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Chapter 71MedVC.1.71

De adventu Domini in Hierusalem

The Loved Ones Who Beg Him to Stay

As the Lord resolves to go up to Jerusalem, his mother and disciples lovingly try to hold him back, knowing the conspiracy against him.

The mysteries were being celebrated, and the Scriptures were being fulfilled through the Lord Jesus. As the time drew near, he yearned to bring the remedy to the world through the passion of his own body. So the next day, at dawn — that is, on the Lord's day — he prepared to go up to Jerusalem in a new and unaccustomed manner, just as had been prophesied.✦ And when he wanted to go on, his mother, with tender affection, held him back, saying: 'My son, where do you want to go?' You know about the conspiracy that has been formed against you — how can you go among them? I beg you — don't go. Likewise, it seemed unbearable to the disciples as well that he was going; and as best they could, they held him back. Mary Magdalene said: 'Master, for God's sake, don't go.' You know they want you dead.

The Humble King Mounted in Triumph

Despite warnings, Christ proceeds to Jerusalem and, fulfilling prophecy, rides humbly upon a donkey and its colt rather than in worldly splendor.

If you fall into their hands today, they'll seize you and do whatever they want with you. O God, how they tormented him, and how bitter everything was to those who might harm him! But he himself had arranged it otherwise — he who sought the salvation of all — and he answered them: It is my Father's will that I go. Let me go, and do not be afraid, because he himself will defend us, and after this we will return here unharmed, though late. And so he went, and that small but faithful group followed him. When he came to Bethphage — that is, to a certain small village midway along the journey — he sent two disciples into Jerusalem to bring him a donkey and its colt, tied up in a public place and set aside for the service of the poor.✦ When this was done, Lord Jesus mounted — first upon the donkey, and a little later upon the colt — humbly climbing up, after the disciples had placed their garments upon them.✦ And so the Lord of the world rode on — and although it would have been most fitting for him to be honored with honor, at that time he made use of horse trappings and bridle-gear. Look well at him now, and see how in this his own honor he rejected the splendid pomp of the world. For these animals were not adorned with gilded bridles and saddles, and with silken trappings, in the manner of worldly folly — but with humble cloths and two cords, though he was King of kings and Lord of lords.✦✦

Weeping Over Jerusalem

The crowds receive Christ with joy, yet he weeps over Jerusalem's blindness; the text then reflects on the three occasions of his tears.

When the crowds learned of it, they went out to meet him, and as a king they received him with praises and songs, with the strewing of their garments and of branches, and with great joy.✦ Yet this joy was mingled with weeping; for when he saw Jerusalem, he wept over it, saying: 'If only you had known—you too—you would weep.'✦ And you should know that we read that the Lord Jesus wept on three occasions: once over the death of Lazarus—that is, over human misery; another time here—that is, over human blindness and ignorance. For on this occasion he wept because they did not recognize the time of their visitation.✦✦ [Corrupted fragment — untranslatable.] The third time he wept was during his Passion—that is, over human guilt and malice. For he saw that his Passion was sufficient for everyone, yet it did not benefit all, because of the reprobate and those who were hard of heart and impenitent. And the Apostle reports this, writing to the Hebrews about the time of his Passion: 'He was heard because of his reverent submission, with a loud cry and tears.'✦ Let these three occasions of weeping be noted in the text. But the Church also holds that he wept on another occasion—namely, as an infant.

The Weeping Infant and the Weeping Savior

The text moves from the infant Christ crying in the manger to the adult Christ weeping over Jerusalem, calling the reader to share in his sorrow.

And so the infant cries, singing as he lies confined among the narrow manger-stalls. He did this to hide the mystery of the Incarnation from the devil. Look at him now, weeping bitterly — for you too ought to weep with him. He weeps indeed, abundantly and intensely: not pretense but genuine grief shared with them.✦ So it was with a bitter heart that he wept over their eternal peril. He foretold their physical destruction as well.✦ Look too at his disciples, who walk close beside him with trembling and reverence. They are his barons and counts, his young lords and shield-bearers. Look also at his mother with Magdalene and the other women, following attentively behind him. And you must not think that, with him weeping as he was, his mother and the others who belonged to him could hold back their tears.

Honored by the Crowd, Received by None

Christ enters the city in triumph, cleanses the temple, preaches, yet finds no one to offer him hospitality, and returns to Bethany fasting.

And so the Lord Jesus entered the city amid the crowds' triumph and honor, and the city was stirred by his coming. He came to the temple and drove out the buyers and sellers.1 And this was the second expulsion. And the Lord Jesus stood publicly in the temple, preaching to the people and answering the leaders and the Pharisees, continuing almost until evening.2 And although he had been honored by them in this way, not a single person was found who would invite him even to have a drink.3 So the whole day he and his own fasted, and in the evening he returned to Bethany with them. So look at him now, carefully — because he walks very humbly through the city with those few who had come so honorably in the morning.4 From this you can see how little worldly honor is worth caring about, since it ends so quickly. You can also consider how Magdalene and the others rejoiced when he was honored by the crowds, and how much more they rejoiced when they returned to Bethany unharmed.

Read the original Latin

Frequentabantur mysteria, implebantur scripturce per Dominum Jesum; appropinquante tempore, zelabat remedium mundo conferre perproprii corporis passionem. Igitur die sequenti, summo mane, scihcet die dominica, paravit S6 ad eundum in Hierusalem novo et inconsueto modo, sed sicut fuerat prophetatum. Cumque pergere veUet, mater pio affectu retrahebat cum, diccns: FiU mi, quo vis ire? Tu scis conspiraUonem contra te factam: quomodo vadis inter eos? Rogo te, ut non vadas. SimiUter et discipuUs aUis videbatur intolerabile, quod ibat; et ut poterant, retrahebant eum. Dicebat Magdalena: Non eatis, magister, pro Deo. Vos scitis, quod desiderant mortem vestram.

Si vos itis in manus eorum, hodie vos capient, et habebunt intentum suum. 0 Deus, quomodo diUgebant eum, et quomodo erat eis amarum, quidquid laederet ipsum! ipse vero aliter disposuerat, qui universorum salutem siUebat, et respondebat eis: Voluntas patris mei est, quod ego vadam; sinite, non timealis, quia ipse defendet nos, et hoc sero huc redibimus iUaesi. igitur ire, et illa parva comitiva, sed fidelis, secuta est ipsum. Cum autem ^ venit Bethphage, sciUcet in viculura quemdam in medio itineris, misit duos discipulos in Hierusalem, ut sibi adducerent asinam et puilum ejus, alUgatos in loco pubUco, ad ministerium pauperum deputatos. Quo facto, Dominus Jesus prirao saper asinam, et parum post super pullum humihter ascendit, super quos discipuU vestimenta sua posuerunt. Et sic equitabat Dominus mundi, Et quanquam justissimum foret eum honorari, honoris tamen tempore tahbus dextrariis et phaleris usus fuit. Conspice nunc bene ipsum, et vide quomodo, in hoc suo honore, vituperavit honorabilem pompam mundi, Non enim fuerunt haec aniraalia frenis et seUis deauratis, et phaleris sericatis ornata, more stuUiUae mundiaUs; sed viUbus pannis et duobus funicuUs, cum esset Rex regum, et Dominus dominorura.

Turbae autem, cum sciverunt, iverunt obviam ei, et ut regem cum laudibus et canticis, cum vestium suarum et ramorum ai'borum stratione ac laetitia magna susceperunt eura. hnmiscuit autem cum ista latitia fletum; namque cum vidit Hierusalem, flevit super illam, dicens: Quia si cognovisses et tu, supple, " fleres. " Et debes scire, quod tribus vicibus legimus curi^ Dominum Jesum flevisse: una de morte Lazari, '""'•• scilicet, humanam miseriam; aUa hic, sciiicet humanam caecitatem et ignorantiam: hic enim flevit, quia non cognoverunt tempus visitationis XIX, 29 cl seq. su£E. Tcrtia vice flevit in passione sua, scilicct humanain culpam et malitiam, quia videbat, quod passio sua omnibus sufficiebat, et tamen non omnibus proticiebat, quia non reprobis, et diiris corde, ac impcenitenlibns. Et de liac refert Apostolus, ad Ucbrceos, dicensde tempore suee passionis *: Qui cim clamore valido et tacrymis, ctc, exauditus estpro sua revereiiiia. Dehis trjbus vicibus bal^etur in textu. Sed et alias tenet Eoclesia quod flevit, scilicet infantulus.

Et iJeo cantat ^: Vagit infans inter arcta conditus prcesqria. Quod faciebat, ut m^^sterium incarnationis diabolo occultaret. Conspice ergo bene ipsum nunc flentem; nam et flere deberes cum eo: flet eniin largiter et fortiter^ quia non simulate, sed vere dolebat cum ipsis. Unde corde amaro flebat iilorum periculum ceternale. Praedixit etiam tunc ipsorum excidium corporale. Conspice etiam discipulos, qui diligenter vadunt juxta eum cum tremore et reverentia. Ipsi sunt barones et comites sui, domicelli et dextratores. Conspice etiam matrem cum Magdalena et abis fceminis, sequentes attente post eum, Nec credere dcbes quod, ipso flente, potuerunt mater et alii sui lacrymas continere.

intravit ergo Dominus Jesus cum isto triumpho et honore turbarum in civitatem, de quo civitas commota est. Venit aulem ad templum -^, et ejecit ementes etvendentcs. Et haec fuit secunda ejectio. Et stetit Dominus Jesus publice in templo praedicans populo, et respondens principibus et pharisseis usque quasi sero. Et licet sic honoralus fuisset ab illis, non estinventus aliquis, qui eum ctiam ad bibendum invitaret. Tota igitur die ipse et sui jejunaverunt, et sero cum eis Bethaniam rediit. Conspice ergo et nunc bene ipsum, quia valde humihter vadit per civitatem cum illis paucis, qui sic honorifice venerat mane. Ex quo potes considerare, quod parum est de mundano curandum honore, qui sic terminatur in brevi, Potes etiam considerare, quomodo Magdalena et alii gaudebant, quando • honorabatur a turbis, et multo magis quando Bethaniam redierunt illaesi

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Zech.9.9;Isa.62.11 — Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king comes to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Isa.62.11 — And See, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, "Look, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense is before him."
  2. ↩Matt.21.1-Matt.21.7;Zech.9.9 — And when they had come near to Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, Matt.21.2 — saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. Matt.21.3 — And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and he will send them at once. Matt.21.4 — Now this took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying, Matt.21.5 — And "Say to daughter Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, gentle and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Matt.21.6 — So the disciples went and did just as Jesus had commanded them. Matt.21.7 — They brought the donkey and the colt, and they laid their garments on them, and he sat on them. Zech.9.9 — Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king comes to you; he is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
  3. ↩Matt.21.7;Mark.11.7;Luke.19.35;John.12.14 — They brought the donkey and the colt, and they laid their garments on them, and he sat on them. Mark.11.7 — They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. Luke.19.35 — And they brought him to Jesus, and they threw their garments on the colt, and they set Jesus on it. John.12.14 — Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
  4. ↩Rev.19.16 — And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.
  5. ↩1Tim.6.15 — which he will display in his own time—the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who reign and Lord of those who rule.
  6. ↩Matt.21.8-Matt.21.9;Luke.19.37-Luke.19.38 — And most of the crowd spread their own garments on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Matt.21.9 — The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed were shouting, saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!' Luke.19.37 — And as he was already near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, Luke.19.38 — "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
  7. ↩Luke.19.41-Luke.19.42 — And as he drew near, when he saw the city, he wept over it, Luke.19.42 — saying, "If only you had known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes."
  8. ↩John.11.35 — Jesus wept.
  9. ↩Luke.19.41-Luke.19.44 — And as he drew near, when he saw the city, he wept over it, Luke.19.42 — saying, "If only you had known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Luke.19.43 — For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build a barricade against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. Luke.19.44 — and they will dash you to the ground, and your children within you, and they will not leave upon you stone upon stone, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.
  10. ↩Heb.5.7 — In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
  11. ↩Luke.19.41-Luke.19.44 — And as he drew near, when he saw the city, he wept over it, Luke.19.42 — saying, "If only you had known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Luke.19.43 — For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build a barricade against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. Luke.19.44 — and they will dash you to the ground, and your children within you, and they will not leave upon you stone upon stone, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.
  12. ↩Luke.19.43-Luke.19.44 — For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build a barricade against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. Luke.19.44 — and they will dash you to the ground, and your children within you, and they will not leave upon you stone upon stone, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩The source reads 'aulem' (uncertain/corrupt) and 'etvendentcs' (corrupt). Normalized reading supplies 'ad templum' and interprets the second corrupt form as 'et vendente(s)'. Translation follows the corrected normalized text.
  2. 2 ↩'usque quasi sero' rendered as 'continuing almost until evening' — the quasi may soften the temporal claim or suggest the author is approximating.
  3. 3 ↩Source reads 'estinventus' (corrupt for 'est inventus') and 'ctiam' (variant of 'etiam'). Translation follows the corrected normalized reading.
  4. 4 ↩Source reads 'humihter' (corrupt for 'humiliter'). Translation follows the corrected normalized reading.

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