王骑驴进城
马太福音二十一章1至14节
1耶稣和门徒将近耶路撒冷，到了伯法其，在橄榄山那里，
2耶稣就打发两个门徒，对他们说：“你们往对面村子里去，必看见一匹驴拴在那里，还有驴驹同在一处。你们解开，牵到我这里来。
3若有人对你们说甚么，你们就说：‘主要用牠。’那人必立时让你们牵来。”
4这事成就，是要应验先知的话，说：
5“要对锡安的居民（注：原文作“女子”）说：‘看哪，你的王来到你这里，是温柔的，又骑着驴，就是骑着驴驹子。’”
6门徒就照耶稣所吩咐的去行，
7牵了驴和驴驹来，把自己的衣服搭在上面，耶稣就骑上。
8众人多半把衣服铺在路上，还有人砍下树枝来铺在路上。
9前行后随的众人喊着说：“和散那（注：“和散那”原有“求救”的意思，在此乃称颂的话）归于大卫的子孙！奉主名来的，是应当称颂的！高高在上和散那！”
10耶稣既进了耶路撒冷，合城都惊动了，说：“这是谁？”
11众人说：“这是加利利拿撒勒的先知耶稣。”
12耶稣进了神的殿，赶出殿里一切作买卖的人，推倒兑换银钱之人的桌子和卖鸽子之人的凳子；
13对他们说：“经上记着说：‘我的殿必称为祷告的殿’，你们倒使它成为贼窝了！”
14在殿里有瞎子、瘸子到耶稣跟前，他就治好了他们。
信息分享
今天的经文让我们看到很多幅图画。首先，是我们君王进城的预备。这两头牲口的主人认识耶稣吗？耶稣预先就做好了向他借用的安排吗？按照马可福音十一章的描述，基督似乎骑的是驴驹，是没有人骑过的。这再一次显示基督能使一切听从祂的命令，连动物也不例外。
整个过程，不难想像。当时有多达两百万人在耶路撒冷守逾越节。你可以想像群众把砍下的棕榈枝和衣服铺在路上，大声喊叫的景象吗？电视最喜欢播放这种场面！让我们为那些真正承认基督是王的人感谢神。
但法利赛人却非议一切。在他们眼中，这都是出于群众情绪。今天有些人也认为，人不该因为认识基督而表现得太兴奋。但认识基督的人都相信那确是前所未有、无以伦比的奇妙经历。
路加福音十九章41节告诉我们，当基督下到橄榄山，看到面前的圣城，忍不住哀哭。这里用了一个非常强烈的字眼，基督不单为它流泪，更发出灵魂深处被触动的哀哭。基督似乎为耶路撒冷失丧的灵魂和将来它的被毁至少哀哭过两次。
接着，祂到达圣殿，发现神的家挤满了牲口、鸽子和兑换银钱的人。祂三年前曾经把他们赶出去，但不久又回复旧观。留意基督洁净圣殿之后发生了甚么，有瞎子、跛子立即进来，祂便治好他们。今天，在我们的生命中有任何东西需要扫除掉，以致基督能在我们里面作工，或借着我们去工作吗？
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?