Colt, Cloaks, Cries and a Curse
Luke 19:28-48
A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick
These are a few words which come to mind when we think about the story of Jesus coming into the city of Jerusalem: Colt, Cloaks, Cries and a Curse. The account we're looking at is that in Luke's Gospel (19:28-48). It begins with Jesus sending two of his disciples ahead of Him to fetch a colt, one that had never been used. Quite possibly, this young donkey was owned by a disciple, one who would readily let it be taken with a simple explanation that "the Lord needs it." As pointed out by Matthew, this is in fulfillment of Zachariah 19:9: "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." God uses simple things, like donkeys, to accomplish His purposes - simple things readily offered. This unnamed disciple had quickly caught on and wanted to participate in giving honor to Jesus as King. Then being resourceful, the disciples took what they had to drape the donkey, and to pave the road in front - they wanted to give Jesus the red carpet treatment, but they had no carpet, so they used their cloaks - the outermost garment which was made by joining two simple rectangular pieces of cloth to form a seam across the shoulders. (Sometimes it was made of one piece, like the one belong to Jesus and gambled away at the foot of the cross.) Colt, Cloaks, Cries and a Curse It's of interest that we call the day honoring this event by the title, "Palm Sunday". Actually, of the four reports given in the Gospels, only one, John, mentions palms. We're told that palm trees were never abundant in Palestine, but there were many around Jericho, through which city these Galilean pilgrims had so recently come. They were date palms, the leaves of which were often ten feet in length. VIn ancient days, the palm branch was emblematic of triumph and victory (Leviticus 23:40 - Feast of Tabernacles, and Revelation 7:9). It has been the custom of all lands to cover, in some manner, the pathway of those who are thought worthy of the highest honor. One Commentator provides this:
We are told that there was a time, when chivalry was still alive, that a man would take off his coat and lay it in a mud puddle so that his fair lady would not dirty her shoes. If not for another person, would you do it for Jesus? Also note that when Luke says that they "spread" their cloaks, the tense for this verb is imperfect active, which means that they continued spreading as they went on. (If we listen closely, we may hear the wives scornfully whispering, "It's fine for him to lay down his cloak for Jeus, he's not the one who has to clean it!) Colt, Cloaks, Cries and a Curse As the procession moved along, the people began to loudly cry out their praise to the Lord "for all the miracles they had seen." Here's where the word "cry" comes in. When we look back at the prophecy in Zachariah 9:9, we notice the words "Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!" There are a few different ideas which correspond with this word, "cries". Of course there is the crying which goes with hurt and sorrow. Many are the times when we will cry out to the Lord in a time of need, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual. It is surprising, but also comforting to know that even Jesus cried as he stood outside the sealed tomb of his friend Lazarus. There is another "cry" which is what the old-time herald did when he came into town with news or a message from the king - he was known as the "Town Crier." Sometimes when an important person, like the king, came into town, he would be preceded by this "town crier" who would announce his entrance, much like the congressional aide who calls out, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States of America.". In a way, when the people along the road to Jerusalem cried "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord", they were all taking on the role of the "town crier." I wonder if we would be so bold as to publicly call out the message of the coming of the King of Kings! That leads us to the idea of the "cry" being a loud call, like a shout. The word used is "krazo" (krad'-zo), a primary verb, which properly means, to "croak" (as a raven) or "scream", i.e. to call aloud (to shriek, exclaim, intreat), or to cry out. Notice in the prophecy of Zachariah, he used the word "shout". In our culture, we have become accustomed to hearing shouts in the stadium, or theater, or music hall, but in the church we have become more and more quiet. Also, did you notice that it was the "daughter" of Jerusalem who was urged to shout? Often, for example in Isaiah, the "Daughter of Zion" simply meant the "people of the city." In some cases, references to "daughters of Jerusalem" had to do with the influential women of the city (Isaiah 32). But Zachariah's words make me think of the church. After all, isn't Christianity the child of Judaism? As children who have realized the importance of obeying the commandments, shouldn't we then honor our parent? And, if we can be properly classified as "Daughters of Jerusalem", we should also obey the command to "shout." Notice how Jesus responded when His followers were criticized for their shouting, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Think about it, you could be replaced by a rock! Colt, Cloaks, Cries and a Curse Our last word, "curse", changes the mood significantly. Jesus was aware that, although the common people received Him, the leaders did not. (Note verse 48 - "all the people hung on his words.") Accordingly, He pronounced a judgmental forecast. What He predicted came to pass less than 40 years later, when Titus, the Roman general, destroyed the temple mount in the year A.D. 70. Notice the language (in the KJV) "they will cast a trench about thee." The word trench now means commonly a pit or ditch. When the Bible was translated, it also meant earth thrown up to defend a camp. It is not a pit or large ditch, but a pile of earth, stones, or wood thrown up to guard a camp, and to defend it from the approach of an enemy. Josephus informs us that Titus seiged Jerusalem in order that he might compel them to surrender by causing a famine. To do this, he built a wall around the whole circumference of the city. This wall was nearly 5 miles in length, and was furnished with thirteen towers. This work was amazingly completed in only ten days! Jesus predicted, "They shall lay thee even with the ground" (NIV - "dash you to the ground"), and "They will not leave one stone on another." This was literally done. The historian tells us that Titus caused a plow to pass over the place where the temple stood in fulfillment of this declaration. Notice, that unlike Jonah, who seemed to relish in the thought that the city of Nineveh would be destroyed, Jesus wept over the city. Then, listen to what He says, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes." It is very likely that Jesus is here referring to the meaning of the word "Jerusalem", which literally is a combination of two words, "he shall see," and "shalom," which means "peace" or "prosperity". Now, because the leaders had not seen this peace and salvation, because they had refused to open their eyes, a severe judgment would come upon the city. On the other hand, the common people, who came into the city with Jesus, did understand that this was about "peace". (Verse 38 - "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!") What had gone wrong? The rest of the account tells the story. They had allowed what was intended to be a House of Prayer to become a site for religious commercialism. Colt, Cloaks, Cries and a Curse Today the choices are pretty much the same. Will we be like the owner of the colt who freely offered to the Lord what he had? Are we willing to make personal sacrifices in our worship to the Lord? Is there a readiness to openly praise the Lord? And let's be aware that whenever we put our attention on religious activities, but do not receive the Lord, the Prince of Peace, there will come destruction.  - - Return to Top of this Page  - Email a Link to this Page
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