Palm Sunday (A few words on sequencing of stories in the gospels)

Have you ever noticed that different gospel accounts have different ordering of events? The vast majority of the time each gospel author has a different audience and purpose in their composition. While Luke is an account made for the benefit of one particular person (Luke 1:1-4), Matthew was written for the benefit of Jews who placed great significance on the coming messiah (hence why Matthew's gospel begins with the added emphasis and tradition of a Jewish genealogy). Much of the time WHEN stories occur inside the account of a gospel teaches us just as much as WHAT occurs in those stories. 

The objection often rises from doubters and critical thinkers, "A story that is told out of time sensitive sequential method is automatically false". However simply because some stories are told "out of order" in terms of timeline shouldn't cause us to doubt the voracity or trustworthiness of the stories. Rather we ought to consider WHY a story teller would rearrange stories outside of a time sensitive sequence. When we ask this question we can begin to understand some of the purpose and differences in the various gospel accounts. We've all heard the phrase "there are no stupid questions", however there are wrong assumptions. If a gospel author doesn't claim to be telling a time sensitive sequenced narrative, then it's wrong for us to assume one. 

In the gospel of Matthew the account of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is told (21:1-11). On either side of Jesus entry into the capital city there are brief stories which give glimpses into Matthew's beliefs about Jesus. Whether these events happened immediately prior to and after Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is irrelevant for Matthew's purposes. Matthew isn't looking to emphasize or provide instruction based on the days of the week these events occurred. He is however teaching us something by the sequence in which he recounts them.

Just prior to the Triumphal entry we read of Jesus healing some men who call out to Jesus as the son of David. We are given the account in Matthew 20:

29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34)

The blind men call out to Jesus based on his lineage by calling him Son of David, and out of reverence calling him Lord. It is after this story that Matthew situates telling the triumphal entry. Jesus was the Son of David, something that Matthew continually emphasizes even from the outset of his gospel (Matthew 1:1-17) and throughout the gospel (17 times the name of David is used). With this story positioned immediately before the account of the triumphal entry it ought to act as an introduction to the events of the triumphal entry and what occurs after. 

Jesus was called Son of David and Lord, and he took it seriously. After healing the two men he then rode into Jerusalem as king. Jerusalem itself was the capital city of Israel only AFTER David had conquered the Jebusites (former residents of Jerusalem). It was after taking the fortress that David claimed the location as his own (2 Samuel 5:6-10). Jesus comes into Jerusalem amidst the songs and shouts of a crowd hailing him as savior and treating him as king (Matthew 21:1-11). Matthew then goes immediately from telling about the triumphal entry to Jesus disrupting the business of the money changers in the temple: 

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. (Matthew 21:12-17)

During the triumphal entry many proclaimed Jesus as king and savior. He was treated as an arriving Lord and conqueror. Then upon entering the central, capital city Jesus began acting like a King. He began taking action for the benefit of his people and in the service of his God. He sought to make right the wrongs of the leadership that were exercising authority in the temple. Jesus did nothing less than directly challenge and accuse the current leadership in the temple of sacrilege. Matthew's gospel continues to then tell story after story of Jesus debating, arguing, and dumbfounding the religious leaders. From Matthew 21 all the way to the beginning of chapter 24 we see the verbal combat taking place between the earthly leaders of Jerusalem and the Triumphant King, Son of David, Messiah of God in the temple. 

Sometimes we treat the Bible as though it were a dictionary. "Let me jump to verse such and such" we say to ourselves or our friends. "this is a verse which gives us explicit definitions on what to do in certain scenarios". We then put the Bible down after we've read a verse or two, thinking that there is some intended meaning in a brief passage. While I don't want to discount that there is intended meaning even in brief passages, I do want to emphasize that we sometimes miss the point of something in scripture, and therefore come up with all sorts of meanings that were not intended by the original writers (under the inspiration of God) and author (The Holy Spirit). In other words, sometimes we dip our finger into the cake, and with a knuckle full of frosting say "ohhh, that's good cake!". In reality, we haven't even begun to taste the cake, and have only punctured the surface of the layers of flavor and goodness that have been prepared. 

Sometimes we treat the Bible as though it were an encyclopedia. "Oh let's take a look at what the Bible has to say on this topic" we say to ourselves or our friends.  "This verse or series of verses will tell me about God's thoughts on a topic". We then put the Bible down and think we've struck gold. The Bible was not composed as a dictionary or encyclopedia. The Bible is filled with all sorts of differing and varying styles of written communication. When we read the Bible as though it was a different thing from what it actually is, we will of course come to folly. If you try using a Philips style screw driver on a job that requires a sledge hammer, you will quickly come to frustration. When we divorce the stories of the gospels from the ordering in which they occur, we too will certainly come to a frustrating and perhaps even incorrect conclusion about the passage. 

You want to know why the religious leaders hated Jesus? Do you want to know why he was crucified? He was being called King by the great masses of people with a lineage to back it up. He entered into the most metropolitan capital city in the region and began overturning the corruption in power. He then time and time again publicly (in the temple with potentially hundreds if not thousands listening and witnessing) humiliated the fools in leadership who considered themselves wise. 

Palm Sunday for Matthew in his gospel account is about more than a cute story of a kind man receiving some long overdue compliments. Palm Sunday for Matthew in his gospel account is nothing less than the King of King's coming into his rightful capital city and beginning his reign by declaring war on corruption that was plaguing his people.