Jesus, King of Peace (Matthew 21:1-17)

Jesus, King of Peace

 

Matthew 21:1-17

 

Today’s text includes the scene that Jesus was entering Jerusalem in order to receive the suffering of crucifixion. The Holy Week or Passion Week in the Church Calendar begins with this Palm Sunday when Jesus, on a donkey, entered Jerusalem and ends on Holy Saturday just before Jesus’ resurrection. Major events that happened during the seven days are as follows.

 

Palm Sunday	Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey.
Holy Monday	Jesus purifies the temple.
Holy Tuesday	Jesus tells about the fall of the Jerusalem Temple, the signs of the last days, Jesus’ coming again, and the last judgement.
Holy Wednesday	Mary comes with a jar of very expensive perfume, and breaks the jar and pours the perfume on Jesus’ head as a preparation for Jesus’ burial. And Judas Iscariot betray Jesus on thirty silver coins.
Maundy Thursday	Jesus has the last supper with his disciples and washes their feet, and then, gives them the new command: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34). “Maundy” came from Latin word ‘mandatum (commandment).’
Good Friday	This is the Jewish Passover. On this day, Jesus is arrested, tried, crucified, and buried. This day is called “Good Friday” because Jesus showed his love to us through the sacrifice of his life and he paid out for us to buy all heavenly blessings.
Holy Saturday	Jesus’ tomb is sealed and kept by the guard. And the women prepare spices in order to anoint Jesus’ body.

 

As Jesus rose again on the early morning of Easter Sunday, the Passion Week ends, and new history begins. The Gospel of Matthew consists of 28 chapters, and Jesus’ public ministry as the Messiah begins at Chapter 4. And the last eight chapters (21-28) record events and Jesus’ teachings during Jesus’ last days on earth. Considering the time scale of the Bible that often covers hundreds of or even thousands of years, these records of Jesus’ last days are wondrously detailed and vivid. As that much, these stories must be meaningful. In fact, there is no event more meaningful than Jesus’ death and resurrection in history. While God created man, the universe, and everything in it on the first seven days in the beginning, Jesus redeemed man, the universe, and everything on these seven days. Therefore, we can say that the time of these seven days is as important as, or even more important than the first week in Genesis 1.

 

There is the term “decisive moment.” This is a concept popularized by French Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004). Photographers usually make efforts to get “good-looking pictures.” For this, they control light, angle, composition, etc. and try many times until they get what they want. However, Cartier-Bresson’s interest as a photographer was not getting good-looking pictures. His interest was capturing “a moment of reality.” Using a portable camera, which was not common in his days, he went out to the street and captured honest moments of people’s life. Of course, it is not easy to capture such moments. It requires patience and keen sense. And the photographer should have some expectation and prediction. When captured through such efforts, the dynamic motions and movements of decisive moments show people’s emotions alive, and therefore, carry a lot of stories and meanings. The photograph on the side is not Cartier-Bresson’s work, but I got as an example of “decisive moment” through Internet search. This picture shows the moment that Lt. Colonel Robert L. Stirm, who had been a prisoner of war for five years in Vietnam and then released, was reuniting with his family in the airport. I believe this is a famous image among American people. This photograph was named “Burst of Joy.” With this picture, we can feel so vividly the joy of reunion after long anxious waiting and yearning.

 

In the Bible as well, we can see such “decisive moments.” Although they are not depicted in paintings or photographs, the unusually detailed descriptions stage the scenes in front of us as if we are watching a live broadcast. For example, when Abraham is about to slay his one and only son Isaac in order to give him as a burnt offering to God, God calls his name hurriedly and stops him, saying, “Now I know that you fear God” (Genesis 22). Jacob takes Isaac’s blessing, which is supposed to be for Esau, the first son, and runs away to escape from the brother’s anger (Genesis 27). Jacob’s sons are jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sell Joseph as a slave (Genesis 37), and later Joseph becomes the prime minister of Egypt and reunites with his brothers (Genesis 42-45). These scenes never go away, but are framed in eternity as decisive moments of God’s history. The reason that these scenes are so interesting and meaningful is that all the hidden realities become clearly visible in these very moments. It is like a dormant volcano that has long accumulated energy deep inside and then explodes at a decisive moment. When Abraham did not spare his only son, God was so pleased to see how he was fearing God and opened wide the door of blessing upon him. Now there was no hidden obstacle but just peace between God and Abraham. On the contrary, Jacob revealed his hidden ambition by taking the blessing for the first son, and with this, Esau’s hatred toward Jacob went extreme until he would like to kill the brother. In the same way, Joseph’s brother disclosed their hatred and jealousy by selling Joseph as a slave, and Joseph forgave and blessed his brothers, showing his humility toward God’s providence and his truthful love to his brothers. The Bible is full of decisive moments. It is because this book deals with truth, and truth only.

 

The most grandiose “decisive moment” in the Bible is the last week of Jesus’ life on earth when Jesus suffered to death and rose again in Jerusalem. During the period of time, many things happened, and there were many teachings, prophecies, and warnings by the Lord. Furthermore, we can observe some people’s ugliness, weakness, cowardice, greed, and some others’ courage, faithfulness, and genuine commitment. Simply saying, this one week was a moment when all the realities of heaven and earth were disclosed, collided, and exploded in the small ground of Jerusalem. In the middle of this chaotic situation, Jesus, composedly, does what he should do, and walks the way that he should go. It is becoming King of Peace and saving the world according to God’s will. It is stretching God’s hand of reconciliation to the world. For this, Jesus came as a humble king. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, he rode on a donkey, instead of a majestic stallion, even the foal of a donkey. Probably, Jesus’ feet reached the ground, and it would have been better to walk than to ride on the small animal. Still welcoming the Lord, people spread their cloaks and tree branches on the road, and the crowd, leading and following Jesus, shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” “Hosanna” means “Save Us Now.” This must be the expectation of the Jerusalem citizens from Jesus. A few days later, however, Jesus lamented over the people of Jerusalem: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:37-39). Something wrong must be hidden inside the welcoming crowd.

 

Why did people, so excited, welcome Jesus entering Jerusalem, shouting “Hosanna”? Luke 19:11 says, “While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.” As Jesus was marching toward Jerusalem, people thought that Jesus would open the kingdom of God immediately. In the thought of the Israelites, the kingdom of God was like the strong, rich, and peaceful kingdom under the rule of King David in the ancient times. Even Jesus’ disciples asked risen Jesus, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). In addition, two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, along with their mother, came to Jesus, and the mother asked a favor, saying, “Grant that one of these sons of mine may sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21). Jesus’ disciples always argued among themselves about who was greatest. Their interest was always in the position they would take in the kingdom of Jesus. In this way, people had some expectation from Jesus the King. They must have expected that Jesus would save them from the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire and from unjust Gentile king Herod. Contrary to their expectation, however, Jesus didn’t go to Herod’s palace or Pilate’s office. Instead, Jesus went to the temple, and there, he drove out the merchants in the temple court and purified the temple. As he had always been doing there, Jesus healed the sick (21:14), and taught people the Word of God (21:23). Jesus is truly humble king, and King of Peace.

 

English writer George Orwell (1903 – 1950) wrote an essay titled “Shooting an Elephant.” He was an Englishman, but when he was young, he worked as a policeman in Burma, one of English colonies in those days. This essay tells us about an episode he experienced while working as a policeman. One day, people ran to his office and reported that an elephant was destroying the village. George Orwell picked up a rifle and went to the scene. But the elephant had gone already. As he was tracing the animal, he found a man trampled to death by the elephant. Seeing that the situation was more serious than he had thought, he fetched a bigger rifle, which was for hunting elephants. As people saw the heavy weapon they were excited. And the crowd following George Orwell grew bigger and bigger. At last, George Orwell found the elephant, far away from the village standing peacefully in the middle of paddy field that was not yet ploughed. He knew that the elephant was not dangerous at all now. The only thing he needed to do was just watching over the big animal until its owner arrived. He didn’t have any reason or desire to kill the elephant. Then, all of a sudden, he felt the eyes of thousands of people behind him. They, full of excitement, were waiting for him to shoot the gun to the elephant. With no other choice, he aimed the rifle at the elephant and pulled the trigger. He had the authority of a policeman. He had a powerful weapon. So, outwardly, he was like a king there who could choose what he wanted to do. But, in fact, he was merely a puppet. He was not able to choose peace that he wanted, but was pressed by people up to killing the elephant, which he didn’t want. People were satisfied, and he became a hero among them. What would have happened if he didn’t shoot the elephant? People would be greatly disappointed, and pour scorn on him. At the decisive moment, George Orwell chose “violence” than “peace.” And this was his reality revealed in the storm of furious passion.

 

But Jesus is different. The humble and peaceful King was humble and peaceful to the end. This was a great disappointment to those who were dreaming the restoration of the kingdom. As Jesus didn’t choose violence, people’s anger was all turned around to Jesus. And they nailed the king on a cross. When Jesus was most peaceful, they became most violent. When Jesus was most humble, they became most arrogant. Nevertheless, Jesus was humble and peaceful like a river. The “decisive moment” of Jesus on the cross captures and reveals the King’s humility and peace, which had been hidden so long and is still mysterious even today. Robert Stirm’s family picture shown above is a symbol of “joy.” I would like to know more about the family after the reunion. Then, I found a very heartbreaking fact. It was that three days before taking the picture the wife sent her husband a letter that was asking for a divorce. So, when this picture was taken, the colonel had a deep wound in his heart. Accordingly, this picture cannot be called “Burst of Joy.” It is hardly understandable how people can produce such a joyful scene “so naturally” while holding such a heartbreaking pain in their hearts. At the same time, we may understand to some degree why Jesus was lamenting over Jerusalem after he had received such a warm welcome into the city. Jesus was not deceived by the warm welcome, but he saw the reality hidden in the people’s heart. In a strict sense, there is not a decisive moment revealing pure reality in the world. It is because human hearts are always deceitful above all things and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9). The decisive moment carrying the pure truth is only the gospel of Jesus Christ. The eternal truth is the salvation and peace that our Lord has brought to us. Jesus came to us in order to reconcile us to God. He stretched us a hand of reconciliation. When we were disappointed with the humble and peaceful king, when we rejected the stretched hand, even when we nailed him on a cross, Jesus rose again and came back to us with the message of peace. He says, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:21). Our praise today may turn into a complaint tomorrow. Our love today may disappear like the morning mist tomorrow. However, Jesus’ humble love to us never changes, and it survives even the harshest sufferings like a green shoot sprouting after a fierce fire. In this tough world where greed, hatred, falsehood, and violence are rampant every day and everywhere, only the Lord alone is so pure, so gentle, so peaceful, and so merciful. How wonderful our Lord Jesus is!!!