Friday, March 7, 2008
Psalm 4; Matthew 23:37-39"For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
(Matthew 23:39)
This passage flows out of Jesus' last comments against the Pharisees, calling out the persecution and murder in their hearts. And yet he laments the city's rejection of him.
He seems to tie in this word with his "triumphal entry" on the donkey, when the crowds were celebrating "Blessed is he who come in the name of the Lord."
Curiously, he says "you will not see me again, until you say..." Does this mean that unless they have a change of heart they will never see him again? Or does it mean that they will have a change of heart and will see him again?
In any case, Jesus' tender love and compassion is so evident here. It surely is one of the motivations that carried him through his crucifixion. And secondly, it is clear that this honoring and prayer to the true king (remember "Hosanna" means literally "save us now") is crucial. It is an expression of welcoming him, of receiving him; and is connected to the experience of his gracious, redeeming presence - to "seeing" him.
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
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