Today's Devotion -- Mt 21:1-11
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying 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. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"
11The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."(NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
If you lived in Jesus' time, whose side would you be on?
Take a look at your personality, your response to peer pressure, and your dedication to traditional values or rules. How do you think you would have responded to this carpenters' ministry?
Would you have dropped everything and followed him immediately because of the miracles he did?
Would you have listened with a skeptical ear, watching and testing everything he said?
Or would you have believed he was a fake and turned away because that's what your beloved (and very intelligent) priest believed?
Many people fell into each category (and probably a few more!). When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover feast, lots of people came to see his procession. Whether they believed or not, they were caught up in the festivities and they cheered. A few short hours later, many people got caught up in the 'festivities' of his death and jeered. Even most of the disciples, his closest companions, abandoned Jesus after spending three years at his side.
I always wonder -- were those who almost rioted to ensure his crucifixion the same people who cheered earlier? Were they swayed easily by peer pressure? Did they hear things that caused them to change their minds about who Jesus really was? How often are our opinions about people changed because we hear new information (without investigating to see what is really true)?
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