Contemplative thought on the role of authority as seen in Luke 19:29-38 (Segment 3.A)
One of the first things I want to point out, as we read Luke 19:29-38, is that we are entering into the passage in which Jesus’ journey is ending. He wants to make a strong entrance into Jerusalem which lay just ahead of him. Luke begins Jesus’ travel narrative in Luke 9:51 and concludes it in Luke 18:14 [or 19:27 or 19:44?]. Luke 9:51-18:14 is called the big interpolation because this material is added material or exclusive material to Luke that is not found in the other two synoptic gospels, Matthew and Mark. Beginning with Luke 18:15, except for the story of Zacchaeus and the parable following, the material seems dependent on Mark.[i] Donald A. Hagner says:
“Jesus goes to Jerusalem to die, as is indicated very clearly in 18:31, introducing
the third passion prediction: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and
everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be
accomplished.”[ii]
As we pick up the story in Luke 19:29 the first thing we are going to note is that the tone of this particular segment contains in verses 29-35 the relationship of teacher to pupil or disciple as Jesus gives direct instruction and his disciples demonstrate obedience in following the instruction. Then, in 36-38 the tone is that of celebration containing joy and praise. Rather than a man avoiding his own death, running from the situation, or losing his head over the circumstances, we see Jesus fully confronting who he is as he arrives just outside of Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives along with others who have received that vision of him as a king and are celebrating him. They are celebrating Jesus and the long awaited arrival into Jerusalem as they approach the city after the journey contained in Luke 9:51-18:14 [or 19:27].
Read Luke 19:29-35.
Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem is nearly complete! He has trekked from Galilee and is finally arriving at the Mount of Olives, right outside of Jerusalem! One description of the Mount of Olives describes it as a ridge that is 1 mile long with four identifiable summits. Gethsemane, Bethphage, and Bethany are on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. It is east of Jerusalem, beyond the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and the Kidron stream flows through the Mount of Olives.[iii]
Jesus knows what is ahead: death. He may not know the day and the hour but he has given 3 passion predictions of his death and resurrection that lead us to believe he knew a lot about what would happen in this last week. These passion predictions parallel Mark’s gospels: Luke 9:22 and 44-45 and 18:31-34 and are given prior to entering Jerusalem. In addition to the passion predictions there are numerous allusions to what lay in front of him in Jerusalem (Luke 12:50, 13:32-34, 17:25).[iv] We know from the gospels that he is entering Jerusalem with 1 week left in his life before he confronts death and then rises from the dead.
At this point, he seems to have a plan in his mind about how he wants to enter Jerusalem and he utilizes his disciples to carry out his vision of that plan. Jesus gathers two of his disciples who are unidentified with instructions on how to obtain a colt in a nearby village. Was this the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus or an unknown individual? Were there individuals in the village working with him or were they unknown strangers to Jesus or was he a casual acquaintance? The text here does not given any indication of who the individuals are but instead, the author withholds the identity of the individuals who owned the colt. Once the disciples are in the village, they are to locate the colt. It has two identification marks: it is tied and it has never been ridden. Once they find it, they are to untie the colt and bring it back to Jesus. The only problem that Jesus indicates that may arise is if the disciples encounter anyone such as the owners who may question their action.
Let us take a moment to consider if the colt has any symbolic meaning or representation in this passage and why Jesus would call for a colt to ride at this point. He has travelled by foot from Galilee and up to this point he has not ridden any sort of animal. Less than a mile lay in front of him. Is he trying to cool off and feel refreshed as he has finally arrived at his destination by securing a colt to sit on? Is he securing an animal knowing what lays ahead and sees in the colt a need for compassion and gentleness and nurture as an immature animal? Does the colt symbolize the spiritual need of Jerusalem or his own physical needs after such a long journey? Is Jesus merely trying to calm his anxiety that he may have in finally arriving in Jerusalem after such harsh descriptions of the people of Jerusalem and the encounters ahead? Perhaps the colt represents all that Jerusalem is not! The colt is an immature, wild animal that has not been tamed but is part of a celebration and Jesus its first rider. The colt is learning obedience through being guided into the last mile or less of the road that leads into Jerusalem. Perhaps the colt is depicted as all that Jerusalem was in her youth but is not now! Ezekiel 16 describes the birth of the city of Jerusalem and how she was thrown out into the open fields and despised. When God found Jerusalem in the field, he clothed her with garments and took her under his wing and made a covenant with her and showed her love at the age when she was old enough for love but after Jerusalem turned to prostitution and God became angry with her and called her to remember the covenant of her youth. Perhaps, the colt symbolizes the covenant that Jerusalem had with God in her youth and how again she has forsaken God again through denying His covenant with her as seen in Jesus Christ. What I do want to point out about the colt is that there is no evidence in Luke 19:29-35 that Jesus secured a colt for himself in order to signify his majestic authority as is what happens in the next segment of verses in 36-38. It is not known whether he knew the intentions and thoughts of his disciples and followers or whether he had the kingdom celebration event in his mind when he secured the colt. All that is known within this segment of verses is that he asked for a colt to be taken to him with specific instruction and that his disciples helped him mount the colt with their garments laid beneath for him to sit upon.
One last thing to point out regarding Jesus’ instructions in securing the colt for him to ride is the problem associated with securing the colt! Jesus points out that if anyone asks you, “Why are you untying the colt?” you simply say, “The Lord needs it.” This implies that there is some sort of foreknowledge between the owners and Jesus of an acquaintance or of a previous positive relationship in that Jesus can refer to himself as Lord and they will not question his authority in taking the colt. The other possibility would be that he is referring to himself as Lord and does not care what they think and will not respond or work with people who will not obey his authority as is a characteristic of a king or a lord who has authority. In both these cases, the question that is in the background is, “Are you thieves and robbers? Are you stealing our colt?” This picture indicates that Jesus is taking something from someone without consent and therefore he is risking an accusation that the property he is taking is not his. By calling himself Lord and saying he needs it, he is suggesting he has the authority coupled with a need to take the animal and there is no further question. If the owners do not notice, he plans to take the colt anyway without any permission voiced by the owners. The owners are not retaliating and leave the disciples to do as they please. This snapshot of Jesus occurs in the scene right before Luke 19:46 when Jesus goes into the temple and says, “My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.” Jesus is very intentional in taking the colt from the owners and looks very much like a robber in taking the colt but he is not perceived as a robber by those around him as we see in 36-38. Later, he accuses those in the temple of making it a den of robbers and according to Matthew 27:38 he is crucified next to two robbers. The Greek work used here is λῃσταί (Matt. 27:38 BGT) meaning “1) robber, bandit, highwayman, one who seizes by violence, in contrast to a thief (κλέπτης), who uses stealth (LU 10.30); (2) politically insurrectionist, revolutionary, rebel who favors the use of force (JN 18.40); (3) figuratively, of unscrupulous, greedy, or overambitious leaders (JN 10.8)” [v]
We might ask at this point, “What in this selection makes Jesus trustworthy as a person and not regarded as a robber thieving a colt?” Very quickly, I will point out that robbers go under the cover of darkness or sneak around avoiding other people. Jesus has a plan on what to say when the owners are questioning the situation and he does not avoid them or seek to harm them in the intent to secure the colt. There seems to be some sort of positive relationship that may have developed prior that has influenced their willingness to allow him to take the colt without any further questions. Another characteristic of robbers is that when they take something that doesn’t belong to them then it is missed. The people that have experienced loss are not satisfied but mourn or despise the ones that have robbed them of something. Here, no one is mourning. No one despises Jesus. He is not met with ridicule for taking the colt. The owners are not picking up stones to threaten the disciples with death to get off the property. The disciples are satisfied with Jesus’ instructions and follow them. They obey and because they obey Jesus they are satisfied. The owners are satisfied also and make no issue over the colt. There is peace among them when he takes the colt. Robbers do not take something that is not theirs to begin with and then leave peace among those they robbed!
Read Luke 19:36-38.
A very significant set of events begins to happen after Jesus mounts the colt and begins to ride down the Mount Olives pathway. We do not know if this was planned in advance but we read that people advanced toward Jesus and rather than advancing with stones in their hand to kill Jesus as though he was a robber, they advanced with garments in their hands that they lay in the path that the colt carrying Jesus walked along. Verse 37 describes the people laying garments on the path as a multitude or a crowd of disciples. They praised God joyfully with loud voices for the great deeds of power that they had seen and they praised Jesus with victorious shouts, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” These are shouts of acclamation from disciples who approved of Jesus and recognized his kingly authority, and saw Jesus as one coming in the name of God and of the heavens and who is entering the city in peace. They shouted blessings and praised Jesus and celebrated Him. They had a celebration of life service in his presence without really understanding that Jesus was fixing to be arrested and then tried and crucified. Yet at the same time that they were celebrating Jesus, they were celebrating the life that comes through Jesus Christ and that they were recipients of that life and citizens in His kingdom. They were blessing Jesus, praising Him joyfully, and calling out for peace in heaven and God’s glory to reign in the highest heaven. The very nature of this enthusiastic event among imperfect people and a perfect Savior portrays a drastic difference to the coming events of the next week.
After surveying this passage, we consider the idea of authority and begin to ask what meaning does authority hold for us in this passage? What lessons and conclusions can we draw off of Luke 19:29-38 regarding authority? There are two main presentations of authority that we see here. First, the authority of Jesus in instructing the disciples in obtaining the colt and their obedience in following his instructions shows his true authority and the peace and satisfaction that comes through obeying his authority. Second of all, there is the authority of Jesus before the crowd of disciples in celebrating his deeds of power as he rides into Jerusalem on the colt. We might draw this together and say in a nutshell: Trust in the true authority of Jesus Christ is revealed in the obedient and devoted disciples through the fruit of satisfaction, joy, and praise that overflow in the lives of His followers. If we break it down we learn: 1) Jesus can not be characterized as a robber. His authority is true and does not fly under the radar. 2) Jesus’ authority brings peace and satisfaction. 3) Jesus’ authority results in praise and joyous celebration between He and His people.
[i][i] Donald A. Hagner, The New Testament: A Historical and Theological Introduction (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), 230-231. [ii] Hagner, 230. [iii] Zondervan’s Compact Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993), 421. [iv] R. Alan Culpepper, “Luke”, of Luke-John in New Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in 12 Volumes, Vol. 9, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), 350. [v] Bible Works, λῃσταί of Matthew 27:38
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