about thee, and straiten thee[1] on every side, and beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee, and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone, because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation.” [2]
As Jesus rode through the streets directly to the Temple, the whole city was moved[3]. Then the sick, the blind and the lame were brought to Him from every side, and He cured them all. At this sight the children began to cry out again: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” But the Pharisees, becoming furious, told Him to rebuke them. Jesus answered them: “Have you never read the words: Out of the mouths of infants and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise?”[4]
COMMENTARY.
Jesus, the Promised Redeemer. Hitherto our Lord had avoided all tokens of veneration on the part of the people (see chapter XXXIII); but now that He was approaching Jerusalem to suffer and die for the Redemption of the world, it was His will to enter its walls solemnly, as Messias and King. He desired that thousands of voices should proclaim in the presence of the unbelieving people of Jerusalem, that He was indeed their promised Redeemer. But He did not make this entry in battle-array, and mounted on a war-horse: He rode in, meek and gentle, sitting on an ass, the type of peace, to signify that He was not the Founder and King of an earthly city, raised by force of arms, such as most of the Jews fondly expected, but the Prince of Peace, whose kingdom was one of truth and grace.
- ↑ Straiten thee. Our Lord saw in spirit the terrible fate which would ere long overtake the unbelieving city; how it would be surrounded by enemies, and utterly destroyed.
- ↑ Thy visitation. You refuse to see that God is visiting you at this moment, when your Saviour is entering within your walls.
- ↑ Moved. Scripture adds: '‘When He was come into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying: ‘Who is this?’ And the people said: ‘This is Jesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.’ ” The multitude which had formed the joyous and triumphant procession was principally composed of pilgrims from Galilee and Peraea. The exultation of these strangers roused even the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of their indifference, and they asked: “Who is this Man? Why is He so honoured and praised?” They quite ignored or forgot the miracles He had worked in their midst: they would not know Him, and thereby betrayed that unbelief over which Jesus had but just before shed such bitter tears.
- ↑ Perfected praise. Jesus applied the passage (Psalm 8, 3) to Himself, saying thus to His adversaries: “These children, by shouting in praise of Me, do but fulfil that which the Prophet foretold they would do.”
