Hosanna (Palm) Sunday (5) by Wedad Tawfik, PhD - Coptic Orthodox Church
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Hosanna Sunday (Palm Sunday)
(5)
A Patristic Overview
From St. Augustine on the Gospel of St. John
· First, describing His being King of Israel, and what does this mean to the Jews and to Him:
[These were the words of praise addressed to Jesus by the multitude, “Hosanna; blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.” What a cross of mental suffering must the Jewish rulers have endured when they heard so great a multitude proclaiming Christ as their King! But what honor was it to the Lord to be King of Israel? … … the Son of God, the Father’s equal, the Word by whom all things were made, in His good pleasure to be King of Israel, was an act of condescension and not of promotion; a token of compassion, and not any increase of power. For He who was called on earth the King of the Jews, is in the heavens the Lord of angels.][1]
Second, concerning the ass and the colt, and to what they refer:
[And Jesus, when He had found a young ass, sat thereon.” Here the account is briefly given: for how it all happened may be found at full length in the other evangelists (Mt 21: 1-16) ; Mark 11: 1-11 ; Luke 19: 29-48). But there appended to the circumstance itself a testimony from the prophets, to make it evident that He in whom was fulfilled all they read in Scripture, was entirely misunderstood by the evil-minded rulers of the Jews. Jesus, then, “found a young ass, and sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion …” Among that people, then, was the daughter of Zion to be found; for Zion is the same as Jerusalem. Among that very people, reprobate and blind as they were, was the daughter of Zion, who was thus divinely addressed, was amongst those sheep that were hearing the Shepherd’s voice, and in that multitude which was celebrating the Lord’s coming with such religious zeal … To her was it said, “Fear not: acknowledge Him whom you are now extolling, and give not way to fear when He comes to suffering; for by the shedding of His blood is your guilt to be blotted out, and your life restored. But by the ass’s colt, on which no man had ever sat (for so it is found recorded in the other evangelists, we are to understand the Gentile nations which had not received the law of the Lord; by the ass, on the other hand (for both animals were brought to the Lord), that people of His which came of the nation of Israel, and was already so far subdued as to recognize its Master’s crib.][2]
From these words of St. Augustine we can deduce an explanation of that royal reception of the Lord Jesus Christ, in several points:
· The praises of the multitude declaring Christ as their King was a pain to the Jews! But to the Lord it was not an honor or promotion, but rather condescension and compassion, because He is equal to the Father and Lord of angelic host.
· The story in the Gospel of St. John was brief, but the details are recorded by the other evangelists.
The story added the prophecy as evidence that the Lord Christ is He to whom the prophecies pointed and in whom they were fulfilled.
· The rulers of the Jews intently handed the prophecies and the Books wrongly, leading the people stray and causing them to become blind and rejected.
· God cares for the deceived people. He calls them to rejoice and not fear to confess Him who they went out to receive in spite of the deceit they fell in. He encourages them to be confident when they see Him suffering, because by His blood they were to be saved. Since they came with the multitude to receive Him, they became sheep like them and became under the care of the Good Shepherd who seeks the lost. Now they cry out: Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! But regretfully afterwards they cried our “Crucify Him!”
· Both the ass and the colt were brought to the Lord, not only one of them.
· The ass refers to the Jewish nation, the deceived and subdued by its rulers to the extent that they know not their Master’s crib, as the Lord said in the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet: “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” (Isaiah 1: 3)
· The colt on which no man had ever sat (Mark 11: 2; Luke 19: 30) refers to the Gentiles who had not received the law of the Lord. They also joined the sheep to be shepherded by the Shepherd who gives His life for everybody.
From St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. Matthew
[Let us look also at the prophecy, that by words, that by acts. What then is the prophecy? “Behold, your King comes to you, meek, and riding on an ass, and a young colt;” (Zech. 9: 9) not driving chariots, like the rest of the kings, not demanding tributes, not thrusting men off, and leading about guards, but displaying His great meekness even hereby.
Ask then the Jew, what King came to Jerusalem borne on an ass? Nay he could not mention, but this alone ... … … He had wrought so many miracles and never were they thus amazed at Him; but when they saw a multitude running together, then they marvel. “For all the city was moved, saying, who is this? …
But these things He did, not as displaying any pomp, but at one, both fulfilling a prophecy, and teaching self-denial, and at the same time also comforting His disciples who were grieving for His death, and showing them that He suffers all these things willingly.][3]
From St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John
[Another Evangelist says, that they strewed their garments under His feet (Mt 21: 8), and that “the whole city was moved” (Mt 21: 10); with so great honor did He enter. And this He did, figuring one prophecy and fulfilling another; and the same act was the beginning of the one and the end of the other. For the, “Rejoice, for your King comes unto you meek” (Zech. 9: 9), belonged to Him as fulfilling a prophecy, but the sitting upon an ass was the act of one prefiguring a future event…
But how say the others, that He sent disciples, and said, “Loose the ass and the cold” (Mt 21: 2), while John says nothing of the kind, but that “Having found a young ass, He sat upon it”? Because it is likely that both circumstances took place, and that He after the ass was loosed, while the disciples were bringing it, found the colt and sat upon it. And they took the small branches of palm trees and olives, and strewed their garments in the way, showing that they now had a higher opinion concerning Him than of a prophet, and said, “Hosanna, blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.” …
But what means, “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion”? Because all their kings had for the most part been an unjust and covetous kind of men, and had given them over to their enemies, and had perverted the people, and made them subject to their foes; Be of good courage, it says, this is not such an one, but meek and gentle, as shown by the ass, for He entered not with an army in His train, but having an ass alone.][4]
From these words of St. John Chrysostom we can deduce several points:
· His coming was in fulfillment of the old prophecy in (Zech. 9: 9), and for a new prophecy of future events.
· The attitude of the Jews: They had not been moved by the miracles He had worked, but were moved when they saw the multitude proclaiming Him their King. They feared the matter would prejudice their authority!
· His amazing humility, from one side in fulfillment of the prophecy and self-denial, and from the other side to comfort His disciples who were grieved when He had told them about His death when they were going up to Jerusalem (Mt 20: 17-19).
· His riding on an ass reveals His meekness, for He did not come with chariots and guards like kings, but only on an ass!
· The great honor with which He entered Jerusalem on that day … but they soon turned against Him on the day of trial and cried out: Let Him be crucified … How strange was their change! Now they spread their garments and the palm branches on the ground under His feet, and the city is moved, the multitude cry out confessing that He is the Son of David and that He will save them, because He has authority in the highest, saying: “Hosanna! He who comes in the name of the Lord … Hosanna (save us) in the highest” … And soon after that cry out that He be crucified!
· The opinion of the people had changed, for He became no more a mere prophet, but the Son of David, who comes in the name of the Lord.
· Affirmation that there were an ass and a colt, not as some would think that He only rode on a colt. For St. John Chrysostom asserts that both the ass and the colt were brought to Him according to the prophecy (Zech. 9: 9).
· Explanation of the words, “Rejoice, O daughter of Zion …” is that the Lord was addressing her and assuring her that her King the Lord Jesus Christ is not like her former rulers who deceived them and delivered them to the hands of their enemies. He is meek and humble.
So we understand all that which took place and all that is written in the Holy Scriptures to refer to certain things mentioned by the authors of the Books and Gospel by the Holy Inspiration. Every letter is written intently and points to an event on the way of our salvation. Thus the Early Fathers understood it and safeguarded it for us. Therefore we likewise have to keep it safe and sound and hand it down to the following generations.
Glory be to our God for ever and ever. Amen
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[1] St. Augustine: Tractate 51: 4, On the Gospel of St. John, p. 284, Vol. 7, Nicene & Post Nicene Fathers, 1st Series
[2] Ibid. 51: 5
[3] St. John Chrysostom: Homily 66: 2, 3 On the Gospel of St. Matthew, p. 407, Vol. 10, NPNF 1st Series
[4] St. John Chrysostom: Homily 66 On St. John Gospel, p. 245, Vol. 14, NPNF 1st Series
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