Devotional
for the Week of 31st March 2008
When
the King Comes
Scripture Text: Luke
19:28-40
Introduction
Jerusalem,
during the Roman occupation, had long been crying
out for restoration to Israelite leadership. The
Jewish people had been hanging onto the promises
of Zechariah 9:9. Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem
was perceived to be the fulfillment of that promise.
He hailed from the lineage of King David, and had
the power to perform incredible miracles such as
that recorded in John 12:17-18.
The
Response of the People: Giving unto Kingly rights
The
people responded according to their perception of
Jesus’ triumphant entry:
1)
They gave of their valuables unto the King’s
(Jesus’) command. (Luke 19:30-31)
Jesus
did not request, but rather, simply stated His requirement
“The Lord needs it”. When the common
folk readily handed over their un-ridden donkey
unto Jesus’ use - their act of submission
acknowledged the sovereign right of their King to
take whichever He desired for His Kingdom’s
usage.
We
often forget that our possessions have been made
from materials that have come from the face of this
Earth, and have been brought to us through arms
and legs that God Himself has blessed us with. Job
said it well when he said, “The Lord gave
me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise
the name of the LORD”. (Job 1:21)
How
would you respond if the King called on you and
asked of your tithe, offering, skills/ gifts and
so forth? Would you challenge His Kingship or would
you submit to Him even when you do not understand
His master plan?
2)
They spread their cloaks, on the road ahead of Him
– that His donkey might tread over the clothing
taken off their backs.
The
people sought to honor their King by sacrificing
their garments to exalt Him above the common folk.
What would you do to honour the King of our souls
– God – that elevates His status above
that of the ordinary?
You
can seek practical ways to give God/ the King beyond
that which is usually given to normal human folk/
common folk. This means giving Him your first fruits
in everything and not your remnants. This was illustrated
in Genesis 4:3-5, when God smiled on Abel’s
offering but did not take well to Cain’s.
This was because Cain had brought only some of his
harvest, whereas Abel had offered up the BEST portions
of his flock of lambs to God.
Similarly,
you need to give God the first fruits of your time.
You can mark a regular time and place to commune
with and pray to Him about your concerns regarding
others and yourself.
Expectations
of Kingship
The
people in Luke 19:28-40 gave their possessions and
adoration, only because of certain expectations
they held.
They
loved the King for what they thought He ought to
have been, not for who He was. They were there to
welcome Him because they had heard of the miracles
He performed. They wanted Him to deliver them from
Roman Occupation in their land, not from the occupation
of sin in their lives. When their expectations were
not met, they turned against Him.
We
must therefore, guard our hearts against ulterior
motives when we give of our time and hearts to Him.
We do not give only when He meets certain expectations
or in the hopes of having them met, but rather,
we respond out of compelled worship i.e., we cannot
help but to worship God, simply because of who He
is.
Conclusion
We
celebrate Palm Sunday today, not with motives and
attitudes like those of the people 2000 years ago
in Jerusalem when they welcomed Jesus, but with
reverend worship and acknowledgement of His Kingship
over the Universe and our lives – the amazing
King who sacrificed Himself on the cross to redeem
His people and rose to reclaim His eternal throne
3 days later.
We
give unto Him that which He asks of us this day
– whatever it may be, in and from our lives.
We lay down our garments at His feet, and lift Him
above the commonplace. We do so only for the right
reasons – that He is God and no matter what
happens in our lifetime, we continue to acknowledge
His Kingship.
Prayer
Response
Lord,
I thank You for all that You have done for me and
acknowledge Your sovereignty over my life. Lord,
teach me to respond to Your call out of reverend
worship, not with ulterior motives of self-glorification
or self-gain – with love that is only possible
through You. Amen.
Devotional
based on a message by Rev Joel Yong