Scripted

Matthew 21:1-11

When did Jesus plan his entry into Jerusalem?

Photo by karl muscat on Unsplash

When Jesus and his disciples had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, `The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” - Matthew 21:1-11

If anyone asks, tell them the Lord needs them.

Did he arrange this beforehand, or was something else going on here?

Jesus has told us before that he has come to fulfill the prophecies about him. It is as if he is following the script that was written ages before he came.

As an author, I can appreciate that. This is what was written, so I will follow it.

But there is more going on here. To follow a divine script, one must have faith. A lot of faith.

When I was young, I thought life was a struggle, where everything that lies ahead requires work, hard work. I was taught that I could be whatever I chose to be, but with a caveat. I had to be willing to work hard for it.

And for years, decades, that is what I did.

But ten years ago, something changed. I took a job running a soup kitchen and food pantry. I believed it was God’s work, not mine.

The situation was dire. The business was being evicted and had no place to go. My job was to shut it down.

But I didn’t believe that was what God wanted.

So, I worked hard to find a new place where we could operate. Meanwhile, the deadline loomed. We had less than a month to find a place or shut down.

I mentioned this at a meeting of clergy in the area, and one priest said that space in his church just opened up. A nursery school left. And he had a kitchen and dining room for us to serve meals.

That was my donkey and her colt.

God was not going to let us shut down.

My entire life approach shifted. If I follow the script that God has laid out before me, we will achieve amazing things.

And that is what happened.

Over the next eight years, through COVID, we stayed open and we grew. Food and money became available, and all we needed to do was believe we could accomplish what God wanted us to do.

One obstacle after another fell away. Yes, there was work to do on our part, but it felt easy.

When we let go and let God, anything is possible.

Today is Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate the arrival of the Messiah into the holy city of God. Jesus has come home to his people and palms are spread to welcome him.

But we shouldn’t stand on the sidelines and just watch, with shouts of joy. We should take up our palms and join him.

The script is written. We all have a part to play in God’s plan. If we believe, the Holy Spirit will guide us. If we have faith, the doors will open and the light will shine, illuminating our path.

We can do the impossible through Christ. All we need to do is to stop taking charge and learn to follow.

More to come...

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