Recently a group of us were talking about what it would be like to have been present when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey. Who might have been in the crowd following him, waving palm branches and causing a disturbance by praising God for all that they had seen Jesus do? According to Luke 8, there would have been women among the disciples, some who are named and described, as well as many others.
Soon afterward, Jesus began going around from one city and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve [disciples] were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene [from the city of Magdala in Galilee], from whom seven demons had come out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means [as was the custom for a rabbi’s disciples].
Luke 8:1-3 AMP
In the days since that conversation, I have pondered and imagined what it would be to have been a disciple of Jesus as described in Luke 8. Several things come to mind. Life would be lived at a much slower pace. Every event would have been experienced at the time it happened. Especially, we would be with Jesus and hear him say something like this: “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:16-17.)
Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.”
“If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”
So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.”
Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road.
As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” Luke 19:28-40 NRSV
Something else our group talked about was where Holy Week was showing up in our season of life and current circumstances. As I am 82 years old and have been active in church for more than 70+ years, I have experienced many different events during Holy week including plays, choir and orchestra worship, and “Easter Expressions“ when we prepared the whole worship center as a special week long open house to the public. I don’t remember any time that we had an event that showed Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem.
Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.” Luke 19:41-44 NRSV
I imagine most of Jesus’ close disciples saw and heard him weeping and possibly wept with him when they heard what he said. They also followed him to the temple and watched what he did there and continued to hear him teach. They knew what the leaders wanted to do to Jesus.
As I continue on through Luke, I find that the “women who followed him from Galilee” were there at the cross, watching from a distance and again at the tomb, and saw where he had been laid.
I am grateful that I can continue on in Luke and the other Gospels through Good Friday to Easter morning. How about you? Take some time this week to read through Luke and think about being there in the story with those long ago followers of Jesus.
by Carolyn Schmitt
