Matthew 21:1-17
This week is Palm Sunday. Often we are caught up in the children waving palm fronds, the singing and praises that welcome Jesus into Jerusalem on the first day of Holy Week. He goes into the Temple to cleanse it. Though many Christians are confused about that, we kind-of agree that what the money changers were doing was wrong. Yet, I think we often miss the significance of how Matthew comments on this event. Our favorite passage on this event is Mark’s account, because it is so simple and doesn’t challenge us to think.
Matthew’s account is replete with Scriptural references, but that makes us look in the margins of our study Bibles and find that passage in Isaiah or Jeremiah or Psalms or Zephaniah or Zechariah (yes those are two different Bible books!) Matthew wants us to understand the greater context of these passages and then relate them to all that he is saying about Jesus, the Son of God in his Gospel. Then we have to take each passage in its social context and the seek points of contact with our social environment. Of course instead of all that, we could just like Mark, sing with the kids program, and wonder what happened to the little donkey.
If we want to be thoughtful Christians that are able to discern what is expected of us as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to notice the implications. Because it is only then will we be able to embrace a Christian Social agenda that reflects the character of our Redeemer.
One brief reference that fascinated me, especially in relation to the “Trans-Acceptance Day” promoted by our denomination, was a combination in verse 13. This is a reference from Isaiah 56:7. Within the context of Isaiah 56, the vision of God’s coming Kingdom will include foreigners (non-jews) and eunuchs. We are having to speak to the inclusion of these groups. We assume eunuchs are all castrated males, but it is far more extensive than that. Jesus expanded our thoughts of eunuchs in Matt 19:12. There are many individuals that do not fit into the “traditional” experience of a male and female marriage. And in Isaiah these individuals are accepted, these individuals are part of the family, and these individuals have full access to the Lord’s House and the Lord’s blessings.
One of challenges that we confront in Palm Sunday is the acceptance and welcome we give to those who are different from us.
Pastor Greg
