A Note about Giving based upon 1 Timothy 6:19
Paul says “life indeed” is the result of a life being rich in good works. Happiness comes not from acquiring more possessions but in the pursuit of helping and serving others. If my whole life is in the pursuit of riches so that I can acquire things for myself and my friends, I have missed the point of why God has us on this world in the first place.
If my life is consumed with a search to find my soul and I end up away from the people of the world in a hermit’s existence, I might find a sense of freedom, I might find some solace, but according to Paul, I will never fully find the meaning of life.
I will have missed the fullness of what God meant life to be. I have focused selfishly on my own journey towards the depths of my soul, and I have missed the true joy and meaning of caring for my neighbors, which is “life indeed.”
Palm Sunday Message
I talk often about the name of the LORD. It is the Hebrew word for "I am." The name was first revealed to Moses at the burning bush in the wilderness. Moses received the ten commandments from the LORD, the second one says, "You should not speak the name of Yahweh in an empty way." Hundreds of years later, to avoid using the name wrongly, the Hebrew people, began to pronounce the name in the same way they said the word, "Lord."
On Palm Sunday, as Jesus road into the town of Jerusalem, the people quoted the phrase from the psalmist, "Blessed is the One coming in the name of the LORD." (Psalm 118:26 EBV) The people were seeing Jesus as the one coming as God's messenger to the people of Israel. And we look back on that day and realize that God was present in the flesh with Jesus and as such, He was the King of the Jews. The King of all humankind for that matter.
What do we do to prepare for His coming into our lives on a daily basis? Anything? The people did not expect to see God that day. They felt like He had abandoned them years before. They were almost resigned to being under the rule of the Roman Empire forever. And as Jesus approached a spark of hope set a fire within them. Not a big fire, but the seed of faith that was very different from the discouragement so many of them lived with.
They were not prepared for the coming of Jesus on the donkey that day. They were caught off guard. They were not expecting God to visit His people. They were not hoping that the future could be better. And then when they least expected it, He came, riding on a donkey. Silently He rode into town, listening to the praises of those who still had some hope, listening to the cries of those who still believed that God cared, and listening to the hearts of those who could quickly change directions and believe that salvation had arrived. The King had come.
2000 years later, we still celebrate the coming of the King. We want to be included in the crowds of the first Palm Sunday. We desire to remember the glorious moment as He made His triumphant entry. We long to be counted with those who believed then, and those who believe now, that Jesus, God in human flesh, truly is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords.
And we look forward with hope to the day He will come again, when we least expect it, to take us home. At that time, He will welcome us into the eternal kingdom, into the mansions of heaven. We will see the streets of gold and the crystal sea and stand in awe before the throne of Almighty God. And there we will see THE KING, high and lifted up. All the host of heaven, the millions of angels, and the saints who have gone before us, will be singing, "Unto the One on the throne and to His Lamb, we give worship, praise, wonde,r and strength from now and to eternity." (Revelation 5:12,13 EBV)
In the meantime, we prepare to meet the Savior. We spend time with Him in prayer, talking over our lives, interceding for others, and listening to the sound of His voice, so that we might respond in obedience when He calls us to serve. We spend time with Him, reading His Word, seeking to understand the God we love. We enjoy singing His praise and by doing so, the Holy Spirit comes upon us and showers us with His love and blessing. We walk with Him, meeting the needs of those around us with the resources that God so freely supplies for us. We share our bounty with others who cross our paths. And we wait for Him, with expectation that He will one day return in glory. Our Savior desires to come to us just as He came to the people of Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday.
Let’s take a closer look at the whole story from Matthew’s point of view. 1 "They came to Bethphage on their journey into Jerusalem. They stopped at the Mount of Olives, just in sight of the city and Jesus sent two disciples, 2 instructing them to go into the village. There they will find a donkey and her colt tied up to a post. He said, “untie them and bring them here for Me.” 3 He continued His comments, “If someone questions what you are doing, just say to them, ‘The LORD has need of them,’ and he will let you go.” 4 His riding on a donkey fulfilled the words of Zechariah, the prophet; "Raise your voices in triumphant shouting, O daughter of Jerusalem! Your King is on the way to you. He brings with Him justice and salvation, He comes humbly seated on a donkey, even a young donkey." 6 When His disciples arrived in the town, they saw the donkeys 7 and brought them to Jesus. Then they covered them with their coats so Jesus could sit upon them. 8 There were plenty of people in the area and they began to spread their coats on the path in front of Jesus, others were cutting branches off of the palm bushes and laying those in the road along with the clothing. 9 As the people closed in on Jesus they shouted, "Hosanna to David's Son, Blessed is the One coming in the name of Yahweh. Glory beyond measure!" 10 The whole city was stirred up as He entered through the gates and they were saying to one another, "Who are the people praising?" 11 They were told, "This is Jesus, the Galilean, the prophet from Nazareth." (Matthew 21:1-8 EBV)
I remember the coming of a King, well, actually, the President of the United States. Two times I have had the privilege. Once, it all happened so fast, and I was so young. There was little time for preparation and the meeting lasted much longer than I expected. The crowd was small and silent. There was a sense of honor in the air and the memories have lasted for over fifty years in my mind.
My mother had dressed me in nice clothes and reminded me to be on my best behavior. And on the first tee of the golf course on the Air Force Base in Ramey, Puerto Rico, I stood near my father as he prepared to play golf with President Ike Eisenhower and some other men.
The second time, it took days of preparation. The sighting was very short. The crowd was enormous, and they cheered for many minutes before and after the motorcade of John F Kennedy passed in front of us. And then we went into one of the biggest hangers on the base to enjoy a reception, a celebration for the one coming to our town. There was excitement permeating the crowd and I can still remember the moment over fifty years later.
My father-in-law shook hands with President Reagan and his life was never the same. He talked about it for years to come. He pulled out the picture and showed everyone who would listen. He had the honor of escorting Ronald and Nancy to their seats in the Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara, California. There the President was in the company of a greater King. He was present for the whole hour, worshipping and listening. The crowd stood and applauded as Ronald and Nancy left the church and no one left early that morning.
I also had the privilege of meeting another honorable lady. Her name was Beatrice, a stately lady of about five feet one inch tall with a deeply British accent. Her claim to fame, was to say she had met the Queen, and she was not talking about the present Queen Elizabeth II, but the Queen Mother. Beatrice had made her way from England in the 1920s to marry someone she had not yet met. She arrived and caught a train to the town in the mid-west where her husband lived. The next day she was fitted with her wedding dress and met her husband for the first time at the altar of the small-town church. When I met her in 1988, she was 98, still writing poetry, living on her own, and full of life. She reminded everyone that she had met The Queen.
If we knew ahead of time when Jesus was going to arrive, I would think we would make some preparations. We might gather a crowd as Cornelius did to welcome Peter to his home. Would we respond with silence and honor or cheers and excitement? Would we want to tell the story to everyone we met? And tell it for years to come? Then why don’t we feel that way each Sunday when we gather with two or three others where Jesus is in our midst?
I met Jesus, late one night, in the quiet of my room. And when I awoke the next morning He was still there. I asked Him for some help, and He reached out to guide me along the right path. I had and still have all the proof I need. My response was the same as a kid on Christmas morning or what it was like to meet Ike Eisenhower.
On the first Palm Sunday, the crowd did not leave their houses knowing that they would meet the King of kings that day. But someone saw Jesus riding on a donkey and knew in the power of the Holy Spirit that this was the Messiah. And one by one, people around him began to know what he knew, the Messiah was coming, sitting on a donkey. And they began to grab whatever they could find to lay a royal path, the very first red carpet, before Him as He approached the Great City.
Were you there, at least in spirit? Would your coat have lined the road of the King of kings? How loud would you shout along with the others, "Blessed is the One coming.”? Do you expect to see Him again someday? Do you have hope that He is coming? Are you prepared to meet Him every Sunday when we come together for worship? You know He is present with us when we gather, don't you?
Approach this week with a sense of expectation for what Jesus might choose to do for you and through you.
Hosanna, Hosanna, in the highest, Blessed is the One coming in the name of Yahweh. All glory belongs to Him.
We had the pleasure of two choir pieces this Sunday from Bonny Doon's virtual choir.
The first pieces is the "The Palms" by Jean-Baptiste Faure.
Listen on YouTube »
The second piece is "My Song is Love Unknown", a hymn by Samuel Crossman, written in 1664, predominantly used as a hymn for Good Friday.
Listen on YouTube
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