Luke 19:29-44 As He approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of his disciples, saying to them, (Forever nameless to us, but known well to Jesus and trusted by Him to carry out His request, these two people were invited to share in the mission of the Lord. Today, the Lord may be sending us on a seemingly inconsequential mission, where, on the surface, we see little merit or deep meaning, but one which adds significantly to fulfilling His purposes and to carrying out His mighty plans.) "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.'" Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as He had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They replied, "The Lord needs it." (The animal's owner freely gave what the Lord asked of him without question, without begrudging hesitation or bartering. The Lord is asking us today to give to Him what He needs from us. He invites us to give to Him what He asks of us from what we have.) They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. (In Jesus' triumphant ride into Jerusalem, rather than pomp and grandeur, rather than arrogance and dominance, He reveals His humility, meekness, and gentleness.) As He went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When He came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (When Jesus comes on the scene, His very presence compels us to worship and praise Him. May our voices join the chorus of these early disciples to ring out the praise and honor and reverence that belongs to Jesus today.) Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," He replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Even inanimate creation itself reflects God's glory, and, when Jesus appears, we, along with all creation, are compelled to and can do nothing less than acknowledge Christ as Lord.) As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over itand said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. (Though she was the very center of religious practice, Jerusalem had stubbornly and arrogantly refused to acknowledge her Savior. How often we, too, are foolishly blind to the presence of Jesus among us and in our lives, rejecting the very Personhood of God, rejecting His message of hope and forgiveness. How blind we are to the One Who gives us His peace and Who reconciles us to God.) The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Only a few years later, Christ's literal fulfillment of this prophecy occurred through the Roman's total destruction of Jerusalem. Today, when we fail to open our hearts and minds to the Lord's presence, we also open ourselves to inevitable and drastic results. When we close our hearts and minds to Him, we invite destruction. May we seek Him and ask Him today to help us recognize and receive Him in all the places in our lives where He shows Himself every day!)
