Lay Down Your Cloak

The biblical writers pepper their stories with details that offer profound insights but are easily overlooked.

One of those details is found in three of the four accounts of Jesus’ entry. Here’s what the book of Mark tells us:

Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. (Mark 11:8, NLT)

The Greek word that’s translated as “garment” here refers to a cloak – the outer covering worn over the long tunic undergarment.

That may seem like Bible trivia, but it’s not. Its an intentional inclusion on the part of Mark (as well as Matthew and Luke) and it’s worth our consideration.

So, why do we need to know that they laid down their cloaks?

To appreciate what the people were doing, we have to understand two important things about the Jews of Jesus’ day.

First, they knew their Bibles inside and out. They committed entire books to memory. If you quoted a single line, they could pick up right where you left off without missing a beat. They knew it.

Second, they communicated in pictures and symbolic acts as often as in words.

Now, with that in mind, consider 2 Kings 9.

A prophet – a spokesman for God – named Elisha summoned another, but unnamed, prophet and commissioned him to go and anoint a man named Jehu as the next king of Israel.

The prophet finds Jehu and does as he’s been told.

When Jehu returns to his men, they ask what the prophet had to say. Jehu reluctantly tells them what happened.

So Jehu told them, “He said to me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I have anointed you to be king over Israel.’”

Then they quickly spread out their cloaks on the bare steps and blew the ram’s horn, shouting, “Jehu is king!” (2 Kings 9:12-13, NLT)

They spread out their cloaks and proclaimed Jehu as king.

Now, imagine that, hypothetically, you’re living in a territory occupied, say, by Rome. Caesar has designated a king over Israel. To openly declare another as king would be a rejection of Caesar’s will and, therefore, treason - and treason was punishable by death.

So, if you’re a first-century Jew that wants to say “Jesus is king” without saying “Jesus is king,” what do you do?

You lay down your cloak.

The Romans totally miss the reference, but every other Jew knows exactly what you’re saying.

This was nothing less than a proclamation that Jesus is King!

They got Jesus’ mission wrong, as we saw yesterday.

But they got His identity right.

He is the King.

But is He your King?

Will you lay down your cloak?

Read Mark 11:1-10 and think about and reflect on the significance of their symbolic act and what it means for your life.