Day 170 "Opulence and excellence should never be confused nor should taking and giving."

Day 170 Matthew 21:1-5 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’” As I read this passage, I am reminded of so many wartime movies where the conquerors are preparing for battle, they saddle up their white horses, and in all of their splendor and glory they attack their enemies with all they have, hearts set upon destruction, dominance, and defeat. Once their enemy has been defeated, they proudly parade themselves down the main streets again on their great white horses stained with the blood of the people who are now forced to bow at their feet. They overcome their enemies without remorse or feeling, and, using utter brutality, they force them into submission to their form of government, taxation, and slavery; the ultimate intent being personal gain from the labors of others. The weak and submissive submit sheepishly, the opportunists join forces and sell out, and the rebels wait for an opportunity to gain freedom and ultimately defeat their captors. A stable form of government this is not, nor will it ever be, for it is based upon those who have made unwilling sacrifices and are now forced to be something they have not chosen to be. Now we go to the scene described in this passage. Here we have Jesus sending His disciples to gather a colt in order that He may make His triumphal entry; His steed, the colt of a donkey–a sign of peace; His purpose–to surrender himself as sacrifice for all mankind, requiring nothing of his followers. No brute force, no death (other than his own), no armies, no swords; just a man on a donkey. While, yes, we have the benefit of knowing the end of the story, the people of this time had no idea of the power of what was about to happen; all they know is that for some reason Jesus wants to ride a donkey. Can you imagine their conversations? Questions like, "Maybe His feet are hurting" or "Go get him a camel instead," or who knows what else, but one thing is for certain, they didn't know that the greatest battle of all time (to this date) was about to be waged. They didn't know that as a result of what they were witnessing and about to witness, all captives would be made eternally free, but we do. Our savior came in peace and left in peace, yet the battle He won changed mankind for eternity. The question is this, "Are we riding in with all our splendor on a great white horse or coming in quietly on the back of a colt?" Recently, I have been convicted by the Lord about how we represent ourselves, both in the church and as the church. There is no place for opulence in the Kingdom, and opulence loves to disguise itself as excellence. Let us not be confused. Daily Prayer: Father, please forgive me for my failings of the past, and keep me from opulence, while holding me to excellence. May I never take anything in Your name, but rather receive all things as from You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Opulence and excellence should never be confused nor should taking and giving." Pastor Gene Burroughs