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SearchMatthew Depressed
Matthew was at first nonplused by this pageant performance. He did not grasp the meaning of
what his eyes were seeing until he also recalled the Scripture in Zechariah where the prophet had
alluded to the rejoicing of Jerusalem because her king had come bringing salvation and riding
upon the colt of an ass. As the procession moved in the direction of the city and then drew on
toward the temple, Matthew became ecstatic; he was certain that something extraordinary would
happen when the Master arrived at the temple at the head of this shouting multitude. When one
of the Pharisees mocked Jesus, saying, "Look, everybody, see who comes here, the king of the
Jews riding on an ass!" Matthew kept his hands off of him only by exercising great restraint.
None of the twelve was more depressed on the way back to Bethany that evening. Next to Simon
Peter and Simon Zelotes, he experienced the highest nervous tension and was in a state of
exhaustion by night. But by morning Matthew was much cheered; he was, after all, a cheerful
loser