Paul Engle, “An Old Palestinian Donkey,” The Enduring Legacy, p. 346
Clement of Alexandria, “Hymn to Christ the Saviour,” Divine Inspiration, p. 355
Madeleine L’Engle, quoted in Imaging the Word, Vol. 2, p. 168-171
Imaging the Word
At first it appeared that [Jesus’] return to Jerusalem was a triumph rather than the beginning of the events that would lead to his death. People cut branches from the trees and strewed them in front of him. Others spread their cloaks on the road. And he was surrounded by cries of “Hosannah to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosannah in the Highest.”
How easily and how terribly “Hosannah!” changed to “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
Giambattista Marino, “Palm Sunday,” Divine Inspiration, p. 358
J. Barrie Shepherd, “Pinnacle,” The Moveable Feast, p. 39
“Pinnacle”
There is a towering
deep within these forty
days that finds one …
you are teetering across the edge
of everything, a palm leaf
in your face, a shout,
“Hosanna?” trembling
in your eager longing ears.
The more you suffer,
don’t you see, the more you
feel entitled to a reckoning
and to your final triumph over
all the kingdoms of the world.
Beware!
Wole Soyinka, “Easter,” Divine Inspiration, p. 359
Theodulf of Orleans, “Gloria, Laus et Honor,” Divine Inspiration, p. 357
Adam Zagajewski, “Palm Sunday,” Divine Inspiration, p. 360
1 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If any one says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will send them immediately.” 4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass.” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon. 8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”
21:1 και οτε ηγγισαν εις ιεροσολυμα και ηλθον εις βηθσφαγη προς το ορος των ελαιων τοτε ο ιησους απεστειλεν δυο μαθητας 21:2 λεγων αυτοις πορευθητε εις την κωμην την απεναντι υμων και ευθεως ευρησετε ονον δεδεμενην και πωλον μετ αυτης λυσαντες αγαγετε μοι 21:3 και εαν τις υμιν ειπη τι ερειτε οτι ο κυριος αυτων χρειαν εχει ευθεως δε αποστελλει αυτους 21:4 τουτο δε ολον γεγονεν ινα πληρωθη το ρηθεν δια του προφητου λεγοντος 21:5 ειπατε τη θυγατρι σιων ιδου ο βασιλευς σου ερχεται σοι πραυς και επιβεβηκως επι ονον και πωλον υιον υποζυγιου 21:6 πορευθεντες δε οι μαθηται και ποιησαντες καθως προσεταξεν αυτοις ο ιησους 21:7 ηγαγον την ονον και τον πωλον και επεθηκαν επανω αυτων τα ιματια αυτων και αβεπανω αυτων 21:8 ο δε πλειστος οχλος εστρωσαν εαυτων τα ιματια εν τη οδω αλλοι δε εκοπτον κλαδους απο των δενδρων και εστρωννυον εν τη οδω 21:9 οι δε οχλοι οι προαγοντες και οι ακολουθουντες εκραζον λεγοντες ωσαννα τω υιω δαυιδ ευλογημενος ο ερχομενος εν ονοματι κυριου ωσαννα εν τοις υψιστοις 21:10 και εισελθοντος αυτου εις ιεροσολυμα εσεισθη πασα η πολις λεγουσα τις εστιν ουτος 21:11 οι δε οχλοι ελεγον ουτος εστιν ιησους ο προφητης ο απο βτης γαλιλαιας
12-13 Zechariah 14:21
13 Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11
16 Psalm 8:2
12 Meister Eckhart, “German Sermons,” Preacher and Teacher, p. 239-243
12 And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant; 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast brought perfect praise’?” 17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
21:12 και εισηλθεν ο ιησους εις το ιερον του θεου και εξεβαλεν παντας τους πωλουντας και αγοραζοντας εν τω ιερω και τας τραπεζας των κολλυβιστων κατεστρεψεν και τας καθεδρας των πωλουντων τας περιστερας 21:13 και λεγει αυτοις γεγραπται ο οικος μου οικος προσευχης κληθησεται υμεις δε αυτον εποιησατε σπηλαιον ληστων
21:14 και προσηλθον αυτω χωλοι και τυφλοι εν τω ιερω και εθεραπευσεν αυτους 21:15 ιδοντες δε οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις τα θαυμασια α εποιησεν και τους παιδας κραζοντας εν τω ιερω και λεγοντας ωσαννα τω υιω δαυιδ ηγανακτησαν 21:16 και ειπον αυτω ακουεις τι ουτοι λεγουσιν ο δε ιησους λεγει αυτοις ναι ουδεποτε ανεγνωτε οτι εκ στοματος νηπιων και θηλαζοντων κατηρτισω αινον 21:17 και καταλιπων αυτους εξηλθεν εξω της πολεως εις βηθανιαν και ηυλισθη εκει
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and never doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
21:18 πρωιας δε επαναγων εις την πολιν επεινασεν 21:19 και ιδων συκην μιαν επι της οδου ηλθεν επ αυτην και ουδεν ευρεν εν αυτη ει μη φυλλα μονον και λεγει αυτη μηκετι εκ σου καρπος γενηται εις τον αιωνα και εξηρανθη παραχρημα η συκη 21:20 και ιδοντες οι μαθηται εθαυμασαν λεγοντες πως παραχρημα εξηρανθη η συκη 21:21 αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις αμην λεγω υμιν εαν εχητε πιστιν και μη διακριθητε ου μονον το της συκης ποιησετε αλλα καν τω ορει τουτω ειπητε αρθητι και βληθητι εις την θαλασσαν γενησεται 21:22 και παντα οσα εαν αιτησητε εν τη προσευχη πιστευοντες ληψεσθε
23 Henri Nouwen, Lifesigns, p. 18 f.
Lifesigns
A careful look at the gospels shows that Jesus seldom accepted the questions posed to him. He exposed them as coming from the house of fear. [list of questions including this verse] To none of these questions did Jesus give a direct answer. He gently put them aside as questions emerging from false worries. They were raised out of concern for prestige, influence, power, and control. They did not belong to the house of God. Therefore Jesus always transformed the question by his answer. He made the question new—and only then worthy of his response.
23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
21:23 και ελθοντι αυτω εις το ιερον προσηλθον αυτω διδασκοντι οι αρχιερεις και οι πρεσβυτεροι του λαου λεγοντες εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιεις και τις σοι εδωκεν την εξουσιαν ταυτην 21:24 αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ερωτησω υμας καγω λογον ενα ον εαν ειπητε μοι καγω υμιν ερω εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιω 21:25 το βαπτισμα ιωαννου ποθεν ην εξ ουρανου η εξ ανθρωπων οι δε διελογιζοντο παρ εαυτοις λεγοντες εαν ειπωμεν εξ ουρανου ερει ημιν δια τι ουν ουκ επιστευσατε αυτω 21:26 εαν δε ειπωμεν εξ ανθρωπων φοβουμεθα τον οχλον παντες γαρ εχουσιν τον ιωαννην ως προφητην 21:27 και αποκριθεντες τω ιησου ειπον ουκ οιδαμεν εφη αυτοις και αυτος ουδε εγω λεγω υμιν εν ποια εξουσια ταυτα ποιω
George A. Buttrick, “The Test of Deeds,” The Parables of Jesus, p. 204-211
John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 139, 169
John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 127 [Note]
The Historical Jesus
“… the ordinary weapons of relatively powerless groups: foot dragging, dissimulation, desertion, false compliance, pilfering, feigned ignorance, slander, arson, sabotage and so on.” quoting James Scott.
[Me: As peasants we are like the second son. But we are sons not servants so we must repent and act like the first son.]
Andrew Greeley, “Not Honoring a Promise,” When Life Hurts, p. 51-53
Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality, p. 49
Joachim Jeremias, “The Two Sons,” Rediscovering the Parables, p. 65 f.
Søren Kierkegaard, Provocations, p. 13-15
Provocations
Beware! The “Yes” of promise keeping is sleep-inducing. An honest “No” possesses much more promise. It can stimulate; repentance may not be far away. He who says “No,” becomes almost afraid of himself. But he who says “Yes, I will,” is all too pleased with himself. The world is quite inclined – even eager – to make promises, for a promise appears very fine at the moment it inspires! Yet for this very reason the eternal is suspicious of promises. (p. 14)
Madeleine L’Engle, “Love Letter,” The Irrational Season, p. 172
Blaise Pascal, “# 896,” Pensées, p. 265
“# 896”
Robert Smith, “Matthew’s Message for Insiders,” Interpretation (July 1992), p. 232 f.
“Matthew’s Message for Insiders”
Helmut Thielicke, “Two Kinds of Christianity: Word and Deed,” Faith: The Great Adventure, p. 11-17
28-31 Genesis 4:1-5, 25:23; Ezekiel 33:13-16; Luke 15:11-32
32 Luke 3:12, 7:29-30
31-32 John Dominic Crossan, “All Sins Forgiven,” The Historical Jesus, p. 257-259
31 R. H. Blyth, Haiku, Vol. 1, p. 224
Haiku
The materiality of Zen comes out in the fact that the religious life is at its lowest ebb in church, where everything is arranged to incline the mind to some other place, Heaven or Hell, some other time, past or future. There is more religion in the public-house, on the battle-field. It is for this reason that Christ says, “the publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you.”
31 Elton Trueblood, The Humor of Christ, p. 49 f.
31 Geza Vermes, The Changing Faces of Jesus, p. 220 f.
The Changing Faces of Jesus
31 Morris West, A View from the Ridge, p. 149
28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he repented and went. 30 And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
21:28 τι δε υμιν δοκει ανθρωπος ειχεν τεκνα δυο και προσελθων τω πρωτω ειπεν τεκνον υπαγε σημερον εργαζου εν τω αμπελωνι μου 21:29 ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν ου θελω υστερον δε μεταμεληθεις απηλθεν 21:30 και προσελθων τω δευτερω ειπεν ωσαυτως ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν εγω κυριε και ουκ απηλθεν 21:31 τις εκ των δυο εποιησεν το θελημα του πατρος λεγουσιν αυτω ο πρωτος λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους αμην λεγω υμιν οτι οι τελωναι και αι πορναι προαγουσιν υμας εις την βασιλειαν του θεου 21:32 ηλθεν γαρ προς υμας ιωαννης εν οδω δικαιοσυνης και ουκ επιστευσατε αυτω οι δε τελωναι και αι πορναι επιστευσαν αυτω υμεις δε ιδοντες ου μετεμεληθητε υστερον του πιστευσαι αυτω
George A. Buttrick, “The Rejected Overtures of God,” The Parables of Jesus, p. 212-221
John Dominic Crossan, “Parables of Action,” In Parables, p. 86-96
33 Isaiah 5:1-2
42 Psalm 118:22-23
33-41 John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 38, 149
43 George R. Hunsberger, “Is There Biblical Warrant for Evangelism?,” Interpretation (April 1994), p. 138
“Is There Biblical Warrant for Evangelism?”
33 “Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; 35 and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. 37 Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 But when they tried to arrest him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him to be a prophet.
21:33 αλλην παραβολην ακουσατε ανθρωπος [τισ] ην οικοδεσποτης οστις εφυτευσεν αμπελωνα και φραγμον αυτω περιεθηκεν και ωρυξεν εν αυτω ληνον και ωκοδομησεν πυργον και εξεδοτο αυτον γεωργοις και απεδημησεν 21:34 οτε δε ηγγισεν ο καιρος των καρπων απεστειλεν τους δουλους αυτου προς τους γεωργους λαβειν τους καρπους αυτου 21:35 και λαβοντες οι γεωργοι τους δουλους αυτου ον μεν εδειραν ον δε απεκτειναν ον δε ελιθοβολησαν 21:36 παλιν απεστειλεν αλλους δουλους πλειονας των πρωτων και εποιησαν αυτοις ωσαυτως 21:37 υστερον δε απεστειλεν προς αυτους τον υιον αυτου λεγων εντραπησονται τον υιον μου 21:38 οι δε γεωργοι ιδοντες τον υιον ειπον εν εαυτοις ουτος εστιν ο κληρονομος δευτε αποκτεινωμεν αυτον και κατασχωμεν την κληρονομιαν αυτου 21:39 και λαβοντες αυτον εξεβαλον εξω του αμπελωνος και απεκτειναν 21:40 οταν ουν ελθη ο κυριος του αμπελωνος τι ποιησει τοις γεωργοις εκεινοις 21:41 λεγουσιν αυτω κακους κακως απολεσει αυτους και τον αμπελωνα εκδωσεται αλλοις γεωργοις οιτινες αποδωσουσιν αυτω τους καρπους εν τοις καιροις αυτων
21:42 λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους ουδεποτε ανεγνωτε εν ταις γραφαις λιθον ον απεδοκιμασαν οι οικοδομουντες ουτος εγενηθη εις κεφαλην γωνιας παρα κυριου εγενετο αυτη και εστιν θαυμαστη εν οφθαλμοις ημων 21:43 δια τουτο λεγω υμιν οτι αρθησεται αφ υμων η βασιλεια του θεου και δοθησεται εθνει ποιουντι τους καρπους αυτης 21:44 και ο πεσων επι τον λιθον τουτον συνθλασθησεται εφ ον δ αν πεση λικμησει αυτον
21:45 και ακουσαντες οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι τας παραβολας αυτου εγνωσαν οτι περι αυτων λεγει 21:46 και ζητουντες αυτον κρατησαι εφοβηθησαν τους οχλους επειδη ως προφητην αυτον ειχον