王騎驢進城
馬太福音二十一章1至14節
1耶穌和門徒將近耶路撒冷，到了伯法其，在橄欖山那裡，
2耶穌就打發兩個門徒，對他們說：“你們往對面村子裡去，必看見一匹驢拴在那裡，還有驢駒同在一處。你們解開，牽到我這裡來。
3若有人對你們說甚麼，你們就說：‘主要用牠。’那人必立時讓你們牽來。”
4這事成就，是要應驗先知的話，說：
5“要對錫安的居民（註：原文作“女子”）說：‘看哪，你的王來到你這裡，是溫柔的，又騎著驢，就是騎著驢駒子。’”
6門徒就照耶穌所吩咐的去行，
7牽了驢和驢駒來，把自己的衣服搭在上面，耶穌就騎上。
8眾人多半把衣服鋪在路上，還有人砍下樹枝來鋪在路上。
9前行後隨的眾人喊著說：“和散那（註：“和散那”原有“求救”的意思，在此乃稱頌的話）歸於大衛的子孫！奉主名來的，是應當稱頌的！高高在上和散那！”
10耶穌既進了耶路撒冷，合城都驚動了，說：“這是誰？”
11眾人說：“這是加利利拿撒勒的先知耶穌。”
12耶穌進了神的殿，趕出殿裡一切作買賣的人，推倒兌換銀錢之人的桌子和賣鴿子之人的凳子；
13對他們說：“經上記著說：‘我的殿必稱為禱告的殿’，你們倒使它成為賊窩了！”
14在殿裡有瞎子、瘸子到耶穌跟前，他就治好了他們。
信息分享
今天的經文讓我們看到很多幅圖畫。首先，是我們君王進城的預備。這兩頭牲口的主人認識耶穌嗎？耶穌預先就做好了向他借用的安排嗎？按照馬可福音十一章的描述，基督似乎騎的是驢駒，是沒有人騎過的。這再一次顯示基督能使一切聽從祂的命令，連動物也不例外。
整個過程，不難想像。當時有多達兩百萬人在耶路撒冷守逾越節。你可以想像群眾把砍下的棕櫚枝和衣服鋪在路上，大聲喊叫的景象嗎？電視最喜歡播放這種場面！讓我們為那些真正承認基督是王的人感謝神。
但法利賽人卻非議一切。在他們眼中，這都是出於群眾情緒。今天有些人也認為，人不該因為認識基督而表現得太興奮。但認識基督的人都相信那確是前所未有、無以倫比的奇妙經歷。
路加福音十九章41節告訴我們，當基督下到橄欖山，看到面前的聖城，忍不住哀哭。這裡用了一個非常強烈的字眼，基督不單為它流淚，更發出靈魂深處被觸動的哀哭。基督似乎為耶路撒冷失喪的靈魂和將來它的被毀至少哀哭過兩次。
接著，祂到達聖殿，發現神的家擠滿了牲口、鴿子和兌換銀錢的人。祂三年前曾經把他們趕出去，但不久又回復舊觀。留意基督潔淨聖殿之後發生了甚麼，有瞎子、跛子立即進來，祂便治好他們。今天，在我們的生命中有任何東西需要掃除掉，以致基督能在我們裡面作工，或藉著我們去工作嗎？
THE DAY THE KING RODE IN
Matthew 21:1-14
1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.
3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “ Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘ Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.
7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.
8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
Message
A number of pictures are drawn for us in our reading today. First there is the preparation for the King’s entry. Did the owner of these two animals know Jesus? Had Jesus made previous preparation for their loan? It would seem Christ rode on the colt - described in Mark 11 as one on which no one had ever ridden. This is another indication of the calming influence of Christ, even on animals.
The procession can be easily imagined. Up to two million people were in Jerusalem at Passover time. Can you picture the branches broken off the palm trees, the clothes thrown down, the chanting of the huge crowd? Scenes like this would make good TV pictures! Thank God for those who recognised Christ for who He really was and is.
But the Pharisees criticized it all. To them it was mass emotionalism. Some people today think it is wrong to be excited about knowing Christ. Those who know Him believe it is the most wonderful experience they could ever have.
Luke 19:41 tells us that when Christ came over the crest of the Mount of Olives and saw the city in front of Him, He wept. A very strong word is used, not just tears but the cry of a soul deeply moved. He seems to have wept at least twice as He thought of the lost souls in Jerusalem and of its future destruction.
Then, when He arrived at the Temple, He found the house of God filled with animals, pigeons and money changers. He had cleared them out three years ago but they had all come back in again. But notice what happened after the space was cleared - the blind and the lame came into the Temple and He healed them all. Is there anything in our lives which needs to be cleared away so that Christ can work in and through us today?