Yesterday was the start of this special and joyous week and the focus was Jesus's Triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Mark 11:1-10 gives us the beautiful vision how the Jews responded. I'm thinking that cloaks back then were pretty important and they probably only had one, maybe two in their possession....so to throw them down onto the road, where the colt that Jesus was riding would walk on them must have been a great sign of their joyous understanding of who this man was. As they shouted their Hosannas and proclaimed Jesus's Lordship I immediately start thinking about my own shouts of praise to Jesus. My thoughts yesterday were centered on what motivates me to sing praises to my King. Are those praises short lived like the ones that were shouted by the Jews. The very same Jews that shouted "Crucify him, crucify him!" and few days later. This was my focus on Palm Sunday!
Today, I read about Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem in Luke 9:51-56. My devotional by John Piper opened up a better understanding about this passage. I often have wondered what it meant by the phrase "setting his face". The disciples had their eyes on a totally different vision of what it meant to go to Jerusalem. Their vision was supported by pride and greed and Jesus addressed that vision with harsh words of his own in Luke 9:55, "But he (Jesus) turned and rebuked them." Setting his face towards Jerusalem meant that Jesus KNEW what was ahead! He knew the pain and suffering that he would have to endure! He knew that Jerusalem meant a horrific death to his life so others could find their life...their spiritual life! I'm taking that phrase "setting his face" and meditating on it thru out this day. What will be your meditation on this second day of Holy Week?
Setting my face on Jesus,
Debbie
No comments:
Post a Comment