Advent 1 - Tuesday, November 29, 2011

November 29, 2011

Matthew 21:1-11 (see below)

The walk from Bethpage over the Mount of Olives into the city of Jerusalem is not very arduous. Pilgrims begin at the Church that remembers when Jesus mounted the donkey to begin the procession of the palms. You walk up to the crest of the Mount of Olives and see the great city of Jerusalem. There is only one road that winds down into the Kidron Valley. On the left are the Jewish cemeteries and on the right the churches remembering specific moments of our Lord’s last night.

There have been two times in my life when I have had the great opportunity to spend the entire day on that mount and walk that ancient road. The text from Matthew’s Gospel reads, “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’”

What a significant question for every Christian to ponder in these days of Advent. As we prepare to welcome the Christ child, it is important to take some time to answer the question for ourselves: Who is this man? What is the message that he has come to proclaim? Will I follow in his way? How will Christ’s presence make a difference in my life?

Love One Another – Brian

The Choice

John Dear

The Gospel offers us a choice: We can join Jesus' mission or we can reject it, as the congregation in the Nazareth synagogue did two thousand years ago. We can risk our lives proclaiming the good news to the poor, releasing the imprisoned, giving sight to the blind, offering liberty to the oppressed, and seeking justice, economic conversion, disarmament and the transformation of society. Or--we can respond to Jesus' demand for justice for the poor like the angry crowd: with anger, resentment and violence.

Hypocritically, we can continue to attend religious services while benefiting from systemic injustice, the oppression of the world's poor and the business of war. Through our silent complicity with the world's violence, we can try to kill Christ again.

Source: Jesus the Rebel

Matthew 21:1-11

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,

‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
   humble, and mounted on a donkey,
     and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
   Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’