Another Reflection
Its Holy Week, where Jesus the King of Creation suffered, was crucified and resurrected. Was Holy Week necessary if the celebration of this Day, Palm Sunday, were genuine to the full limit and all the Jews were there to welcome the King.
There are a few things we need to consider. One, was the celebration of the people genuine… Yes it was, because they had long hoped for the coming of the Messiah, yet their hearts had settled for the status quo of the Roman Occupation and did not know how to take forward this relationship with Jesus. If they fully had accepted Jesus, they would not have accepted the verdict of the Sanhedrin, and also would have in droves been present before the Crucified Saviour, mourning the moment. It was not to be, and we must join them in accepting the fault of a less then a 100% desire of following Jesus.
Jesus himself told Pilate, if the people had really accepted Him fully as King, they would not have allowed this moment of Him being brought before Pilate, abused, crowned with thorns and mocked.
Do we allow Jesus to be looked down upon in how we live Christ in this world? Jesus showed the way, how to relate with the world. When He was before the High Priest, he did not defend Himself, nor object to all the lies hurled at Him. But when it was the question of His relationship with God, He professed it, even though He knew that it would result in His Crucifixion.
Two, what were Jesus’ thoughts in sitting on the ass and entering Jerusalem? Was it for self glory, or maybe to relish the moment, or is there something else? Here I am reminded of what the Synoptics (Matthew, Mark and Luke) present in and through their Gospel. In all of His ministerial life, Jesus has not come to Jerusalem. He is prepared for the Exodus, He was to bring about through His passion, death and resurrection, at the transfiguration. He then starts towards Jerusalem for the first time. It is the time of the promised Visitation of God, and behold do not be found wanting and rejecting God. This Visitation of Jesus is like when the people during the Flood, or the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, and/or Egypt, pushed away God’s saving visitation and thus suffered the consequences. Their hardness of heart, did not open their hearts to pay heed to the calamities that God had come to save them from.
Three, once before a son had entered Jerusalem, seated on an ass, and the people had celebrated; Solomon the immediate inheritor of David’s Covenantal Promise of an everlasting family rulership. Jesus the Final and Eternal Ruler was now entering Jerusalem.
Fourth, before Solomon, David His father had danced with all his heart to welcome the presence of God, in the Ark, into Jerusalem. Here is God Himself riding in, just like Solomon, have you given your heart to Him, completely like David?