Thought for Today
2 Samuel 5:6 The king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, "You will not come in here, even the blind and the lame will turn you back"-- thinking, "David cannot come in here."
Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom cries out in the street; in the squares she raises her voice. 21 At the busiest corner she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
Luke 13:22 Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.
John 12:13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord-- the King of Israel!"
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday; or, you may note it as Passion Sunday. The difference is whether you focus on the beginning of this next week or toward the end of the week. More often than not, in my own lifetime, it has been Palm Sunday. From my youth, when I marched down the center aisle at Bethany Christian Church in Houston waving a palm frond, to my adult years at Northwoods Presbyterian Church in Houston where we raised our children, the focus has been on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the event noted by John in the verse above.
I am not aware of any modern city that still has city gates. Few cities anywhere today are surrounded by defensive walls, physical barriers to entry. Therefore, cities no longer have any need for city gates.
But, even today, politicians and others still know how to “make an entrance.” Today, rather than a grand entry, “Matthew 21:5 mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey" we are more likely to encounter a motorcade. I still recall once, when the President of the United States was visiting the city where I lived, looking down from an office window and seeing the very long procession of motorcycle police escorting an even longer procession of black limousines.
Throughout human history, entrances have had both symbolic and tangible meanings. Whether it is David entering the city of the Jebusites or Jesus entering the city of the Temple, the act of entering and the reason for that entry are important. In a way, both David and Jesus entered Jerusalem to conquer the city and its inhabitants. David wanted to capture the people and to make Jerusalem the capital of a nation. Jesus wanted to capture the hearts and minds of the people and their leaders and redirect their faith and practices back into a right relationship with their Creator God.
Were they each successful? Jerusalem was the capital of the United Kingdom. But, that kingdom only lasted until the time of David’s grandson. When the United Kingdom split into Samaria and Judea, Jerusalem was only the capital of the later. Today, Jerusalem is once again the capital of Israel; but, it is not recognized as such by the United Nations and many of its constituent countries.
The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. “On Tisha B'Av, 70 CE (August 30), Roman forces overwhelmed the defenders and set fire to the Temple.” (Wikipedia) Today, all that remains of the Second Temple is the Temple Mount. Today, that Temple Mount is the scene of 2 Islamic mosques.
I believe the fact that I am writing this, the fact that you are reading this, and the fact that throughout all Christendom so many will attend worship tomorrow to celebrate Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday is a testimony to the success of David and of Jesus. The “grand entries” of David and Jesus were not about cities or temples. They were not about places or things.
The Bible is not some sort of novel about places or about things. The Bible is the inspired Word of our Creator God. It is the record of the history, the story of our evolving relationship with our Creator. Like any good novel, the Bible has interesting and important characters. It has dramatic events. It has significant plot twists and turns.
But, most importantly, the Bible is the faith record of Christendom and of Christens. We share much of that record with the Jews. It is important that we study that record, that we think about all of those characters, all those twists and turns . . . and that we learn from them all.
Tomorrow, Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday, enjoy the spectacle of Jesus’ grand entry. If there is a procession of waving palm fronds, appreciate their entry. But, pause to think about what it all means. It means we are here today; we are Christians. We are saved by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus.
Stay safe, enjoy tomorrow, trust God,
Pastor Ray