Mateus 21
Severus of Antioch
Mateus 21:4-5
It is again a prophecy, that of Zechariah, just as that also found in the book of Matthew, which informs us that a donkey's foal was tied to its mother. For the prophecy reads, "Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion, shout, daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation; he himself is humble and mounted on a donkey and on a newly born foal." Now who doesn't, while waiting for a righteous king, immediately understand that the Christ is in view, who prefigured likewise the name of Melchizedek, whose name in translation evokes the "king of justice"? So the prophet himself does not only say "king of justice," but he added "and redeemer." He did so in order to indicate, in an additional way through this means, the name of Jesus, which when translated means "salvation of God" and "healing." And he added next, "He himself is humble and mounted on a donkey and on a newly born foal." He does so to show in advance he who is written about in the Gospels: "Learn of me, for I am gentle and humble of heart." Now there was never any king, simultaneously just, a redeemer, gentle and seated on a donkey, who came to Jerusalem, unless this is he who alone is King of kings, God and Redeemer, Jesus. He is kind, gentle and abundant in mercy for all those who call upon him, as it is written. — CATHEDRAL SERMONS, HOMILY 20
Mateus 21:9
Indeed, on the one hand, the fact that the donkey walks on the branches and leaves of palm trees would make it clearly known that not only he who was mounted upon it but also those who would believe in him were going to subdue all their enemies, trample them under their feet and win a glorious victory. For the branches and leaves of palm trees are the emblems of the victory. On the other hand, the fact that the people took off their coats and threw them on the ground was a proclamation—in an immediate and manifest fashion—to speak of what appeared in reality in the events that followed.Indeed, when these believers were ridding themselves of all they possessed and even of their clothes, which is a sketch in miniature, they were following the gospel of grace. For it is written in the book of Acts that "all who were owners of land and houses, when they sold them, took the money from what had been sold and laid it at the feet of the apostles, and one gave to each according to his need." If this were not so, if there were not things mysteriously prefigured in what was coming to pass, the branches and the clothes would have even become an obstacle for the progress of this donkey, by impeding its feet like nets. "And the crowd that went ahead of him and those that followed were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David.' " This phrase (namely, "Hosanna to the Son of David"), in passing from the Hebrew language to the Greek language, is translated as "praise, or a psalm, to the Son of David." As for Jesus, it does not suit a man to be honored or praised by a psalm. But such does suit him alone who is by nature God, as it is said: "He has placed in my mouth a new song, praise to our God" and "I will sing to my God, as long as I live." And those who were crying out still added this: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest." And certainly it would have been necessary that those who were praising spoke according to custom: "You are the good one who has come." He is like the one who came a first time, or like the ancients greeting the prophet Samuel, asking from the outset, "Do you come in peace, O seer?" For Jesus' part, the fact that they were crying out "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest" (Luke as well added, "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest") is the act of those who proclaim his second coming, by which he will come from the heavens with glory. After his coming "he will join by peace earthly things to heavenly things" when "he will likewise judge all the earth with justice," and he will bring into the kingdom of heaven those who have lived well. This is why indeed it was also very small children who were praising and crying out like this. They were those who entered into the temple with him, for Jesus himself says, "Truly, I say to you, unless you change and become like one of these little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." Consider still the branches as bearers of victory, by which those who were acclaiming him were honoring the one who was praised in a manner worthy of God. Therefore the Evangelists wrote that already, when he approached and was ready to descend from the Mount of Olives, the crowd began to welcome him and walk in front of him, to praise him and cut branches from the trees. The Evangelists clearly show that these branches were from olive trees. They had to be olive branches because they were growing on the mountain named the Mount of Olives. Now the olive plant indicates the reconciliation of God and his loving advent to be with us. He accomplished this not because of our righteousness, which did not even exist, but because of his mercy. In the same way indeed it is a dove holding and carrying in its beak the leaves of an olive tree who likewise signaled the end of the flood in the days of Noah and the ceasing of wrath by the mercy of peace which comes from on high. — CATHEDRAL SERMONS, HOMILY 20.39