SHARING BREAD
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on
the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the
village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her
colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him
that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Matt
21:1-5 (NIV)
Many a mile the Lord Jesus traveled by foot – dusty roads,
weary steps, and dirtied feet were all His customary companions as He went
about doing good. Seldom (if ever) did
He seek creature comforts. It is
unbecoming for a follower of the Master to be inordinately concerned or
preoccupied over their own ease and comfort.
Surely that was not the example He set forth. Jesus never made much of
the things of this perishing world.
“Our Lord lived His life….to give the normal standard for our lives.” Oswald Chambers
“If you focus on your problems, you're
going into self-centeredness, ‘which is my problem, my issues, my pain.’ But one
of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and
onto God and others.” Rick Warren
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own
interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ
Jesus. Phil 2:3-5 (NIV)
In our verses for today, however, as Jesus ventures towards
suffering and death, He chooses to ride in triumph. Our Lord gives two of
His guy’s pristinely clear directives - even to the point of supplying them with
the response to the question they would most assuredly be asked. Our Lord will fulfill each prophesy spoken of
Him in Scripture. You can take that to
the bank. As He walked this earth, His
eyes were ever attentive to all that had been prophesized about Him. Our Lord, of course, had full knowledge of
where His disciples would find the donkey and its colt. When Christ gives us marching orders He makes
the way and supplies the need – you can count on it. He can turn the heart of a king directing it
like a watercourse however He pleases.
Nothing is too difficult for Him:
1 The
king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse
wherever he pleases. Prov 21:1 (NIV)
The prophecy Christ fulfills in our
verses for today are presented to us in Zechariah:
9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! 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 (NIV)
Jesus Christ was and is the church’s King. When a King arrived it was normally met with
great pomp and fanfare – approaching as conquerors riding on horses. Something magnificent was expected. Yet there was nothing of that here. He comes gentle and riding on a donkey even
the colt of a donkey. In lieu of
majesty, Christ’s glory appears in His meekness and humbleness. His temperament was mild and He was willing
to suffer the greatest injuries and indignities for mankind’s cause. The Creator stooped, came down and died for those
He created - willingly. He was easily
entreated, His government was lovingly gentle and mild and His yoke easy. This all was all particularly evidenced here by
His humble appearance riding on a donkey a creature used for service not for
show, for burdens instead of battles – slow yet sure, constant, steady and safe. I am reminded of our Lord’s wooing entreaty
to us all recorded earlier in Matthew:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take
my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. 30 For
my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 (NIV)
“The truly wise
are those whose souls are in Christ.” Ambrose
What I glean
from this:
· Jesus never made much of the things of this perishing
world.
· Jesus sets the standard for me to follow.
· Jesus is wooing, gentle and mild. His yoke is easy, His burden light.
