45. Mark 11:1-11: The Mystery, Majesty, and Mastery of the King

 Jesus comes to Jerusalem. The narrative draws to its climax. Forces swirl around Jesus thicker and faster. Theologically speaking, mystery, majesty, and majesty interlock and weave a tapestry within which readers must work to understand Jesus.

It’s too easy and rationalizing to suggest that Jesus has previously arranged for the use of the colt with its owners. Mark does not suggest this. Instead vv.1-6 reek of mystery. Jesus anticipates the question his disciples will get about why they are untying the colt: “The Lord needs it and will send it back immediately” (v.3). Who is this “Lord” and whence his authority to take this animal? There’s abundant mystery here. Mystery Mark does not try to penetrate.

Jesus enters the city unusually – seated on a garment-covered never-ridden colt and with cloaks and branches providing a “red carpet” welcome for him (vv.8-10). This is an entrance fit for a king.

But what kind of king is this whose majesty is proclaimed by a borrowed colt, a makeshift throne on the colt and “red carpet” along with “a rag-tag, miscellaneous group of the poor” (Placher, Mark:3183-3184) as his supporters? This crowd provide this majesty his royal welcome.

Zech. (9:9) sets the context.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
    triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

This, this king, comes under the symbolism of a triumphant conqueror. And he comes under the adulation of a Davidic messiah.

 “‘Hosanna’ is  a Hebrew word which mixes exuberant praise to God with the  prayer that God    will save his people, and do so right away. The beginning and end of their cheerful chant is taken from Psalm 118.25–26, which is itself all about going up to Jerusalem and the Temple. The sentence that follows means, literally, ‘Blessed is the one who comes’; but in Hebrew and Aramaic that’s the way you say ‘welcome’. In the middle of the chant they have inserted the dangerous prayer: Welcome to the kingdom of our father David! This is what the scene is all about – as Mark’s readers have known for some while, and as we saw in the shout of blind Bartimaeus in 10.47–48” (Wright, Mark, 185-186).

Mystery and majesty intersect here in a way that explains without quite explaining and reveals without quite revealing. Only some of those who followed Jesus closely for some time might have a clue about what this scene means. Only they would have some insight into the bizarre “street theater” (Myers, Say to this Mountain, 145) Jesus enacts here. Presenting and then subverting well-known and precious images is exactly in line with Mark’s way of telling Jesus’ story. This whole scene raises more questions than it answers and requires one to make a decision about this man. It is a “Triumphal Entry” only in a most ironic sense!

To add to the mystery and sense of majesty Mark has already inscribed in his narrative the last verse adds a sense of mastery to the picture. Jesus walks into the temple as if he owns it, glances around at everything, and then leaves with his disciples (v.11). Again, more questions than answer. Anticipation galore. What happens now?

Mystery, Majesty, and mastery – these are the keys to reading this scene rightly. They yield questions more than answers. And those questions keep us reading to find out more.