Luke 19:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, as the hour approached for Him to endure the Passion that would ultimately redeem the world, liberating humanity from the clutches of the adversary, overcoming death, and vanquishing sin, He journeyed to Jerusalem. This journey was prophetic, indicating to the Israelites that a new lineage among the Gentiles would come under His authority, while they themselves would face rejection as those responsible for the Lord's crucifixion. What was the sign of this? He rode on the colt, as the blessed evangelist has clearly depicted. Yet, some may wonder why He did not procure a mount while traveling throughout Judea—teaching in their synagogues and confirming His messages with miracles—when He had the means to do so. Despite often undertaking long and exhausting journeys, He chose not to acquire a beast of burden. As recorded, He was “weary from His journey” as He passed through Samaria.

However, had the Lord desired to avoid such a grand entrance, He easily could have done so, opting to enter Jerusalem quietly, either alone or with just a few disciples, or perhaps even choosing not to go to Jerusalem at all given the perilous situation. Yet, He deemed this moment essential and did not treat it as a mere coincidence. Rather, it was a continuation of His previous actions. Similar intentions had been evident in Jericho. His purpose became even clearer when He instructed two disciples to proceed ahead of Him to the village of Bethphage, located on the descent from the Mount of Olives, to procure a donkey and a colt. The disciples placed their garments upon them, and Jesus mounted the young donkey, which had yet to be trained for any labor. This was in direct fulfillment of the prophecy, symbolizing the entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem as a gentle and peaceful king who intentionally chose this animal, representing peace rather than conflict (Zechariah 9:9-10). In this way, He made Himself visible to all, further intensifying the excitement of the crowd.

During this interim period, every individual must effectively utilize the grace bestowed upon them, thus readying themselves for the return of the Lord. This return will be marked by a glorious unveiling of His kingdom and a universal judgment, where the diligent will receive their rewards, the slothful will face punishment, and the unfaithful foes—who failed to acknowledge Him as their sovereign—will be condemned to everlasting torment. The imagery in this parable reflects the political climate in Judea at that time, under Roman dominion. Initially, Judea was governed by its appointed kings, sanctioned by the Roman authorities, leading some of them to travel to Rome to secure their rule. For instance, Archelaus went to Rome following the death of Herod the Great; however, the Jewish people, unwilling to accept him because of his father’s cruelty, sent a delegation to Rome asking that he not be affirmed as king.

While Martha attended to her customary tasks, Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus, listening intently to His comforting words. Overcome with love, gratitude, and reverence in the presence of her cherished Master and her resurrected brother, she felt compelled to demonstrate her devotion. Rising, she took an alabaster jar of precious nard and, quietly approaching the Lord from behind, broke the jar and anointed His head and feet with the fragrant oil. Then, in an act of profound love, she wiped His feet with her flowing hair, and the room was filled with its delightful aroma. Her generous gesture, born out of selflessness, evoked admiration among the poor Galileans who followed Christ, although unaccustomed to such extravagance. Yet, among them was Judas Iscariot, who experienced feelings of resentment and bitterness toward Mary's noble deed. His base character, impervious to the uplifting companionship of Christ, had started to reveal itself, and as he grew disillusioned with the anticipated benefits from Jesus’ ministry, he began to unscrupulously pilfer from the shared funds. Witnessing Mary's lavish offering, which could have significantly enriched the apostolic treasury under his control, Judas was consumed with anger. The evil one had already taken hold of his heart. Maliciously feigning concern, he questioned, “Why this waste? Why not sell this ointment for three hundred denarii and give to the poor?” Jesus, perceiving Judas’ deceitful and covetous thoughts, gently defended Mary, who was already the subject of criticism. “Why do you trouble the woman?” He replied. “Let her be; she has performed a good deed for Me. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me. She has kept this for the day of My burial.” He concluded with a prophetic statement that has been fulfilled throughout time: wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, her act will be remembered and honored. News of Jesus’ conversion of several noble Jews in Bethany soon reached the Sanhedrin, inciting their fury to the point where they contemplated killing Lazarus, the undeniable witness to the miracle they loathed, even as their plot to seal their own demise solidified.

The people joyfully glorified God, focusing their praises particularly on the ‘miracles’ they had witnessed, especially the recent wonders like the healing of the blind man in Jericho and the resurrection of Lazarus (cf. Jn. 12:17-18). The phrase “Peace in heaven,” etc., indicates that the term ‘peace’ here should not be taken in its usual connotation of calmness and tranquility (as such peace is always present in heaven), but rather understood in the context of triumph, joy, or gladness.