Friday 23rd December
Read Matthew 21:14-17
“The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.
16 ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him.
‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read,
‘“From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise”?’
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.” (NIVUK)
The New Testament writers saw much richness and truth in David’s simple Psalm. They considered the place of humanity, their insignificant yet majestic role and recognised that most of us are simply not worthy of that high esteem. Yet they also recognised that there was one who was worthy.
Perhaps part of the reason they saw Psalm 8 fulfilled in Jesus was because Jesus Himself declared that He fulfilled it? Jesus came to the temple and He healed the blind and the lame and worked wonders and the children cried out in praise. ‘Hosanna’ means ‘Lord, save us’. Perhaps that is where their indignation arises – the children are mimicking the crowds praise upon Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem (cf Matthew 21:1-11) – and innocently declaring that Jesus is nothing short of the Messiah. They are applying to Jesus as the Son of David, praise reserved for God – and the leaders want Him to stop them.
His masterstroke is to question their understanding of Scripture (‘have you never read’ v16)) and point out that Psalm 8 clearly states that God has ordained praise from the weak and innocent. They recognise His grace and declare it without shame.
There is a truth to remember at Christmas – just as He came to us as a child so we come to Him as children too…
