3.14.2015 Saturday of Lent 3 Mark 11:1-19 The Triumphal Entry
Jesus enters Jerusalem
At this point, a new section in the
Gospel of Mark begins. Jesus arrives in Jerusalem and the rest of His ministry
will take place within the confines of the Holy City of Jerusalem.
Nothing is left to chance as far as Jesus
is concerned. Beginning with His triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem,
Jesus’ Passion has begun. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is a deliberate Messianic
action – He offers Himself as the people’s Savior knowing that this will
provoke the leaders of the ruling Council to take action against Him.
And yet, the people praise Him. They shout,
Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! This is a direct
quote from Psalm 118:25. The people understand what they are saying. Their
praises are a prayer – a prayer for the Lord to continue to save and sustain
His people.
In Lent, the Alleluias are eliminated
from our vocabulary. Alleluia comes to
us from Hebrew, and it means "praise
Yahweh." Traditionally, it has been seen as the chief term of praise
of the choirs of angels, as they worship around the throne of God in Heaven. It
is a term of great joy, and our use of the Alleluia is a way of participating
with the angels in worship.
It is also a reminder that the Kingdom of
Heaven is already established on earth. Our participation in the Lord’s Supper
is a participation in Heaven.
During Lent, our focus is on the Kingdom
coming, not on the Kingdom having come.
Our focus is on the spiritual journey of Old Testament Israel toward the
coming of Christ, and the salvation of mankind in Jesus’ death and
resurrection.
We, too, are on a spiritual journey,
toward the Second Coming of Jesus and our future life in Heaven. In order to
emphasize that journey, the Church, during Lent, removes the Alleluia from
worship. We no longer sing with the choirs of angels; instead, we acknowledge
our sins. We focus on repentance. So that one day, we too, may again have the
privilege of worshiping God as the angels do.
O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so
many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot
always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us
in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.[2]
No comments:
Post a Comment