Thoughts for the Day

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.”’ So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

‘Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!’

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I have always loved the way Anglican services open with a series of responses. For years it was sung: "O Lord open thou our lips", with the response "And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise". My husband, Adrian (a tone deaf Welshman) could somehow sing this perfectly! Now with Common Worship we often get "Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, be with you", with its answer "And also with you!"

When Jesus enters Jerusalem from Bethany, words from the psalms are shouted to welcome him. Perhaps initially someone cried "Blessed is the king," and there came an answer "who comes in the name of the Lord", followed by "Peace in heaven" and its answer "and glory in the highest heaven!" But we are surely also intended to link this to Luke's account of the angels who announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds all those years ago. They sang: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace...". So heaven has blessed earth, and now earth repeats the blessing to heaven.

We begin to get a sense of God's plan coming together as the excited group accompany Jesus on the colt, waving palms and throwing their coats in front of him as their forebears had done when King Jehu had entered the city for his coronation. Picture them making their way down through the vineyards on the Mount of Olives towards the Kidron valley, until they reach the bend in the path before the steep descent, where suddenly all Jerusalem is spread before the travellers. Tradition has it that here Jesus wept over the city, for he knew that the people were ultimately to reject him, and his message of peace.

Today is no different, peace on earth starts with each one of us - with those who say "The peace of the Lord be always with you," and with those who respond "and also with you!"

Lord Jesus Christ,
You sought only to reunite us with God,
and to bring peace to people,
but though the crowds hailed You
as the Messiah
they would be quick to disown You.
Grant us the faith to know and love You
and ever to seek Your peace in our world.
Amen.