him tribute. The crowds quote from Psalm 118:25: "Hosanna means literally "save now" -- it was sung at the Passover in a greeting or a blessing and is evocative of expectations of the Messiah.

And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. By entering the temple He makes a clear statement of authority, and about the messianic expectation that follows Him and greets Him. Bethany is a place where His great friends live, the family of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. In some sense, this feels like an anti-climactic end to this day. He has openly declared Himself in His actions, but all is quiet -- the hour was already late.

In Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, we have a conglomeration of ideas and images that surround Him. The crowds expect Him as Messiah, while the popular expectation at the time, in political terms, was for a war-like liberating Messiah to free them from the all-powerful Roman rule. He has many believers who love and welcome Him, He is a popular preacher and healer. But this peaceful and happy entry into Jerusalem is also a declaration of confrontation to the authorities in the temple: He has come to take charge, to declare Himself, to assert His authority. But what that authority is, and its nature in the world, nobody really fully knows in this scene -- and to this day we continue to discover what this means to us. We have had his signs, the great miracles revealed, of healing, of feeding, of saving, and of liberation from demonic oppression. But His kingdom as revealed in those signs is clearly a kingdom of love. It is one in which the Father rules as compassionate and loving and merciful. How is this compatible with a kingdom of power that can fight off the Romans? And what kind of liberation will this be? Today we still struggle to understand how best to live in His Way, how to follow Him -- and what it means for His Kingdom to come into this world. But His dignity, His humility, and all of His teachings to His disciples continue to point us the way if we would be His followers. We still seek His Way. He doesn't shy away from confrontation, but declares Himself, and will pay the price in His humility to the Father in all things. We continue to await Him, as we follow as best we can what He has taught us to do as He has revealed His Kingdom of love. He remains our hope and our expectation.