How safe is your faith? We often see in the Bible how God asks His people to do unusual things without knowing the outcome. I was considering how absurd it must have sounded for a couple of Jesus' disciples when the Lord threw this one by them:
After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "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. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " (Luke 19:28-31)
That may roll off your eyes as you read it like this was a common thing. Picture it in our culture - your church is having a BBQ and the grill breaks down. So you go over to Wal-Mart and start wheeling one out of the store without paying for it. The manager stops you and asks you what you're doing. What do you say?
Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
They replied, "The Lord needs it." (Luke 11:32-34)
Some speculate that the owner of the colt was a follower of Jesus, too. That's a safe guess. Honestly, though, we don't know this.
In fact, God's track record is quite the opposite when it comes to such things. He told Moses to confront the leader of Egypt and ask that Pharaoh to release his slave work force... 'cuz God says so. Then there was the time that a boy named David told Goliath he was going down because God was on his side. Or a young man named Daniel who told the king he was in captivity under that God wasn't pleased with him and he would soon die.
Whether or not you know those stories, you do know other ones, don't you? Like when God nudges you about a certain area of your life that seems ridiculous to follow Him in. Maybe it has to do with the way you entertain yourself... or satisfy yourself... or protect yourself. Perhaps it's about the safety net you've erected to keep certain people out of your life that God doesn't want you to get out of your life.
Maybe it even has something do with how he's asked you to prepare for this next week.
On Sunday we will recognize Palm Sunday - the day when many people welcomed the Jesus they wanted instead of the Jesus He was.
Does that concept sound familiar at all to you?
They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 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:
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
(Luke 11:35-38)
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