Matthew 21:1-5 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 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. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The Prince of Peace is coming, prepare the way for him. Riding on a colt: this is not how a prince or king will come to a place where he desires to show his authority. No, he would not be riding on someone else’s colt, indebted to others for his transportation. But the Prince of Peace who spoke the world into existence rode to Jerusalem on a colt that was not his own. He was beholden to the benevolence of others. Jesus came in humility and turned the whole world upside down. He was the chief of counter culture. He owned nothing. “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:19-20) He had no place under his sole possession where He could lay his head. He moved from city to city, relying on others for a place of rest or for food to eat. In Jerusalem He stayed in an olive grove with his men at night. The Pharisees criticized his disciples for eating grain from a field with unwashed hands. This grain could have been used by the Israelites to help the poor and the indigent. “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 23:22) The disciples probably took advantage of this law of God; otherwise, they would have been stealing someone else’s grain. Jesus lived dependent on the goodwill of others and on the laws of benevolence in his society. He did not have two cars in the driveway or a house with room to spare, accommodating hallways, a large entryway, and rooms not occupied every day. No, Jesus the King of the universe lived counter to the expectations of the culture. In today’s focus, Jesus sends his disciples to commandeer a donkey and its colt. Not by force, but by asking in the name of “the Lord.” Who is “the Lord,” the owner might have asked? But he doesn’t, for he either knows Jesus or he knows the term “the Lord” means someone of importance. By riding on the colt, Jesus symbolizes a person of a different quality, not like the world’s princes or kings. Such people of authority would come riding on a powerful steed, symbolizing power and authority. But Jesus is not a king as the world perceives a king. As He tells Pilate: My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place. (John 18:36) The kings and princes of the world rule by power, subjecting others to their wills. But Jesus by riding humbly on a colt reveals that He is something other than these kind of rulers. He is the King of Peace, coming to unite people to God the Father. Jesus who owns nothing of importance, only his gown and clothing, willing gives his life, his blood for the people who cry, “Crucify him!” He fulfills the requirement of his Father to love his enemies. He displays God’s love for all people in the world, both Jews and Gentiles, one with knowledge of the law and the other ignorant of God’s righteousness. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:14-18) He came to preach peace, bringing us not only to the Father God, but also to each other. He came to unite, not tear down. Man’s propensity is to tear down, to separate based on human values—they are a law to themselves.
Jesus came to Jerusalem where the Temple of God is located, in a manner opposite of the fierceness of authority. He came riding on a colt, representing his nature of peace and goodness. He came with a gentle spirit. A gentle, humble spirit is seldom manifested in the rulers of this world. Rather than gentleness and humbleness, boldness and brazenness are front and centered throughout their reign. People because of their own fierceness want a ruler who tells them to beat up others or go to war, for he then speaks their nature of godlessness. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:22-26) Jesus came to Jerusalem not to judge the people, but He came there to reconcile them to God by giving his life for them. He came to give them a right relationship to God and to others. In the nature of Jesus, there is no need for laws, for everyone who is found IN JESUS will treat his neighbors and others as they want to be treated. The Spirit of God’s nature manifests the love of God for people. The prophet Isaiah speaks of this future King of Peace and his eternal righteous reign. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7) Jesus will establish a reign that will be full of justice and righteousness. No law will be needed, for the law of the God of peace and harmony will be written on our hearts. God will perfect us by making us into his likeness, one new humanity, with the old Adamic nature gone. Jesus came to Jerusalem in a robe of kindness and love. He died on a cross, asking God to forgive humanity for their anger against him. Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing, for their nature of sin and rebellion is as familiar to them as the skin on their bodies. They know of no other way to live in this world of the flesh. They cannot and will not submit to the God of righteousness and goodness. God still loves his creation: Adam. He loved him so much that He did not destroy him for his disobedience. He removed him from the Garden. God’s love for Adam, for humanity, is beautifully carried out as Jesus humbly rides into Jerusalem. He is riding to the cross. He will die for those that the Bible says are enemies to God’s righteousness. The Bible states, no one is good, not even one. But Jesus came, riding on a colt, to redeem man, to create new creatures, born of man, but made new IN CHRIST JESUS.
As we see in Micah, God asks us to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (6:8) Jesus fulfills every requirement to walk rightly in God’s eyes. We sometimes do what is right and good, but other times we fail miserably to give mercy and goodness to other people, especially if we perceive them as enemies. Any construct in our lives that is not based on God’s goodness and on his love for all people is problematic. To satisfy God’s demands on our lives, we must be perfect, perfect all of the time. Jesus is the one who is Perfect. He is grace, He is mercy, He is love. God’s demands on our lives are many. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Matthew 25:34-36) These are activities that most of us are not very good at. Yes, we might give a few dollars to the poor or indigent at certain times of the year. Or, we might think of the disabled or the displaced occasionally. But, Jesus is talking about this kind of life being a constant part of our nature. We are to serve others humbly, going to Jerusalem on a colt to give our lives to God. We sing in some churches: “I Surrender All.” “All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him. In His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all. All to Thee My blessed Savior. I surrender all.” But we know this is not true. We are not going to surrender all. Our storehouse of reserves is mainly for us and not others. In other words, our lives are tainted with self. Jesus’ life was not tainted with self. He truly surrendered all. He gave everything to his Father God, even his life. When Jesus talked to the rich young man who desired to follow God, He asked for his wealth too. The rich young man could not go that far. The disciples who had given all to follow Jesus, understood the impossibility of following God in complete righteousness. They questioned Jesus about who then could enter the kingdom of heaven if it is so hard to do. Jesus replied, With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. (Mark 27:10) We should do good works; we should constantly think of doing good things for others. But only Jesus fulfills the requirement of being good all the time to all people. Therefore, it is only through God’s work of grace that we find acceptance with him. His grace alone has set us free from sin and death. All of this comes from Christ through the cross of redemption. Dear friends, the best we can do is ride to Jerusalem humbly, following our Master, giving our lives for others.
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