Two Kingdoms

When Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, 'The master has need of them.'

Then he will send them at once." This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: Say to daughter Zion," Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."

The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" And the crowds replied, "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21:1-11)

We enter Holy Week and begin with Palm Sunday.  It’s important we don’t lose sight of Monday through Wednesday that prepare us for the Triduum.  

For most of us Jesus entered our lives long ago.  Still, from time to time, and especially during Holy Week, we ask, “Who is this?”  Sure, he was a prophet from Nazareth in Galilee, according to the crowd spreading cloaks and branches from trees on the road.  But what else?  Again, according to the crowd, he was the Son of David and blessed because he came in the name of the Lord.  How did they know?  They were influenced by a prophecy: Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.  And that’s what he decided to ride when entering Jerusalem from the east.  [Note: A colt is a young male donkey (ass) which is less than four years of age.]

I suspect Jesus was anything but meek. At the beginning of Passover he was staging a blatant protest through his peasant procession.  At the west side of Jerusalem Pontius Pilate entered with his imperialistic, military procession.  He was at the head of a column of imperial cavalry and soldiers.  Jesus’ procession proclaimed the kingdom of God.  Pilate’s proclaimed the power of the Roman empire and imperial theology.  The emperor was not simply the ruler of Rome but the Son of God.  Jesus had a counter-procession planned in advance.

Jesus’ logic was that the king, riding on a donkey would banish was from the land – no more chariots, war-horses, or bows (symbolism from prophet Zechariah 9:9-10). He will be a king of peace.  Pilate’s procession was about power, glory, and violence of the empire that ruled the world. Holy Week was about the confrontation between the two kingdoms and the two Sons of God – Jesus versus Caesar.

Palm Sunday is a reminder that we need to choose the procession having the most meaning and attraction for us.  Which kingdom do we choose?  Who are we?  Do we prefer Pilate to Jesus?  Unfortunately, many of us do through our preference for power, glory, violence, and our disregard for the poor and downtrodden.  

It’s time for us to lay down our cloaks and spread branches for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  If not, then we betray him in a Judas-like fashion.

Deacon David Pierce