Reflections on the sermon text: Christ Entering Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11)

The narrative

Jesus enters Jerusalem in the manner of triumphant kings. Matthew affirms that he did this deliberately, invoking the prophet:

“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.'"

What's more, the crowds and people receive him as a king. Matthew records 3 signifiant invocations of the crowd:

1. Jesus is heir to David's throne (contrary to the Herodian dynasty):

“Hosanna to the Son of David!"

2. Jesus is come in the name of the Lord, with His authority:

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

3. Jesus is come to fulfil Israel's hopes:

“Hosanna!...Hosanna in the highest!" ('Hosanna' apparently means 'to save')

To invoke the three motifs of kingship, authority and salvation man was to unmistakably proclaim the long-looked-for restoration of Israel - something meant to be accomplished by YHWH Himself. Hence, the indignation of the chief priests and scribes at the children who were also proclaiming Jesus: (v15): the restoration of YHWH, they thought, could not possibly have been happening or sanctioned under that man, whose agenda and politics were so very unwelcome.

Yet Matthew is very clear about who that man was - even dramatically arranging the dialogue to establish the point. The crowds know, he tells his readers, that Jesus is the prophet from Nazereth in Galilee:

“Who is this?” (asked by 'the city')
“And the crowds said, 'This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.'"

Thus, Jesus the Nazarene comes where YHWH was expected, doing what YHWH was expected to do, in the name of YHWH. And Matthew presents the point as both accepted and acclaimed by the crowd. He reflects the basic Jewish mentality which saw no distinction between God accomplishing something and a man doing it. For them, YHWH was finally come to Israel - and yet there sat Jesus the Nazerene on a donkey.

Background

Matthew's narrative thrust, demonstrating that the crowd proclaimed Christ in YHWH's place, reflects a basic Jewish mentaility and the most basic fact about human existence: we stand in the place of YHWH. God made us in His image; as His representatives. What we do, God can be said to do. This is why is was so important for Adam to pass the tests of faithful representation in the garden: showing kingly authority by naming the animals, and creaturely obedience by obeying that one small command. Adam, had he imaged God properly, would have stomped on the serpent's head, rather than allow an alien invader and rebel to dwell in His garden.

The quintessential means of articulating this concept for a Hebrew was to speak of sonship. A son is heir to and representative of all a father has and is. It is therefore no accident that Christ called God his Father, and called himself the Son, or that Israel herself was meant to be a son.

Christ, then, came to Israel as the face of God: as he said, in him Israel had seen the Father. The Jews understood this connection between original and representative, and for that reason saw in the donkey-borne prophet from Nazereth the arrival of YHWH.

Reflection

We do not in our day have that easy Jewish instinct for representation. We tend to think more 'scientifically' of it, either in terms of substance and essence of natures, or in terms of veracity: having the right truth to tell. We are further pushed from saying things like "we are God to the world" by today's neo-paganism, with its pantheistic identification of creature to creation. My own reaction when I first heard similar things was to shrink back. And yet, the old Jewish understanding reflected by Matthew's narrative provides a way to affirm the amazing privilege we have as humans, and yet honour the distinction between original and representative.

Nor should we let knowledge of sin bar our way to seeing out our God-given vocation. The treasure we have may be in earthern vessels, but God has been pleased to put it there. Humanity in Christ has been restored to God's garden, and He is not ashamed to call us sons. In the re-issued breath (the Holy Spirit), first breathed into Adam, we have the ability to act as sons. To refuse the image of God because of the fall is to miss the whole point of the restoration in Christ.

So consider - next time you're out and about, or moving about the house, ask: "is what I do now the act of YHWH? Would God do this?" Think about how you treat your family, your employees, your animals, the creation. Consider if you bring hurt or healing, nurture or plunder. Ask whether in you, the creation sees the face of God. Consider the issue of representation.

In that consideration you will find a purpose more noble than any other, a dignity to shame kings, and a clear calling: be faithful, as Christ the king was faithful.