• 27 Charles Henry Brent, Bishop of the Philippines, and of Western New York, 1929
• 28 James Solomon Russell, Priest, 1935
• 29 John Keble, Priest, 1866
• 30 Innocent of Alaska, Bishop, 1879
• 31 John Donne, Priest, 1631) was an English poet and a cleric in the Church of England. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs, satires and sermons.

April

• 1 Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest, 1872
• 2 James Lloyd Breck, Priest, 1876

3 Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253 is a saint (canonized 1262) who was Bishop of Chichester. In Chichester Cathedral a shrine dedicated to Richard had become a richly decorated centre of pilgrimage. In 1538, during the reign of Henry VIII, the shrine was plundered and destroyed by order of Thomas Cromwell.

•  

FIRST READING: Acts 10: 34 - 43   (all)

Acts 10:34 (NRSV) Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Note: the Roman Catholic lectionary omits vs. 34b-36.

Isaiah 65: 17 - 25   (alt. for RCL)

Isai 65:17 (NRSV) For I am about to create new heavens

and a new earth;

the former things shall not be remembered

or come to mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever

in what I am creating;

for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,

and its people as a delight.

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,

and delight in my people;

no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,

or the cry of distress.

20 No more shall there be in it

an infant that lives but a few days,

or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;

for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,

and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 They shall not build and another inhabit;

they shall not plant and another eat;

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They shall not labor in vain,

or bear children for calamity; Or [sudden terror]}

for they shall be offspring blessed by the LORD--

and their descendants as well.

24 Before they call I will answer,

while they are yet speaking I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,

the lion shall eat straw like the ox;

but the serpent--its food shall be dust!

They shall not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain,

says the LORD.

PSALM 118: 1 - 2, 14 - 24   (RCL)

               118: 1 - 2, 16 - 17, 22 - 23   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 118:1 (NRSV) O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,

"His steadfast love endures forever."

14 The LORD is my strength and my might;

he has become my salvation.

15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:

"The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;

16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted;

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly."

17 I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the LORD.

18 The LORD has punished me severely,

but he did not give me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the LORD.

20 This is the gate of the LORD;

the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected

has become the chief cornerstone.

23 This is the LORD's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

118   Confitemini Domino   (ECUSA BCP)

1          Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *

     his mercy endures for ever.

2          Let Israel now proclaim, *

     his mercy endures for ever.

14  The Lord is my strength and my song, *

 and he has become my salvation.

15  There is a sound of exultation and victory *

 in the tents of the righteous:

16  "The right hand of the Lord has triumphed! *

 the right hand of the Lord is exalted!

 the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!"

17  I shall not die, but live, *

 and declare the works of the Lord.

18  The Lord has punished me sorely, *

 but he did not hand me over to death.

 

19  Open for me the gates of righteousness; *

 I will enter them;

 I will offer thanks to the Lord.

20  "This is the gate of the Lord; *

 he who is righteous may enter."

21  I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *

 and have become my salvation.

22  The same stone which the builders rejected *

 has become the chief cornerstone.

23  This is the Lord's doing, *

 and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24  On this day the Lord has acted; *

 we will rejoice and be glad in it.

  

SECOND READING:  1 Corinthians 15: 19 - 26   (RCL)

1Cor 15:19 (NRSV) If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, Or [Then come the rest]} when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

h/t montreal anglican

Some at Corinth had difficulty accepting Jesus’ resurrection, in which humanity becomes immortal, for many considered only the soul to be immortal. Paul has written that if we deny the resurrection, we reject the very basis of the faith. If our faith in Christ is limited to this life, we have been had. But Jesus was raised! The “first fruits” (v. 20) are the first yield of the harvest, foreshadowing more to come, so Christ’s resurrection is the forerunner of our resurrection. “Adam” (v. 22) was the prototype (model) for the old, earthly life (in which, Paul says, “all die”); Christ is the prototype for the new: he brings all (who believe) to life – through his resurrection. The sequence is this:

·  the raising of Christ (v. 23);

·  when Christ comes again (“coming”), of those who believe;

·  Christ’s destruction of all hostile, ungodly, powers (“every ruler ...”, v. 24, “enemies”, v. 25); and

·  the handing over of rule (“kingdom”, v. 24) to “the Father”.

This destruction will fulfil Psalm 8:6 (v. 27). The last enemy to be destroyed is (will be) death (v. 26). In v. 27, Paul clarifies: “all” does not include “the one” (God) who subjected all things to “him” (Christ).

The idea of bodily resurrection was denied by many in the wider Greco-Roman world, not only in Corinth.
Verses 21-23: Jesus is the prototype of the new creation as Adam was of the old: see also Romans 5:12-21. [ JBC]
Verse 23: “first fruits”: Elsewhere Paul carries the metaphor of first fruits further than he does here. The Old Testament origins are in: Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 23:10; Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Numbers 18:16-18; Ezekiel 44:30. [ CAB]
Verse 23: “at his coming”: At the glorious return of Christ (see 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 4:13-17), at the time of the general resurrection (see 1 Thessalonians 4:16). [ NOAB]
Verse 24: “every ruler ...”: i.e. powers hostile to authentic humanity: see also Romans 8:38-39; Colossians 1:16; 2:10; Ephesians 1:21. [ NJBC]
Verse 25: Paul quotes Psalm 110:1b (“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool”) implicitly. [ NJBC]
Verse 25: “his enemies”: i.e. demonic powers dominating the present age, one of which is death.
Verse 26: “death”: For the personification of death in the Old Testament, see Psalms 33:19; 49:14; Jeremiah 9:20-22; Habakkuk 2:5. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 27: Psalm 8:6 is also associated with Psalm 110:1 in Ephesians 1:20-22. [ NJBC]

GOSPEL:   John 20: 1 - 18   (RCL)

                     John 20: 1 - 9   (Roman Catrholic)

John 20:1 (NRSV) Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbou'ni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Early on Sunday morning, before dawn, Mary Magdalene (witness to Jesus’ death and burial) comes to the tomb and finds that the “stone” door has been rolled back, so she and those with her (“we”, v. 2) tell “Peter” (v. 4) and “the other disciple” (v. 4, traditionally thought to be John) that they suspect that someone has removed the body. The “other disciple” apparently younger, outruns Peter (v. 5). But the orderliness of the “cloth” (v. 7) and “linen wrappings” shows that the body has neither been stolen nor spiritualized. John, when he sees, comes to trust (“believed”, v. 8) that God is active; by implication, Peter does not understand yet. They do not yet understand the significance of what is occurring (v. 9), of how it fits into God’s plan, because they have not yet received the Holy Spirit.
Mary, still thinking that the body has been moved, has returned to the cemetery. In her grief, she sees “two angels in white” (v. 12), heavenly messengers. She recognizes Jesus when he calls her by name. But something has changed: they are in a new relationship: “do not hold on to me” (v. 17). To John the evangelist, Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, exaltation and return to heavenly glory, his ascension, are parts of a single event.

Verse 1: “while it was still dark”: That the women visit the tomb at dawn is stated in the synoptic gospels. Perhaps the writer has added darkness to incorporate his scene into the light symbolism of the gospel. [ NJBC]
Verse 1: Mary must have looked into the tomb to be able to tell “Peter and the other disciple” (v. 2) that the body of Jesus is missing. Only in v. 11 are we told that she “bent over to look in the tomb”. [ NJBC]
Verse 2: “the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved”: 21:20, 24 identify this disciple as the author of the gospel.
Verse 2: “we” is plural in the Greek, so it is likely that John worked from a source which included other women in these verses. (Mark includes other women.) [ BlkJn] [ NJBC]
Verse 4: “the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first”: In this gospel, Peter takes second place to “the other disciple”:

• At the Last Supper, it is the beloved disciple who sits in the place of greater honour: see 13:23
• Peter asks this disciple the identity of the traitor: see 13:24
• Peter gains access to the high priest’s courtyard through the beloved disciple: see 18:15
• The beloved disciple is entrusted with the care of Jesus’ mother: see 19:26
• When Jesus appears to the disciples in Galilee, it is the beloved disciple who identifies Jesus to Peter: see 21:7
• After being commissioned, Peter is rebuffed for asking about the beloved disciple’s task: see 21:20-24. [ BlkJn]
• In v. 8, it is the beloved disciple that sees and believes, not Peter.

Verse 6: That Peter goes into the tomb while “the other disciple” stays outside is consistent with Peter’s temperament shown elsewhere in the gospels. See also 6:68 and 18:10. [ BlkJn]
Verse 6: “He saw the linen wrappings lying there”: Note the difference from Lazarus: he needed unbinding ( 11:44); Jesus does not. In the synoptic gospels, the grave clothes are not mentioned, so presumably they were absent: see Mark 16:6; Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:3, 23. [ BlkJn]
Verse 9: “the scripture”: There is no specific scriptural reference, so John is probably saying that Jesus’ fulfills salvation history. However, the term scripture may well include the apocrypha to the New Testament and pseudepigrapha. When John wrote, neither the Jewish canon of the Old Testament nor that of the New Testament existed. The Greek word refers to a writing, not necessarily Scripture as we understand it.
BlkJn points out that “scripture” is in the singular, so a specific text is intended. He suggests Psalm 16:10, “For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit”.
Comments: they have not yet received the Holy Spirit: When do the disciples receive the Holy Spirit in John? In 14:16, Jesus says to the disciples: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever”. So, in a sense, the Spirit is active in Jesus during his earthly ministry. However, in 16:7 Jesus says: “it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you”. So the Holy Spirit is with the disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry, and is more fully with them after his ascension. In 20:22, Jesus breathes on them and says “‘Receive the Holy Spiri’t”.
Verses 11-18: To BlkJn, this is a separate incident which is mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament only in the spurious longer ending of Mark (Mark 16:9-20), though there are superficial similarities to Matthew 28:8-10. Here Mary is calm when she discovers the angels while in the synoptic gospels, the women are afraid: see Mark 16:5-8; Luke 24:5 and Matthew 28:5, 8. Further, here the angels do not deliver a message while they do in the synoptic gospels. [ BlkJn] To NJBC, the evangelist has reworked a traditional story in which the risen Christ appeared to either Mary Magdalene alone or in the company of other women near the tomb. He has recast the resurrection message so that it is clear that Jesus’ return is not to the disciples in the various appearance stories. His return is his exaltation to his place with the Father: see 14:18-19; 16:22; 3:13; 6:62. [ NJBC]
Verse 12: Mary sees “two angels in white” but apparently Peter and the other disciple did not (see vv. 6-7).
Verse 14: “she did not know that it was Jesus”: Mary also fails to recognize Jesus in other resurrection stories: see 21:4, 7, 12; Luke 24:16ff; Matthew 28:17. See also Luke 24:37-41. [ BlkJn]
Verse 15: “Sir”: The Greek word is kurios also translated as Lord with divine connotations. Kurios is also used in vv. 2, 13, 15, 18, 20 and 25. [ BlkJn]
Verse 15: “gardener”: a Jewish cemetery was much like a garden. Mary would be physically unable to “take him away”: this is an expression of her love for Jesus.
Verse 16: “Rabbouni” is a variant form of Rabbi, meaning teacher. Mary wishes to resume the relationship she has previously enjoyed with Jesus. [ BlkJn]
Verse 17: One should not think of Jesus’ resurrection as though he had returned to life and then later ascended into heaven. Rather, Jesus has passed into an entirely different reality. 14:22-23 answers the question of how Jesus will manifest himself to the disciples and not to the world – in terms of love and the indwelling presence of Father and Son with the disciples. [ NJBC]
Verse 17: “Do not hold on to me ...”: In Matthew 28:9-10, the women grasp the risen Lord’s feet in a gesture of worship. [ NJBC]
Verse 17: “my Father ... your God”: The Father truly is Jesus’ Father; Christians acquire their relationship to him through Christ. [ JBC]
Verses 19-22: Jesus appears to his disciples. As a community, as the Church, they now receive the Holy Spirit.

·  21 Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury and Martyr, 1556 was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I.

·  22 James De Koven, Priest, 1879

·  23 Gregory the Illuminator, Bishop and Missionary of Armenia, c. 332 is the patron saint and first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He was a religious leader who is credited with converting Armenia from paganism to Christianity in 301.

·  24 Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, 1980

·  25 The Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary

·  26 Richard Allen, First Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1831

·  27 Charles Henry Brent, Bishop of the Philippines, and of Western New York, 1929

GOSPEL:  Luke 19: 28 - 40   (all)

Luke 19:28 (NRSV) After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

29 When he had come near Beth'phage and Beth'any, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 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. 31 If anyone asks you, "Why are you untying it?' just say this, "The Lord needs it.'" 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34 They said, "The Lord needs it." 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 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, 38 saying,

"Blessed is the king

who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven,

and glory in the highest heaven!"

39 Some of the Phar'isees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." 40 He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

H/t Montreal Anglican

In Luke, Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem begins in Galilee. In 9:51, we read “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem”. Jesus has gone “through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem” ( 13:22). This journey nears its end.
Now Jesus approaches Jerusalem from the east. “Bethphage and Bethany” (v. 29) are villages on the slope of “the Mount of Olives” opposite the Temple Mount. It is likely that the colt is owned by followers of Jesus. That he is able to ride a colt that has “never been ridden” (v. 30) suggests that even the animal realizes that Jesus comes in peace. In Zechariah 9:9 we find the prophecy that the ideal, future king, “triumphant and victorious” will come “humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt”. (Normally triumphant kings rode war-horses.)
Perhaps poor people spread “their cloaks on the road” (v. 36) being their most valuable possession, and/or this recalls the acknowledgement given Jehu when he was anointed King of Israel, for he restored worship of God to the nation (see 2 Kings 9:12-13). V. 38a is a quotation from Psalm 118:26, a psalm of praise sung on major festivals. V. 38b is like the song the angels sing at Jesus’ birth ( 2:14). “The stones would shout out” (v. 40) is a quotation from Habakkuk 2:11, a book that tries to understand why godly people suffer injustice. Or perhaps Jesus speaks of the destruction of the city. The events described in vv. 43-44 did occur when the Romans razed the city in 70 AD. They did so in the midst of a civil war.

Verses 11-27: Comments on the Parable of the Pounds

In Luke, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is preceded by the Parable of the Pounds. Luke tells us that he tells this parable “because he [Jesus] was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately” (v. 11). A nobleman “went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return” (v. 12). Before leaving, he gives some of his slaves ten pounds each with which they are to “Do business” (v. 13, invest) until he returns. Some “citizens” (v. 14) do not want him to rule over them. He returns, with “royal power” (v. 15); he asks three of the slaves what “they had gained by trading”: one has doubled the money, a second has gained 50%, but the third has just kept the money safe. The king rewards the first two, but he takes away the money from the third one, for failing to take risk, and gives it to one who gained most.

Jesus makes three points in the parable: (1) those who oppose his rule are to be judged harshly; (2) being a good steward of the good news (and taking risks for the Kingdom) is expected, otherwise one may be cut off from God; and (3) Christ will return to establish God’s kingdom, but not immediately.

The Parable of the Talents is found in Matthew 25:14-30. Luke has combined it with another parable about acquisition of a kingdom. There allegorizing is much more evident. The parable of the pounds is in vv. 12-13, 15b-26; that of the kingdom is in vv. 12, 14-15a, 27. They overlap in some verses. If we remove the details about acquiring the kingdom from Luke, we see a parable which is very close to the Parable of the Talents. [ JBC]
Luke places the parable in the period after the Ascension and before the Second Coming. The kingdom story reflects many details about Jesus: departure from the land, rejection by his people, punishment of his people, and their loss of privileges, the administration of the Kingdom by the disciples, the expansion of the Kingdom, and Jesus’ eventual return. [ JBC]
This parable appears in a modified form in the Gospel of the Nazareans . There one servant wastes the money on harlots, one increases it by trading, and one hides it and earns nothing. [ JBC]
Verses 12,14,15: These verses closely parallel the details of the journey of Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, to Rome in 4 BC. He sought the Emperor’s ratification of his hereditary claim to rule all the territory his father governed. A Jewish delegation promptly appeared before Caesar Augustus to protest. He was refused the title of king, and only received control over Judea and Samaria. [ CCB] [ JBC] [ Blomberg]
Verse 13: “ten of his slaves”: The story only tells us the judgement the nobleman makes of three of them. [ NOAB]
Verse 13: “ten pounds”: The master in the Parable of the Talents give much more money to the servants. There he gives at least 75, 30 and 15 years of wages for a labourer; here he gives about 100 days of wages. [ NOAB] The smaller sums here indicate that the nobleman wishes to see whether his servants can be trusted with much larger sums in the future. [ JBC] In v. 17, the nobleman says that the money handed out is “a very small thing”.
Verse 17: In 16:10 (the Parable of the Dishonest Manager), Jesus says “‘Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much’”. [ NOAB]
Verse 20: “a piece of cloth”: In the Parable of the Pounds, the unresourceful servant can hide the money in a piece of cloth, but in the Parable of the Talents it is large enough that he buries it. [ JBC]
Verse 21: “‘I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man”: This is simply part of the story; we should not seek something for which it stands. [ JBC]
Verse 21: “ you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow”: Probably a current proverbial expression for a grasping person. [ NOAB]
Verses 22-24: While Jewish law commended the burial of money spoke of safeguarding the trust of a friend or client, it did not specify an appropriate way of dealing with money intended for investment, the intention of the nobleman in v. 13. So the behaviour of the third servant was foolish. Thus neither the action of the servant, nor the response of the nobleman, is implausible. [ Blomberg]
Verse 26: Luke has already presented this saying in 8:18 (the importance of hearing with understanding). Its original setting has been lost. [ JBC]
Verse 26: Matthew 13:12 is similar. See also 8:18; Matthew 25:29; Mark 4:24-25. [ NOAB]
Verse 27: The intention to slaughter those opposed to the nobleman’s rule suggests an allegorical meaning, where the nobleman stands for God, and the servants for various kinds of people. God rewards generously and will judge sternly. [ Blomberg]
Verses 28-44: The parallels are Matthew 21:1-9 Mark 11:1-10; John 12:12-18. [ NOAB]
Verse 28: At the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah “were speaking of his [Jesus’] departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” ( 9:31). [ NJBC]
Verse 30: “colt”: See also Genesis 49:11 (rule of Judah over the twelve tribes) and I Kings 1:38 (Solomon rides a mule to his anointing as king). [ JBC]
Verse 36: “spreading their cloaks on the road”: A brief chronology:

• Ahab becomes king of Israel, the northern kingdom (1 Kings 16:29)
• Ahab marries Jezebel, promoting the worship of Baal (1 Kings 16:31-32)
• Pagan worship permeates Israel. Elijah demonstrates that Yahweh is superior to Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40)
• God commands Elijah to anoint Jehu as king of Israel (1 Kings 19:16)
• Ahab dies in battle (1 Kings 22:29-40). He is succeeded by his son Ahaziah. Pagan worship continues.
• Elijah ascends to heaven, Elisha succeeds him, and takes on his responsibilities, including the anointing Jehu as king (2 Kings 2:1-18).
• Joram succeeds Ahaziah. Baal worship continues (2 Kings 3:1-3)
• Elisha sends one of his disciples to anoint Jehu as king, during a military council. (2 Kings 9:1-10).
• When Jehu tells his fellow commanders that he has been anointed king, they throw their cloaks on the ground before him and proclaim him king (2 Kings 9:11-13).
• Jehu eliminates pagan worship from Israel by killing (or having killed) Joram, Jezebel, Ahab’s descendants, and many worshippers of Baal (2 Kings 9:14-10:31). Worship of Yahweh is restored.

Verse 37: “the path down from the Mount of Olives”: The road traverses a ridge into the valley of the Kidron. [ NOAB]
Verse 37: “deeds of power”: i.e. the cures witnessed up to this time. [ JBC] A summary statement of Jesus’ ministry to the blind, lame, crippled, and poor – in fulfilment of Scripture. See slo 4:18-19 (Jesus reads from Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth) and 7:22 (Jesus answers emissaries from John the Baptizer). [ NJBC]
Verse 38: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord’”: In the Greek, this is a quotation from Psalm 117:26 in the Septuagint translation (118 in the NRSV), with two changes:

• Luke omits the Aramaic word Hosanna (meaning save us) perhaps because it would be unintelligible to a Gentile audience [ BlkLk]
• He changes kingdom to “king”, focussing on the person of Jesus. [ JBC]

In 13:35, Jesus says: “you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”. [ NOAB]
Verse 40: By silencing the disciples of Jesus, their persecutors will witness a still more resounding judgement that will come upon them in the destruction of the city and of the Temple. [ JBC]
The Babylonian Talmud, commenting on Habakkuk 2:11, says “Perhaps you will say, ‘Who witnesses against me? The stones and boards of a man’s house witness against him’”. [ JBC]
Verse 41: In 13:33, Jesus says “Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem”. [ NOAB]
Verse 41: “wept”: The Greek word, klaio, registers deep emotion. Seldom does Luke reveal such anguished emotion in Jesus. [ JBC] 13:33-34
Verse 42: “that make for peace”: The peace proclaimed by the “disciples” in v. 38 is not acceptable; yet peace shall come, but only through the most tragic sorrow and sternest detachment. [ JBC]
Verses 43-44: These verses appear to show that Luke was written before the destruction by the Romans in 70 AD, but this may not be the case. [ BlkLk] Luke draws imagery and language from Jeremiah: in v. 43 from Jeremiah 6:6, and in v. 44 from Jeremiah 6:21, 17. [ JBC] The prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem includes the methods the Romans will use to besiege the city and starve the inhabitants. [ CCB]
Verse 43: See also 21:20-24 (“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near ...”); 21:6 (“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down”), Isaiah 29:3; Ezekiel 4:2 (prophecy of the siege of Jerusalem in 586 BC). [NOAB]
Vere 43: “ramparts”: A palisade, that would keep out all supplies of food. [ NOAB]
Verse 44: “children”: The word includes all the inhabitants. [ NJBC]
Verse 44: “ they will not leave within you one stone upon another”: Haggai 2:15 uses this expression to describe the building of a marvellous Temple in the future (Haggai 2:6-9). [ JBC]
Verse 44: “the time of your visitation”: the time of Christ’s ministry. [ NOAB]

PSALM 118: 1 - 2, 19 - 29   (RCL)

Psal 118:1 (NRSV) O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say,

"His steadfast love endures forever."

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the LORD.

20 This is the gate of the LORD;

the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected

has become the chief cornerstone.

23 This is the LORD's doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD!

O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!

26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD.

We bless you from the house of the LORD.

27 The LORD is God,

and he has given us light.

Bind the festal procession with branches,

up to the horns of the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God, I will extol you.

29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

118   Confitemini Domino   (ECUSA BCP)

  

1          Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *

     his mercy endures for ever.

2          Let Israel now proclaim, *

     “His mercy endures for ever.”

19  Open for me the gates of righteousness; *

 I will enter them;

 I will offer thanks to the Lord.

20  "This is the gate of the Lord; *

 he who is righteous may enter."

21  I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *

 and have become my salvation.

22  The same stone which the builders rejected *

 has become the chief cornerstone.

23  This is the Lord's doing, *

 and it is marvelous in our eyes.

24  On this day the Lord has acted; *

 we will rejoice and be glad in it.

 

25  Hosanna, Lord, hosanna! *

 Lord, send us now success.

26  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *

 we bless you from the house of the Lord.

27  God is the Lord; he has shined upon us; *

 form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.

28  "You are my God, and I will thank you; *

 you are my God, and I will exalt you."

29  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; *

 his mercy endures for ever.