II: Holy Monday
Mark xi. 12-29; Matt. Xxi. 12-19; Luke xix. 45-38; John xii. 20-50.
On the morrow, during the early dawn, Jesus left the neighbourhood of Bethany and returned with His disciples to Jerusalem; in that out of the way region He had not been able to procure even the little food He required, and now He felt the pangs of hunger on the road. The fields through which they were passing, albeit a sorry enough landscape in our times, were then covered with trees, especially fig-trees, which bordered the highways. The Saviour noticed one standing alone fully leaved-out; He stepped near and looked for figs on its branches, but in vain. Then said the lord:—
"Henceforth may never fruit be found upon thee!"
And from that moment the fig-tree began to wither away.
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| A fig tree (Valley of Hinnom). J-J Tissot. |
Surely a strange anathema this, if we consider it as merely affecting the tree, incapable of merit in praise or blame; but a terrible judgment for the hypocrites, for whom this fig-tree was the figure, most of all terrible for the Jewish people who, while boasting of their laws and their ceremonies, used these outward signs only to hide the hollow insincerity of their righteousness. This death-blow is the only one dealt by the Saviour's merciful hands; indeed it was only wrung from his heart during the last days of His stay among them in the hope of striking their stubborn souls with a holy fear of God; and even here the tender mercies of His heart warded off the blow, moving Him still to spare mankind, and in their stead simply sacrifice an insensible object of His own handiwork.
The Master hardly halted long enough to launch this malediction, for a pressing duty was urging Him onward to Jerusalem. Sorely indignant at the profanations which on the evening before had met His sight, He had resolved to once more raise His arm in judgment against those who had polluted the Temple. Although it was an early hour in the morning He found the courts already crowded with traffickers and littered over with beasts. Doubtless with blows from a thong, as He had done once before, so on this occasion did He beat the buyers and sellers before Him, overturning the money tables, together with the stands of the dove-vendors.
"It is written, 'My House is a House of Prayer,'" He cried, "and you have made it a den of thieves!"
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| Christ cleansing the Temple. J-J Tissot. |
Trembling before Him they all took to flight; soon Jesus remained sole master in the Sanctuary He had purified. "Nor would He so much as suffer a man to pass through the Temple with an unhallowed vessel." Then, while those Jews He had just now expelled made shift to conceal their confusion in the outskirts of the Temple, the blind folk and cripples came hurrying to Him and He healed them. The multitude flocked about Him to hear His words, and were filled with wondering delight.
A few moments had sufficed to change the aspect of God's Holy Hill; whereupon, in place of the noisy tumult, there fell a great calm, like the spirit of recollection, over the courts. Even the children about the Temple were awe-stricken at the stillness; but then, recalling last night's Triumph, forthwith they began to re-enact the victorious chants which had then greeted the Christ.
"Hosanna!" sang those little voices, "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
There childish homage angered the enemies of the Lord; they were all there, High-Priests, Scribes, and Chief-Magistrates of the people, all watching Him with envious looks. At sight of these young servants of God, brought up by them, and now hymning the praises of the Nazarene, they could contain themselves no longer.
" Do you hear what these are saying?" they cried.
" Ay," replied the Master, " have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast brought forth a perfect praise?'"
After this manner Jesus past the day wherein, fulfilling Malachy's prediction, He had appeared in the Temple, therein to exercise dominion. Struck with what they had seen and heard, certain Greeks, who at this time happened to be in the Gentiles' porches, approached Philip and made this request:—
"Sir, we desire to see Jesus."
Where did these men hail from, and what did they want of the Lord? There is a tradition which represents them as envoys from Abgar V., King of Edessa, who had lately been notified of the perils besetting Jesus in Judaea, and desired to tender Him an asylum in his States; the Lord, they tell us, recompensed this prince by healing him of his leprosy, and sent him a message which is still to be found in the Annals of Armenia. Uncertain as these facts seem, it is right to recall them here, for they show at least that antiquity regarded these strangers as Pagans, come from a faraway country.
As Philip, whose Greek name had attracted attention, did not feel sure how to proceed in the matter, he addressed Andrew, who was from Bethsaïda like himself; the latter, who was of hardier character, bade him accompany him to the Saviour, and so together they repeated their demand of these unknown foreigners.
Evidently the Master had expected the coming of these Gentiles', for He answered immediately,—
"The hour is come wherein the Son of Man is about to be glorified."
Thus He indicated that His Realm was soon to be extended over the whole earth, and at the same time testified two His own great joy thereat. But, foreseeing also at what cost this conquest must be bought, He felt rising within His soul the horror of death. His fast approaching Passion now appalled Him.
"Now is My Soul troubled. What shall I say?" He cried, as though uncertain of Himself, and in His anguish of spirit He besought Heaven to deliver Him.
" Father, save Me from this hour!"
Yet at once, crashing down the weakness of the flesh,—
" Nevertheless," He added, "I came for this hour. Father, glorify Thy Name."
Straightway a Voice came from on High that said:—
"I have glorified It and I will glorify It again."
It was the Father, Who celebrated the triumph of His Son beforehand and did honour to Him, as formerly in the Jordan and again upon Mount Tabor.
This evidence of His Godhead was not comprehended then. " It was thunder!" cried the crowds, though others added:—
"An Angel spoke to Him."
"This Voice is not for me, but for you," Jesus replied.
And He explained the mystery it foreshadowed: inasmuch as the world is judged and convicted of its sins by the Holy Spirit, Satan, the Prince of the World, shall shortly be cast out. But as for the Christ, He shall be lifted up, like the Serpent in the wilderness; and then only shall He draw all men unto Him. "Now He said this to declare by what death He must die."
These lessons were far above the thoughts of the crowd; accordingly they would not hearken longer, but began to besiege the Master with questions. What did He mean by saying, "It is necessary that the Son of Man be lifted above the earth?" Did this signify the death of the cross? But then how could He call Himself the Son of Man, since this name was the title of the Messiah, and surely the Psalmist had proclaimed that the Reign of the Christ should be eternal?
Without entering into any longer disputes Jesus reminded His auditors that, for yet a little while, they had the light among them.
" Believe in the Light," He added, "while still you possess it, in order that you may be the children of light."
These were the words Jesus then spoke to the people, but what occurred afterward between Him and the Greeks? Saint John does not inform us; he is content to tell us simply that these visitors "will come up to worship at the Feast." A Heaven-sprung light, like that which had once illumined the minds of the Magi, at first had revealed to the newcomers the excellence of the Jewish Law; but once arrived in Jerusalem they could find therein nothing greater than Jesus, and, in all simplicity and singleness of heart, they turned to Him. The Eastern world had knelt and adored Him in His cradle; now the West, in the person of these Greeks, came to bow down and worship before His Cross.
The interview between Jesus and the Gentiles is the last incident of the Divine Ministry recounted by Saint John. Enclosing his account of this period he stops to cast one sad backward glance at the scanty harvest which the Master had gathered as the fruit of His mighty labours. His teaching, it is true, had compelled the admiration of many; even here and now His words could hold the multitude spellbound, howbeit, without working their conversion. Isaiah's Oracle was accomplished: for three full years Israel had now looked upon the Messiah without recognizing Him, had hearkened without understanding, all the time hardening its heart, so that it could be neither healed nor be turned unto Him.
"Truly this was what the Prophet had predicted when, after having beheld the glory of the Christ, he spoke those words concerning Him." Amid this universal blindness a few princes of the people believed in Jesus, but even these durst not avow their faith for fear of being expelled from the Synagogue. Repeating the Evangelist's reproachful words, " the Glory of men was dearer to them than than the glory of God."
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