READ | SERMON NOTES
SUMMARY | Waving Palm leaves this Sunday, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” – in the name of Jesus the Messiah, the Saviour whose power shows through humility, whose strength is without tyranny.
Defining what we mean by PEACE matters most significantly. We tend to see it as the absence of pain or suffering, where our personal interests and way of life are protected and preserved. We tend to worry that rising fuel costs will impact our standard of living, not so much the devastating impact prevailing wars around us have on inflicted peoples.
There are two ways to have peace in the world:
1. Peace Through Power – Under Roman sovereignty’s Pax Romana (The Peace of Rome) which provided conflict-free peace in that period of history, everyone had to bow their knee to the Roman emperor. Any known rebellion would be immediately quashed. Such was the kind of peace that came through dominant power. Behind every earthly power are spiritual powers at play – as seen in apocalyptic imagery of a heavenly battle (Persia and Greece – Daniel 10; Archangel Michael vs the Dragon who instigated oppressive regimes – Revelation 12; Jesus speaking of Satan’s fall – Luke 10:18) Paul told believers about the reality of spiritual warfare in the Christian life: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
“Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” The Pharisees’ urgent admonishment to Jesus showed how politically-charged His entry into Jerusalem was. (v37-39) Their pragmatic accommodation to Roman rule was self-serving, not wanting to disrupt the calm they enjoyed. Jesus’ non-elite disciples, outcast and suffering disadvantageously, did not share their sentiment. They rejoicingly welcomed Jesus, whom they hoped would upend the Roman system and rescue them from misery. Their loud praise, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (v38) parallels the angelic proclamation at Jesus’ birth, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.” (Luke 2:14) There is a fuller, more encompassing PEACE that goes beyond mere earthly peace. Jesus came to bring about peace on earth as it is in heaven.
Earthly peace resulting from authoritarian power and dominance is not God’s way. Jesus replied the Pharisees that even if His disciples kept quiet, “The stones will cry out.“ (v40) It was a reminder to them of how Judah’s elite had mirrored Babylon’s wicked oppression of God’s people through power and dominance, so that “The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.” (Habakkuk 2:11) These were not cries of praise but of injustice! A mentality of “What can I get away with?” leads to selfish trampling of others. Peace that comes through power also comes with injustice.
2. Peace Through Tears – Riding on a colt, not a warhorse as most kings do, Jesus came in peace and humility. (v33-36) A King “righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a colt… proclaiming peace to the nations… to the ends of the earth.” (Zechariah 9:9-10) Not with power but with tears. “As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it.” (v41) Jesus’ tears were:
a) A prophetic act of judgment – He lamented over the impending devastation of Jerusalem for having neglected and marginalised the poor and outcast of society. They “did not recognise the time of God’s coming” and had not done what was right in His eyes. (v43-44) God never overlooks any kind of injustice and therefore allowed their enemies to “hem them in on every side… dashing them and their children to the ground”. Similar judgments were pronounced – “Your house is left to you desolate” (13:34-35) and “Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!” (23:28-29)
Jesus’ tears are for us too. Have we come to realise how liberal in our values we have become? How we have not treated each other with God-given dignity? The vulnerable are treated inhumanely. The rich get richer while the poor get poorer. We love our possessions more than people so that we have ceased to be human to each other. We use and abuse God’s creation; no longer consider human life sacred. Our trust in technology makes us increasingly addicted, so that more are becoming mentally unwell. The world is without peace because it is missing right where we are, here and now. Are we today jolted into seeing the calamity coming our way? When have we lamented over the state of our being; cried to call attention to what is not right?
b) An incarnational act of compassion – As a mother loves her children, and “a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (13:34), Jesus not only cried about the impending judgment but walked straight into the punishment due to us. With self-sacrificial intent He “drew near” and resolutely nearer (v29,37,41) to the city He agonised over. “To know where God’s heart goes, follow the weakness, the need, the cries. Wash our hands and purify our hearts by becoming friends with the wounded and needy. Grieve, mourn, wail with them. Stand not as outsiders but as their friends. Find ourselves concerned about injustice, be drawn to the orphan and widow, sensitive to the marginalised. Scripture unflinchingly calls us to stop flirting with the adulterous powers and dominions of the world and to start reflecting the humility of God’s Son.” (Kelly M Kapic, You’re Only Human)
The Biblical definition of PEACE (SHALOM in Hebrew) is about WHOLENESS – being in right relationship with God and our fellow human beings. Humility, repentance, and entering into each other’s pain are what make for peace. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” (6:21) What is your definition of PEACE?
(Sermon notes by Marjorie Tan)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Study Scripture
When Jesus says, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40), he’s making a reference to the Prophet Habakkuk (Hab 2:11). Read the context of Habakkuk 2:11. What is the reason why the stones are crying out in that passage? - Recall Sermon
How have human kings always sought to establish peace? How is this different from the way Jesus came as king? - Relate Personally
What is one societal issue that you believe has robbed us of peace? What is an adequate response to it as a follower of Jesus? - Commit to Action
What is one way that you can participate in “the ministry of tears”?
