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| Entry into Jerusalem |
Lectionary: Lent 6(B) – Liturgy of the Palms and Liturgy of the Passion
Text: Mark 11:1-25
Introduction
Praises and acclamation! Our Lenten journey is nearing the
end as we begin Holy Week. It starts off with Palm Sunday and what is
frequently referred to as the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
The events of Holy Week contain some of the foundational
elements of Christianity. So, it is understandable and good to remember it
annually. But that repetition is a dilemma and difficulty for preaching,
because how many ways are there to present the subject in such a way that it
doesn’t get stale, and everyone stops hearing after the first few sentences?
One way of infusing life into a familiar story is to expand
its context by reading beyond the supplied lection. That is what we are doing
today. Frequently, sermons about Palm Sunday limit themselves to finding the
donkey(s) or colt(s) and the procession into Jerusalem. Today’s supplied
lection ends at verse 11, where Jesus is described as entering the temple and
looking around, but leaving because it was already late in the evening. We are
normally left at this point with a cliffhanger.
The Temple Incident
The main point of Jesus coming to Jerusalem is never brought
up. I looked through the three-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary, and
every year, Palm Sunday ends with Jesus entering Jerusalem but omits the next
several incidents.
From our reading earlier, you now know that in Mark’s
version, Jesus encounters a fig tree and then cleanses the temple the following
day. Matthew and Luke follow a similar sequence. Only John offers a different
narrative where the entire sequence of the temple is omitted. John also places
the cleansing of the temple incident at the beginning of Jesus’ public
ministry. John also omits the mention of a fig tree during holy week, but there
is a mention of a fig tree at the very beginning, when Nathanael is encountered.
In the three-year lectionary cycle, only John’s account of
the cleansing of the temple is included. And so, it is interpreted and preached
away from holy week. Most current biblical scholars conclude that the cleansing
of the temple occurred at the end of Jesus’ life, and that John took the
tradition and moved it to the beginning of his account for his own theological
reasons.[1]
The temple incident is one of the key pillars in
understanding holy week and why the religious leaders demanded Jesus’ death. This
is the reason why I chose to take an extended reading of the gospel to include
the cleansing of the temple into the Palm Sunday sermon.
All Reading Happens through Lenses
Viewing Palm Sunday and Holy Week from the perspective of
2000 years after the event, we have an interpretation of them filtered by our
lens of time. We call Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem the triumphal entry
because that is how we have chosen to interpret it. We interpret Jesus’
cleansing of the temple to be a good action for the theological meanings we
have given to it.
However, for the leaders and authorities in the narrative,
Jesus’ actions were not good. He threatened their honor, the power structure,
their interpretation of scripture and theology, and ultimately, they could see
that all of this was leading to instability of the status quo and quite
possibly to chaos. The Romans could tolerate quite a bit of diversity, but the
one thing they did not tolerate was a threat to the established social and
political order. Jesus, by challenging Jewish institutions and structures,
threatened to destabilize a Roman province and that in turn would threaten
Rome. The theatrical procession[2]
of Jesus on a donkey with a few followers coming into Jerusalem was not as much
of a problem compared to what he did at the temple.[3]
But when the two happened in succession, the threat became multiplied. Many
biblical scholars have the opinion that the cleansing of the temple was the
final straw that led the leaders to carry out a plan to destroy Jesus.[4]
As black and white as these stories might seem to our eyes
and ears, when we dig deeper into how these two stories utilize history and
literary allusions, we learn that the meanings and interpretations are more
ambiguous. Jesus’ actions were highly symbolic and had charged meanings to
those who saw and experienced it. To understand this, we now turn to several
passages from the Hebrew scriptures and post-exilic Jewish writings.[5]
Historical and Literary Contexts
Simon Maccabeus
We first turn to a text in 1 Maccabees 13. This passage
describes the retaking of a fortress at Gazara and the retaking of Jerusalem by
Simon Maccabeus around 142 BCE. This is the first time Israel has some
semblance of political autonomy since the return from exile.[6]
43 In those days, Simon
camped against Gazara and surrounded it with troops. He made a siege engine and
brought it up to the city. He battered and captured one tower. 44
The men in the siege engine leaped out into the city, and a great tumult arose.
45 Together with their wives and children, the men [of Gazara, Gentiles]
went up on the wall with their clothes torn. They cried out loudly, asking
Simon to make peace with them. 46 They said, “Don’t treat us
according to our wicked acts but according to your mercy.” 47 So
Simon reached an agreement with them and stopped fighting. But he expelled them from the city and cleansed the
houses in which the idols were located. He then entered it with
hymns and praise. 48 He removed all pollution from it
and settled people there who observed the Law. He also strengthened its
defenses and built a house for himself there.
49 Those [Syrians]
who were in the elevated fortress at Jerusalem were prevented from moving
around to buy and sell in the country. So they were very hungry, and
many perished from famine. 50 They appealed to Simon to make peace
with them, and he did. But he expelled them from
there and cleansed the elevated fortress from its pollutions. 51
On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the year 171, the Jews
entered it with praise and palm branches, with harps and cymbals and
stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs. A great enemy had been crushed
and removed from Israel. 52 Simon declared that they should
celebrate this day annually with rejoicing. He strengthened the defenses of the
temple hill alongside the elevated fortress, and he and his soldiers lived
there. 53 Simon saw that his son John had become a man, and so he
made him commander of all the forces. And John lived at Gazara. (1 Maccabees
13:43-53 CEB, emphasis mine)
In this description of military and political victory and
restoration of the Jews, there are a few key phrases:
But he expelled them from the city
and cleansed the houses…
He then entered it with hymns and
praise…
He removed all pollution…
They were prevented from moving
around to buy and sell…
But he expelled them from there and
cleansed the elevated fortress from its pollutions…
… the Jews entered it with praise
and palm branches…
This sounds quite a lot like the account of Jesus entering
Jerusalem and the subsequent cleansing of the temple.
Writings from Hebrew Prophets
Zechariah
Next we turn to Zechariah chapter 14. We won’t read the
entire text. It is a description of the Day of the Lord. The chapter begins
with a destruction of Jerusalem, but it then goes on to describe how the Lord
will fight for Jerusalem and restore it. Here are a few excerpts that contain
echoes in today’s gospel reading.
4 On that day he will
stand upon the Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem.
The Mount of Olives will be split in half by a very large valley running from
east to west. Half of the mountain will move north, and the other half will
move south. (Zechariah 14:4 CEB)
When Jesus said, “I assure you that whoever says to this
mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’—and doesn’t waver but believes
that what is said will really happen—it will happen,” (Mark 11:23) it is quite
probable that it was an allusion to Zechariah’s text.
And one more from Zechariah and why Jesus is described as
stopping temple commerce:
There will no longer be any
merchants in the house of the LORD… (Zechariah 14:21)
Jeremiah
We next turn to Jeremiah chapter 7 which describes the
corruption of the temple services and God’s judgment against it. In the middle
of the chapter we find text that reads,
8 And yet you trust in
lies that will only hurt you. 9 Will you steal and murder, commit
adultery and perjury, sacrifice to Baal and go after other gods that you don’t
know, 10 and then come and stand before me in this temple that bears
my name, and say, “We are safe,” only to keep on doing all these detestable
things? 11 Do you regard this temple, which bears my name, as a
hiding place for criminals? I can see what’s going on here, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah
7:8-11)
Jesus’ words against the temple contain echoes from
Jeremiah.
On the one hand, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the
cleansing of the temple look like a reenactment of the Maccabean victory and fulfilment
of earlier prophets against the corruption of religion. Those who witnessed
Jesus’ actions might have seen it as Jesus coming to reform sacred institutions
and cleanse the nation from foreign influences and idolatry.
Zechariah, Again
But there is another side. We first go to Zechariah (the
same prophet as before) chapter 9 which describes a victorious king coming into
Jerusalem after defeating her enemies. What is striking is the way this king
arrives and what he does.
9Rejoice greatly,
Daughter Zion. Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. Look, your king will come to
you. He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and riding on an ass, on a
colt, the offspring of a donkey. 10 He will cut off the chariot from
Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem. The bow used in battle will be cut
off; he will speak peace to the nations. His rule will stretch from sea to sea,
and from the river to the ends of the earth. 11 Moreover, by the
blood of your covenant, I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. (Zechariah
9:9-11)
This king’s victory is symbolized by entrance into
Jerusalem, not on a warhorse leading prisoners into the city, but on a colt.
His actions are to destroy implements of war and make peace. And in the process
instead of taking prisoners, he releases them.
Isaiah
We turn last to Isaiah 56. This part of Isaiah is a
prophetic vision of Israel following her restoration, when righteousness and
justice is returned.
1
The LORD says: Act justly and do what is righteous, because my salvation is
coming soon, and my righteousness will be revealed… 3 Don’t let the
immigrant who has joined with the LORD say, “The LORD will exclude me from the
people.” And don’t let the eunuch say, “I’m just a dry tree.” 4 The
LORD says: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, choose what I desire, and
remain loyal to my covenant. 5 In my temple and courts, I will give
them a monument and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give to them
an enduring name that won’t be removed. 6 The immigrants who have
joined me, serving me and loving my name, becoming my servants, everyone who
keeps the Sabbath without making it impure, and those who hold fast to my
covenant: 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain, and bring them
joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their entirely burned offerings and
sacrifices on my altar. My house will be known as a house of prayer for all
peoples, 8 says the LORD God, who gathers Israel’s outcasts. I will
gather still others to those I have already gathered. (Isaiah 56:1, 3-8)
Instead of denouncing and eliminating foreigners and others
who don’t fit societal and religious boundaries of who is acceptable, here God welcomes,
invites, and gathers everyone who pursues God’s ways into God’s “house of
prayer.”
Conclusion
By placing multiple sources that are sometimes at odds with
one another in narrating the first acts of Jesus during Holy Week, “Mark
develops his narrative in typical midrashic fashion.”[7]
Whereas Christian interpretations often have one “correct” interpretation (and
we often become uncomfortable when there isn’t a clear interpretation), Jewish
midrash may allow for multiple interpretations and perhaps none at all – only
questions left for the reader to ponder.
What I do see during Holy Week are two crucial questions.
They are: 1) Who is Jesus? and 2) What kind of savior do we want? Mark’s
narrative continues through the week offering further narratives and teachings
that develop these questions. By Friday, the dominant powers have offered their
answer: Jesus is a disturber of the status quo, a threat to the fragile peace
between Rome and the Jews, and certainly not the kind of savior they want.
The entry into Jerusalem and the temple incident offer two
contrasting visions of what salvation looks like. The Markan narrative leaves
its readers, us, pondering the questions about Jesus and what his life and
values mean for us. Are we willing to follow Jesus, through imitation of his
ways, and to the cross? Or would we rather settle for temporal victories in
this present life? I leave you and me with these words from Jesus, found
earlier in Mark:
34 After calling the
crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “All who want to come
after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. 35
All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives
because of me and because of the good news will save them. 36 Why
would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? 37 What will
people give in exchange for their lives?” (Mark 8:34-37)
References
Catholic Book Publishing. (2019). Saint Joseph
New Catholic Bible (NCB). Catholic Book Publishing Corp.
Garcia Bashaw, J. (2023). John for Normal People:
A Guide Through the Depth & Drama of the Fourth Gospel. Harleysville,
PA: The Bible for Normal People.
Jarvis, C. A., & Johnson, E. E. (2014). Feasting
on the Gospels: Mark (A Feasting on the Word Commentary). Louisville, KY:
Westminster John Knox Press.
Lewis, K. M. (2014). Fortress Biblical Preaching
Commentaries: John. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
Sabin, M. N. (2002). Reopening the Word: Reading
Mark as Theology in the Context of Early Judaism. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
[1]
[2]
[3]
There is no mention in Mark’s account where the leadership complains about
Jesus during his entry. Matthew also has no mention of the leaders’
complaints. Luke is the only one who records an explicit complaint. John’s
account includes gripes from the Pharisees, but not as forceful as found in Luke’s.
[4]
Mark 11:18, “The chief priests and legal experts heard this and tried to find
a way to destroy him. They regarded him as dangerous because the whole crowd
was enthralled at his teaching.”
[5]
This next portion of the sermon relies on insights from commentary on Mark by
Marie Noonan Sabin.
[6]
Footnote c, 1 Maccabees 13:31
[7]
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