I'm just wondering. . .
9/22/2009 12:07:57 PM
Please read Luke 19.28-40                 Good Morning. I'm just wondering. . . what would you have done?  You are one of Jesus' disciples, and He tells you to head into the next village, (probably Bethphage), and there you will find a colt; untie it and bring it to Him.


Please read Luke 19.28-40


Good Morning.


I'm just wondering. . . what would you have done? You are one of Jesus' disciples, and He tells you to head into the next village, (probably Bethphage), and there you will find a colt; untie it and bring it to Him. 'If someone asks you what you are doing with it, tell them, 'the Lord needs it'. (not uncommon that a leader would request use of someone's donkey, and be granted it) Would you have done it? Remember, you are thinking that Jesus is going to get to Jerusalem, and set up His kingdom, and then wrest political power from the Romans, freeing the Jewish people from their harsh tyranny. So, wouldn't you have turned to Jesus and questioned Him--'The foal of a donkey? you're kidding me, right? Don't you want to be on the back of a stallion as you enter the city gates?' Or would you have remembered that the prophet Zechariah had said, "Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey'? Zech. 9.9


I'm just wondering. . . as a peasant in a small town, with not too many assets to claim, but you have this young colt that has yet to be ridden, when two common strangers approach to untie it. . . 'What are you doing? Where are you going with my donkey's foal?' 'The Master has need of it...' I'm wondering. . . what would you have said? Would you have let your foal go? You couldn't know that He had traveled far. . . you couldn't know that this same foal would be talked about more than 2,000 years later. . . you couldn't know what it all meant, and yet--maybe you could... I'm wondering, would you part with your foal for a while? The Master has need of it.


Not too long after, a crowd squeezes through the city gate, while all seem to be looking at One amongst them. They stop, first putting their coats and then HIM onto the back of your foal--and amazingly, though the colt has never been broken, never been ridden, he accepts a rider with no complaint, not bolting or kicking or running off to scrub his rider off with a low branch. 'Amazing, really. . . I'm wondering, what would you be thinking? And then you hear them--they are singing praises to Yahweh, thanking Him for the miracles they have seen. . . For the time being, you let your business go, and you turn to watch as on-lookers begin throwing their coats down ahead of Him, giving him a sort of royal welcome to the city of David. "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!" I'm wondering. . . if you had been in town that day, and you saw Jesus coming on the back of that donkey, what would you have thought, what would you have done? Oh, you've heard the stories--the blind have received sight, the lame have walked, Lazarus was raised from the dead, and the teaching of this Rabbi--well, it was revolutionary! Would you have raised your hands to hail Him as well?


I'm just wondering. . . did you hear the Pharisees say to Him, "Teacher, quiet your disciples!"? What did you think? Were you looking from their haughty faces, and into His that day? I'm just wondering, how did you feel about what they said? Did you want to shush them, or did you think they were right? I'm just wondering, because I wasn't there that day so long ago. It all seemed to be heading in the right direction, didn't it? Oh, sure except for those Pharisees--but they really were the exception--most had their arms in the air, smiling and singing, even doing a little May Day dance. . . I know that you couldn't know that this was the start of the passion week, the week that changed everything for the people, for the disciples, for the Messiah, for God the Father. . .


And then the lone Rider said to the Pharisees, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" I'm just wondering. . . what did you think then? Did you think of the psalmist's words about creation telling of Him--"the heavens are telling of the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech. . . " (Psalm 19) Or did you think, 'Crazy fools, even the rocks we walk upon have more sense than you--if you won't claim Him, well the rocks certainly will!'? I don't know, but this was divine; this was as it was meant to be, as the Father had foreordained it would be ~ Jesus would enter Jerusalem, humbly riding on the back of that donkey, though lauded by the crowds. . . and soon after, the crowds would turn their backs on Him. Even His own disciples would sit silent as His accusers tried to build a case against Him. I've asked myself that over and over, 'how did they sit idly by?' They knew how good He was, they knew He alone was truth...yet they sat there. . .


I'm just wondering what I would have done. . . when Jesus came to town that day. I guess I don't have to wonder too long because I can just think about what I am doing. . . with. . . for. . . about. . . to share Jesus today; perhaps that is the clearest indication of what my heart would have led me to do that day--that day Jesus came to town. How about you? I'm just wondering. . .


Grace and Peace to you today,

Christine