Luke 19:29-48

When he arrived at the stables of Annia near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ahead, saying, “When you enter the next village, you will find tethered there a donkey’s young colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it to me. And if anyone stops you and asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just tell them this: ‘It is needed for the Lord.’ ” The two disciples entered the village and found the colt exactly like Jesus had said. While they were untying it, the owners confronted them and asked, “What are you doing?” The disciples replied, “We need this donkey for the Lord.” After they brought the colt to Jesus, they placed their prayer shawls on its back, and Jesus rode it as he descended the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem. As he rode toward the city, people spontaneously threw their prayer shawls like a carpet on the path in front of him. As soon as he got to the bottom of the Mount of Olives, the crowd of his followers shouted with a loud outburst of ecstatic joy over all the mighty wonders of power they had witnessed. They shouted over and over, “Highest praises to God for the one who comes as King in the name of the Lord! Heaven’s peace and glory from the highest realm now comes to us!” Some Jewish religious leaders who stood off from the procession said to Jesus, “Teacher, order your followers at once to stop saying these things!” Jesus responded, “Listen to me. If my followers were silenced, the very stones would break forth with praises!” When Jesus caught sight of the city, he burst into tears with uncontrollable weeping over Jerusalem, saying, “If only you could recognize that this day peace is within your reach! But you cannot see it. For the day is soon coming when your enemies will surround you, hem you in on every side, and lay siege to you. They will crush you to pieces, and your children too! And they will leave your city totally destroyed. Since you would not recognize God’s day of visitation, you will see your day of devastation!” Jesus entered the temple area and forcibly threw out all the merchants from their stalls. He rebuked them, saying, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Father’s house is to be filled with prayer—a house of prayer, not a cave of bandits!’ ” From then on Jesus continued teaching in the temple area, but the high priests, the experts of the law, and the prominent men of the city kept trying to find a strategy to accuse Jesus, for they wanted him dead. They could find no reason to accuse him, for he was a hero to the people and the crowds were awestruck by every word he spoke.