Lamenting
the Lion
It was on the first Palm Sunday, as Jesus was entering
Jerusalem in
the midst of the uninhibited adoration of a great multitude of
admirers, that he did something that was totally unexpected—he began to weep.
Why would he weep now? This was the time of his greatest
popularity and triumph! After all, do we not call this entrance of his into
Jerusalem his “Triumphal Entry?”
As Jesus wept, he said these words:
“If only you had known
on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.
“For
the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround
you and hem you in on every side. They will level you to the ground—you and the
children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because
you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” (Luke 19:42-44)
It was not the first time that Jesus mourned the city of
Jerusalem. On another occasion, he gave words to his musings when he said,
“O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how
often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! Look, your house is left to you
desolate.” (Luke 13:34-35)
In his weeping over the city during his triumphal entry, Jesus
was repeating a lament of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah when he wrote,
“Woe
to you, O Ariel, the city of Ariel where David camped…I will constrain Ariel,
and there will be mourning and lamentation…I will camp in a circle around you;
I will besiege you with towers and set up siege works against you. You will be
brought low.” (Isaiah 29:1-4)
“Ariel” was another name for Jerusalem. It was like calling
New York City “The Big Apple,” or Paris “The City of Light.”
The name Ariel had a connotation of strength—more
specifically, it had overtones of the strength of a lion.
But Isaiah predicted that this great and strong city, as
strong as a lion, would one day be brought low.
Perhaps what brought Jesus to tears in the midst of that
adoring crowd during his triumphal entry were some other words of Isaiah in the
same lamentation: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me
with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”
*******************************
In this year of the Coronavirus, we are also seeing many of
our “strong things” fail us. Of course we all hope that the stock market and
our 401k’s will rebound, but this crisis has demonstrated to us just how incredibly shaky
they are.
Many jobs have been lost, some perhaps permanently. World economies
have taken a great hit. Each one of us have our health in jeopardy.
Even the faith of some who before considered themselves
Christian is in jeopardy. This crisis may be more than their faith can handle.
Why is that?
Isaiah gives us the reason as he prophetically speaks the
words of God, “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with
their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”
This Coronavirus Holy Week may be preventing us from many of
our usual “Easter time” activities, but it is an ideal time to ask ourselves
some sincere questions.
“Upon what do I depend for stability and well-being in my
life?”
“What would I do if I suddenly found myself with no wealth
and no health?”
“Is my relationship with Jesus merely external, or is it one
that is abiding and real, and which endures despite changing circumstances?”
During these days of social distancing, there is no better
time to draw close to Jesus.
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