March 22nd, 2012
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Temporary or Permanent?

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Opening Prayer

Lord, as I read Your Word today, open my eyes to connect the temporal with the permanent, my daily life with Your eternal plan.

Read Luke 19:28-44

[28] After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. [29] As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, [30] “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. [31] If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.'” [32] Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. [33] As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” [34] They replied, “The Lord needs it.” [35] They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. [36] As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. [37] When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: [38] “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” [39] Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” [40] “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” [41] As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it [42] and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. [43] The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. [44] They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

“Changed lives come about, not primarily by a set of ideas or by acceptance of a doctrine, but by commitment to a Person (Christ)” (Elton Trueblood).

Think Further

Luke gives us the sense of continuity in Jesus’ life: “After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead” (28). He gives us a sequence of events connected to a bigger plan; but we also find some transitory elements that became connected with the permanent. The colt, an animal, may be unimportant for human history, yet Jesus gives it a permanent meaning. Going to Jerusalem could be another trip in life, but for Jesus it was the road to death. He depends on the disciples to bring a colt, the farmer to provide a colt, and the colt to enter Jerusalem. He incorporates small things into the life project. Life consists of bringing these two dimensions, the temporal and the permanent, in close connection. The small things in life may have meaning for eternity only if we give them meaning. Our society insists on eliminating the unnecessary in the name of efficiency, time management, or productivity.

There are two out-of-the-ordinary observations. First, the colt’s owners responded positively when they were told: “the Lord needs it” (34). Did Jesus have an earlier conversation with them? Did they recognize his authority? Second, Jesus demonstrated his authority over nature in Luke’s account: “no one has ever ridden” (30). The temporary versus the eternal and the out-of-the-ordinary features of this account lead us to another observation: the disciples witnessed all these things. Their testimony is based on their past experiences of miracles and teachings from Jesus (37, 38). They had experiences that could not be erased. This is true for all Christians as we experience God in our lives. We are able to speak with authority and knowledge, which in turn leads us to honor Jesus in our lives and in worship (38).

Apply

God challenges us to live the temporal in view of the eternal (44). How might you be doing that this day and also in the days ahead?

Closing prayer

Father, forgive me for my limited understanding and my wavering trust. Infuse me with trust in Your greater plan and purpose.

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