Today’s Reading: Matthew 21:1-7, 10-11, 14-16; Mark 11:1-19; Luke 19:29-44, 47-48; John 12:12-36
Somehow, there is something very special about the last week spent together with a loved one before they die! So do you find the details of the last days of His life as fascinating as I do?
Jesus riding on a colt of a donkey, never ridden before and fulfilling Scriptures’ prediction and people rejoicing with shouting ‘Hosanna!’, ‘Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!’, ‘Blessed the king of Israel’ – can you picture this as if you were there listening to their cries and seeing Scripture fulfilled! Somehow I think I may tend to be more like the disciples – not understanding the significance of what they were hearing or maybe in my case reading too quickly the Scriptures and not slowing down to think of the beautiful circumstances of Jesus receiving His rightful praise!
Is there some way in my life in which I stifle the praise of others to Jesus? And Jesus says, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!” And when I look at the beauty of creation around me, I know that creation itself shouts out the magnificence, both of the wisdom, power and loving-kindness of Jesus the Creator (to Whom I belong forever)!
I suppose Jesus as He approaches Jerusalem, the beloved city, feels deeply the fact that His people, Israel, had missed their chance of such rich blessing, and were headed for destruction (or discipline?) (I pray that He may not have this anguish of heart over me!).
Jesus can find no fruit on the fig-tree (like the nation of Israel) and now at the end of His ministry, He once again clears out the Temple of its merchandising characteristic (pray God that that is not what the church is today!) and pronounces the house of God to be “a house of prayer,” – so is it? In other words, a place where we draw near to our loving Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Children praising and the Jews plotting Jesus’ murder – what a contrast! But what touches me, is the fact that as He tells of His hour (the painful loneliness when He bears our sins?), what is so beautiful is that there WAS One Who understood and appreciated Jesus – His Father and He cannot but respond to His Son – but people talk of thundering or maybe an angel talking to Him, and have no sense of understanding of what He was talking about! Hopefully that is not true about me!
Lastly in answer to the idea that the Christ will live forever (so how can He die!), I feel the significance of Jesus’ command “that they only had the light a while longer (and I don’t have forever in this life!) so put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.’ And my heart answers Him, “What is life worth, if I am not doing that!”