Luke 19:28-47  We call this the "Triumphal Entry" - Jesus comes into Jerusalem riding on the colt of a donkey,  fulfilling the words of Zechariah 9:9, " Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Behold your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey." 

The disciples worshiped, praising God with joy,  shouting " Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

The Pharisees grumbled with disapproval and plotted to destroy Him.

But, what did Jesus do?  He wept.  He wept for the people who would soon turn against Him, who would soon shout "Crucify Him!".  He wept for the beautiful city of Jerusalem that would be overthrown and destroyed.  He wept because their hearts were hardened and they did not want their King.

Jesus knows where the heart of the problem is - for He heads straight to the Temple.
There He cast out those who had made it a market place, corrupt and fraudulent dealers, employed by the chief priests themselves.  "It is written, 'and My house shall be a house of prayer', but you have made it a robbers den!"   Isaiah wrote that the Temple was to be a place of joy. A place where all people could come to worship the Lord.  Jeremiah wrote that it had become a "den of robbers", for they did every manner of evil and then came and stood at the temple and claimed deliverance.  They were tyrants, destructive and evil to the core and thought that all they had to do was go to church once a week and that God would be ok with that.  They were wrong!

 Jesus must look at our world with the same sorrow and grief that He had over Jerusalem.  We have every opportunity to receive Him, the True King.  To worship Him in wonder and joy!  To know peace and salvation.  But, so many want to stay in the business of robbery.  We want to practice our sin and then go to church once a week and declare that God has delivered us...  We are wrong!

God has given us a Savior Who is the King, Christ our Lord. 
We are to come to Him in prayer. 
We are to come Him in humility. 
We are to come to Him with repentance. Forsaking our sins, not clinging to them. 
Jesus has been "endowed with salvation".  He offers it to all who will call upon the Name of the Lord.
Psalm 145:18 says, " The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth."
That is the heart of the problem of humankind - it is a problem of the heart.  We may call to Him, we may come to church, but we don't do it in truth. Then we wonder where He is... 

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending to us a Savior!  Thank You for sending us a King!  We praise You Lord.  We glorify You and worship You alone.  Open our eyes to see You more, to know You more. Fill us with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  We want to live a life worthy of You and please You in all ways.  We desire to bear good fruit and increase in the knowledge of God.  Strengthen us with Your power, according to Your glorious might, that we may be patient and have endurance for this race that You have set before us. We need You.  And that is the truth.  We pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ our King. Amen