In Luke’s version of the story of Jesus’ entry into
Jerusalem, which we hear at the beginning of Mass this Sunday—Palm Sunday of
the Passion of the Lord—there are no palms.
What’s up with that? Instead, the
people were spreading their cloaks on the
road – a sign that the people are interpreting Jesus’ entrance as a king’s entrance. Indeed, they announce this by saying, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of
the Lord, explicitly recognizing Jesus’ majesty. Even Jesus’ procurement of the donkey to ride
into the city is redolent of kingship:
only a king had a right to
appropriate another’s property in a moment of need. The Pharisees themselves are troubled by the
crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ entry into the city, ordering him to rebuke his disciples; they are concerned about what the Roman authorities
would have to say about this man who, for all intents and purposes, is entering
the city as King, a Messianic entrance. To the Pharisees’ way of thinking, Jesus is
messing with the order of things, and represents a cause for alarm.
Now, Jesus knows the Pharisees have rejected him. They aren’t ready to recognize him; their
hearts are not open to receiving the truth that Jesus has brought to
Jerusalem. Yet Jesus will not tell his
disciples to be quiet: I tell you, if they keep silent, the very
stones will cry out! Even inanimate
objects, Jesus suggests, can give witness to something the Pharisees
cannot. A lack of belief doesn’t change
the truth: Jesus, the Messiah,
triumphantly brings salvation to Israel.
Peace in heaven and glory in the
highest, the people cry: echoing the
angels at Jesus’ birth, their acclamation highlights the fact that Jesus has
come full circle. But now it is peace in heaven rather than peace on earth, for Jesus’ time in
Jerusalem will be fraught with tension.
As Lent comes to an end, are our hearts open to receiving
the truth of salvation?
Are we ready to recognize Jesus' reign over our hearts?
Or will the stones cry out in our stead?
This reflection is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
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