Holy Week
Matthew 21:1–9
1Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." 4This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5"Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
The crowds were excited. They ran down the road to meet Jesus long before he arrived at the city gates. They were waving palm branches and shouting "hosanna, hosanna, hosanna". "Save us, we pray! Help us, we pray!" They placed their cloaks on the road making their version of a "red carpet" to receive a dignitary; a king, the son of David. Great joy and enthusiasm filled Jerusalem. The whole city was shook up with excitement, people running to and fro. Singing, shouting, dancing in the streets. They brought the lame to the temple to be healed. They led the blind to the house of the Lord to give them sight.
When Jesus told the disciples to go get him a donkey, they did not hesitate, they didn't ask if they would get in trouble for stealing, they didn't sit down and worry about what other people would think, they ran to fulfill their Lord's commands. When the owner of the donkey wondered why these men were taking his donkey and they said, "The Lord needs it," he didn't ask any questions, he didn't figure out how much he was going to charge, he didn't make them sign papers saying they would bring it back, but they immediately gave them the donkey. These were men of faith. These were people who did what God asked them without question. They gave him their possessions and properties for him to use. They didn't doubt. They didn't hesitate. They didn't sit around hemming and hawing about how they were going to do it, or if it was expedient, or discussing it until there was no longer a need. They had the faith to do what Jesus said and they acted on that faith. They knew they had a great God who could do all things. They knew they had a marvelous God so they sang his praises all day long, Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
What a contrast to his disciples today. How small is our faith! When Jesus tells us to do something we have to discuss whether or not we even want to do it! We worry about what will happen if it goes wrong. How much time or effort or money it will cost? We spend so much time discussing it that before we decide to do it the need has passed away.
And when do we ever get so excited about Jesus coming? When have we ever run out to meet him in the street? When do we shout in the streets "how great is our God"? When have we ever run to him, bringing the lame and the blind to be healed? We don't even think he can do any miracles today. Instead of breaking out in song and shouts of praise expecting great things from him, we are depressed, pessimistic, feeling weak and discouraged. We don't think anything will ever happen. We don't expect any change. We don't expect to see him accomplish anything.
In other words, today's disciples of Jesus are weak in faith. If we have any faith at all. We are pessimists; which is just another name for weak in faith. We are like the people of Jesus' home town where Jesus could do no miracle because of their unbelief. We expect little so he gives us little. "You have not, because you ask not," says the apostle. We ask not because we have such weak faith that we don't expect him to answer.
We are a huge contrast to the excited crowds who welcomed Jesus and came running to him. We look more like the Pharisees and scribes who complained to Jesus: "Do you hear all the ruckus? Do you hear the shouting and noise? Tell them to shut up!" These were more like us today. Nothing to get excited about here. Nothing special going on. Just another boring day at the office. What do we need this man Jesus for? We're just fine without him.
Sounds like a lot of people today. We don't really need this Jesus. Why get all excited about him? There is a sort of universalism that has blinded our eyes today. The feeling that everything is OK. God won't really punish me for our sins. God is love, he won't really send anyone to hell. We get lulled into a sort of sleepy state when it comes to our own sinfulness. "We have a loving God. It doesn't really matter if we go on living like the sinful world. We are good people and good people go to heaven." No matter I have chosen to live a life style that is contrary to what the Ten Commandments, in the end God is loving and he forgives. He wouldn't really send me to hell. So we get complacent. Nothing to get excited about when Jesus comes to town. Why all the fuss? What is all the ruckus about? No palm branches to wave. No clothing strewn on the path. No shouting and singing "hosanna to the Son of David." No "hosanna in the highest."
It was for people just like us that Jesus went to Jerusalem that day. He went there to die for us. He went to forgive our sins. He went to the cross. He went there humbly, riding on a donkey, that he might sacrifice his life for us in order that we might repent and be saved. He went there to buy us back from Satan and purchase us for his Father. He went there out of obedience to his Father who sent him to die for sinners. He went there to call us to repentance.
He comes here today, in word and sacrament, to call us sinners to repent. He rides into town today and into this temple to a bunch of complacent and lukewarm people, too weak in faith to expect any great things from him, in order to call us to repentance. To repent of our weak faith. Of our hemming and hawing when he asks us to act. To repent of our pessimism and discouragement. To abandon the sinful lives we live and our complacent attitudes. To recognize that we are sinners and that soon we will stand before God's judgment and be called to account for our deeds and actions, for the kind of sinful lives we have lived. Yes, there is judgment! Yes, there is eternal punishment!
But he rode into Jerusalem to pay for our sins. He rides into town each and every week to call us to repentance. He offers his forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent of their sin and turn to him.
Just as the people of Jerusalem met him with praises, so we meet him with our praises and thanksgivings. Come, excited to see his great signs and miracles. Every week he performs the miracle of washing away our sins. Every week he raises dead sinners to life. Every week he restores our lives and makes us whole. He opens our eyes to see him.
And on the last day he will come again. Not humbly, riding on a donkey to die on a cross, but he will come with great power and might. Accompanied by armies of angels. He will come to judge the whole world and cast out all sin. He will eradicate all evil from the world. Unrepentant sinners will be cast out into the eternal fire.
But all who are righteous in Christ, all who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. All who have repented and trust in the Lord Jesus will be raised up to life. After our sinful flesh has been done away with and we will have new bodies, raised incorruptible. On that great and glorious day of the resurrection you will be renewed and restored to full and complete righteousness. Death will be gone and we will have the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Amen.