Your King Comes

Your King Comes

Matthew 20:29-21:11

There are two stories here, and we are so familiar with them, it is fair to wonder what more we might learn. Maybe it’s not that we need to learn a new lesson but rather to be reminded of an old one. We sing “Tell me the old, old story ... of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.” Sometimes, it’s not a new lesson we need. Sometimes, we just need to hear the story again. We need to hear and be reminded.   

I truly believe a huge part of the crisis in our nation today is that we’ve forgotten our history. We forgot what it took to create this nation. US history is not taught in our schools anymore, and because we’ve forgotten where we came from and how we got here, it’s far easier to see all the bad things. We don’t realize that the bad things about this nation are things that were far worse and would be far worse without the US. I don’t mean to be political here, but it is relevant. “Man on the street” interviews show that some young people don’t know the two oceans surrounding the US, don’t know the capital city of the US, don’t know how many states there are, don’t know what the Constitution is, and don’t know even how many stripes are on our flag. I try to discuss on social media issues that relate to the Constitution, and find that more often than not, I’m talking to people who’ve never read it and don’t even know the Bill of Rights. They don’t know what rights the First Amendment guarantees them. We are the only nation in the world founded on an idea. We are not first an ethnicity, as French, Spanish, German, or Irish. We are not first a religious sect, as Jewish, Muslim, or Hindu. We are not a unique language group. We are first and foremost an idea, and our culture, politics, language, and economy are all the result of the idea. 

The same is true in the Church at large. We’ve forgotten our history. We don’t know the heresies, the Church Fathers, the ecumenical councils or the creeds. Incredibly, most Christians don’t know much of anything about the Bible! Consequently, they read or see something on social media and believe it because they don’t know heresy when they see it, and they don’t know enough Scripture to refute it. Congregations struggle with mission statements because they don’t know the mission Christ gave the Church. And like the US, we are not primarily an ethnicity, a religion, or a language. The Church is built on the person and work of Jesus Christ and exists solely because of him. Without a firm foundation in Jesus Christ, his words, his death, and his resurrection, we are nothing but a social club. So, it is probably to our benefit to tell the same old story, for we do have cause to fear that this world’s empty glory is costing us too dearly. ¹

We know from the start of chapter 20 that Jesus is making his way toward Jerusalem. He has told the disciples three times that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die. He also told them he would rise again, but I’m not sure their minds could go there just yet. He has spent most of his ministry in the Galilee, focused mainly in the village of Capernaum on the shore of the lake. From the north heading toward Jerusalem, the road passes through Jericho. The townsite of the old Jericho of Joshua’s day had been abandoned and a new city built a couple miles away. This is the new Jericho, closer to the Jordan and a few miles to the northeast of Jerusalem. 

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho ... Luke (19) adds that as Jesus entered Jericho, he met Zacchaeus, who had climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Jesus spent a day or so with Zacchaeus, and then probably spent a few days in the village. This was a life-changing encounter for the now former tax collector, who has repented and repaid those he had cheated. Matthew takes up on the Jerusalem end of town. As they were leaving Jericho, they were accosted by two blind men begging by the road. This is a good place for them – a main road busy with travelers moving between Jericho and Jerusalem. But they hear the crowd and discover that Jesus will be passing them. They begin their spiel, “Have mercy on us!”   

Let’s be careful here. This is most likely just a request for money. Show us some kindness. They rattle their cups, indicating where coins should be dropped. But, there could be more here than that. They address Jesus as “Lord, Son of David.” They have heard enough to address Jesus as their superior, Lord. And they have heard enough to believe that he is the Messiah. While “son of David” may merely indicate genealogy, not every male descendant of King David was addressed in this manner. As an address, it was reserved for the Messiah. What I’m trying to do is not let you get ahead of the story. So far, all we know is that they were begging, and that they called on Jesus as the Messiah. Nothing so far indicates anything but the usual behavior of beggars, rattling their cups and calling for passers-by to “have mercy on us.” 

But Jesus is not an ordinary traveler. He stops in front of the two beggars with a question. “What do you want me to do for you?” Will they just rattle their cups for a few coins? Or is there more? And Jesus question is not what do you want, but what do you want of me? Have they been hoping for this opportunity? For this moment? Have they been rehearsing what they would ask of the Messiah, if they ever got the chance? They seem to speak in unison, “Lord, we want our sight.”   

Matthew doesn’t hesitate or try to fill in any details. Straight from request to answer – Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. No fuss, no muss, just a touch and their eyes were opened. Two points I want to make: 

First, Jesus changes everything he touches. They received their sight. No one ever encountered Jesus and went away unchanged. Pharisees went away either confused or with hearts hardened against him. But from Matthew to Peter, from Zacchaeus to Bartimaeus, from Mary to Jairus’ daughter, their very lives were transformed. Jesus changes lives. He has done what the Messiah was supposed to do: raise the dead, heal the sick, give sight to the blind and music to the deaf, give speech to the mute and family back to the leper. He still changes lives. He still gives sight and music and speech and family. He still heals the sick and raises the dead. When we come to Jesus in faith, he touches us and changes us. And, this is important, if your life has not been changed, you have not been to Jesus. A lot of people claim to be followers, but have never gotten close enough to feel the divine touch that transforms sinners into saints.   

Second, quickly: They followed him. Those Jesus touches, those Jesus changes, get up and follow him. They can’t stay where they are. They leave the old life behind and embark on a brand new journey. Some think they are following, but they are just behind him. Some are just hangers-on, wanting to see a miracle, wanting to be entertained, wanting to feel good. Those Jesus has changed follow. They become disciples. 

Matthew keeps moving us onward. Jesus’ face is set on Jerusalem. His destiny lies there. And so Matthew moves us toward Jerusalem: As they approached Jerusalem, they pause in the village of Bethphage, the “house of unripe figs.”. From there, Jesus sends two of the disciples to retrieve a donkey and it’s colt. They will find them tied and if anyone asks, they are to reply very simply, “The Lord needs them.” The message will be understood and the animals will be sent willingly. 

We need to understand something here: Roman law allowed a Roman soldier to commandeer an animal for his own use. He could take chickens, sheep, or cattle to slaughter and eat. He could take a horse to ride or a mule to carry supplies. There weren’t allowed to simply take to enrich themselves. But aside from that, those in authority could, if they needed, commandeer an animal for service. We tend to make everything Jesus did out to be extraordinary. The truth is that most of the time Jesus is just doing ordinary things. But Jesus does ordinary things often to achieve an extraordinary effect. Our problem is that we read backwards. We see the result and think that everything Jesus did along the way was somehow special. Commandeering the donkey was not extraordinary. Those in authority did it often enough that few would raise an eyebrow over it. What we do see here is that Jesus is now acting as one in authority. He is acting as if he has the right to do it. Ordinary citizens did not have that right. But Jesus has changed, now, and rather than acting as one under authority, he is acting as one who has authority. “The Lord needs it.” And he is the lord who needs it, and commandeers it for his own use. 

Now, listen, a lot of people rode in and out of Jerusalem on donkeys. Jesus riding a donkey would not arouse much notice at all. For all the world care, he could be just another traveler. But, according to his purpose, Matthew relates this very ordinary act as the fulfillment of prophecy. The Messiah, according to Zechariah, will arrive on a donkey. Not, as the popular view was, on a mighty warhorse at the head of an army to unseat the Roman governor, overthrow the oppressors, and take his place on David’s throne. We will see that misunderstanding continue through the rest of the story. But Matthew wants us to be very clear on this: the Messiah will come as prophesied, will fulfill all the promises. He is the king of Israel, even though he doesn’t look like it or act like it. Remember that the kingdom of God is an upside-down and inside-out kingdom, where the king of heaven does not look or act like the kings of earth.   

Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zech 9:9). Jesus does an ordinary thing for an extraordinary purpose – to fulfill the prophecy and this declare to all who will understand that he is the Messiah, the promised Davidic king of Israel. Zechariah continues, Then the LORD will appear over them (Zech 9:14). If they are paying attention, this ordinary act signals that God has arrived to save his people.   

Remember, though, that Jesus has a reputation. Crowds follow him, and assemble wherever he stops. Our text began, As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. They follow, not by the tens or hundreds, but by the thousands. When the crowds are counted, as when Jesus fed five thousand, it is only the men who are counted. Matthew told us there, 14:21, The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. That crowd would have been closer to eight- or ten-thousand people, and maybe more. And when Jesus crossed the Sea, they were met by a crowd from all the surrounding country (Mt 14:35). That is to say, Jesus was accompanied by huge crowds, reading meaning into everything he did. 

But, even though riding a donkey was an ordinary act, Matthew tells us that Jesus did it for a purpose. He is riding into Jerusalem according to a prophecy declaring to Jerusalem that your king comes ... riding on a donkey. Matthew sees Jesus now overtly declaring himself Messiah and King, coming to Jerusalem to claim his throne and his crown. The crowds following, knowing the prophecy, rejoice, waving branches, spreading their cloaks for the blessing of having the king tread on them, and shouting to their savior, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 

It is at once a praise and a prayer. “Save us, Son of David!” Take your rightful throne, depose the Romans, and set us free. You can be sure the Romans were watching nervously for what surely could degenerate into open rebellion. You can be sure the Jewish elders were watching for what could easily mean the end of their power and privilege. But the focus is on the people, singing, dancing, praising, and acclaiming Jesus as their king and savior.   

But not everybody. Matthew tells us that as Jesus entered the city, the whole city was stirred. Excitement and expectation. It was Passover week and messianic expectations ran high. The whole atmosphere was fixated on the Exodus and on the hopes for a new deliverance. They wanted to know who it was coming to Jerusalem with such noise and fuss. “Who is this?” 

The answer is anticlimactic. The celebrating crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” You can almost feel the deflation, as if across the city shoulders sagged and people said, “oh, is that all?” Just a prophet. From Nazareth? Oh, well.   

Jesus was not the messiah they expected, not the deliverer they imagined, not the sort of savior they wanted. But he was the one they needed. But Jesus was not finished, yet.  

 ¹ Katherine Hankey, “Tell Me the Old, Old Story,” 1866