"Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" (Matthew 21:5)
Just compare Jesus' approach to the Capitol of the Jews, aka, "The City of the Great King," with other notable people, viz., world leaders, movie stars, lauded athletes. The latter come before people with expensive cars, clothes, entourage. These, for the most part, prima donnas receive and expect adulation and are mostly over paid. The Former had, "no place to lay His Head." The Word Who, "was God," the very, "King of kings and Lord of lords," entered Jerusalem, the Capitol of Israel, on a donkey's baby; "Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side."
If anyone who ever lived had the "right" to enter in a BMW motorcade, wearing a gold crown, with hundreds of "advance men," closing down everything and everyone in his path, it was Jesus. That would be our thinking. There is a phenomenon in the Godhead, however, which you and I have difficulty embracing. Otherwise so many senior pastors, elders, bishops, archbishops, popes would manifest less preferred seating, less demand on being called something which makes sure everyone knows they are special and need special entertainment rooms, accommodations, etc. What is it about historic Christendom which tends to portray the exact opposite of, "Behold Your King,..lowly/gentle and sitting on...the foal of a donkey." My dear God, forgive me if I have ever or would ever portray anything else.
Humility is not always what it seems to be. Even the "shy" person battles with pride and the desire for recognition. A lot of shyness is driven by fear that if they were to assert themselves, they would be rejected or embarrassed. It is a sort of, "Better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." In the Gospels we hear Jesus warning us to beware of those (as well as anything in ourselves) who, "....make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments (over dress?). They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi'....But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant (sit in the back row?)"
Deference is a word which should dominate you and me. The Bible teaches us that love, "does not cherish ideas of its own importance." Everything about Jesus is this. What an ongoing, daily, moment by moment lesson to you and me. May our lives today so manifest Jesus to others.
Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me if I have ever or ever would enter "the city" any other way than You. Amen.
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Just compare Jesus' approach to the Capitol of the Jews, aka, "The City of the Great King," with other notable people, viz., world leaders, movie stars, lauded athletes. The latter come before people with expensive cars, clothes, entourage. These, for the most part, prima donnas receive and expect adulation and are mostly over paid. The Former had, "no place to lay His Head." The Word Who, "was God," the very, "King of kings and Lord of lords," entered Jerusalem, the Capitol of Israel, on a donkey's baby; "Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side."
If anyone who ever lived had the "right" to enter in a BMW motorcade, wearing a gold crown, with hundreds of "advance men," closing down everything and everyone in his path, it was Jesus. That would be our thinking. There is a phenomenon in the Godhead, however, which you and I have difficulty embracing. Otherwise so many senior pastors, elders, bishops, archbishops, popes would manifest less preferred seating, less demand on being called something which makes sure everyone knows they are special and need special entertainment rooms, accommodations, etc. What is it about historic Christendom which tends to portray the exact opposite of, "Behold Your King,..lowly/gentle and sitting on...the foal of a donkey." My dear God, forgive me if I have ever or would ever portray anything else.
Humility is not always what it seems to be. Even the "shy" person battles with pride and the desire for recognition. A lot of shyness is driven by fear that if they were to assert themselves, they would be rejected or embarrassed. It is a sort of, "Better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." In the Gospels we hear Jesus warning us to beware of those (as well as anything in ourselves) who, "....make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments (over dress?). They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi'....But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant (sit in the back row?)"
Deference is a word which should dominate you and me. The Bible teaches us that love, "does not cherish ideas of its own importance." Everything about Jesus is this. What an ongoing, daily, moment by moment lesson to you and me. May our lives today so manifest Jesus to others.
Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me if I have ever or ever would enter "the city" any other way than You. Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
