The Parade to the Cross
Matthew 21: 9-11, 14-16
2- There was a group
of people who wanted to be in this parade but they could not.
This group consists of the blind, the lame, the sick, and the outcast. That wanted to be there, but could not. We read Matthew’s
version of the event, we see that Jesus went to the
Although the actual parade
did finish in the street, but it did continue in a different way at the
Nowadays children are treated differently. We ask their
opinions, we sit and talk with them; we give them attention and significance.
In those days, and even in many parts of the world today, children are
neglected.
Let’s come back to the group
we mentioned. They liked to be in the parade, but the “strong” ones did
not allow them to. I wonder if any of the “grown up” ones are standing in
the way of the “little” ones from participating in the parade.
Sometimes I hear from
parents: “pastor, my children like to come to Sunday school, but you know we
are very busy we do not have time.”
Pharisees will
not like to see sick people close to them. They could not understand that God
could be glorified through these people.
The disciples
could not see why children should bother Jesus. In the Bible, we see that when
children came, the disciples did not have patience for them.
The chief priests and teachers wanted Jesus to silence these children.
Jesus quoted from Psalms 8:2 “From the lips of Children and infants you
have ordained praise.”
Listen, grown ups, if you can’t
see the Truth, these “little ones”, the blind, and the lame can see the Truth.
Wake up.
Speaking of little ones, I like to go back and see Jesus as a baby born from virgin Mary. God loves to communicate with us even with a
new born baby figure. Why?
God chose this way of
communication to show us that humans should assist this child to grow. There is
a wonderful picture here. God surely
chose this method of revealing Himself to show us that He comes to us in
weakness. As we continue ministering to an infant, we can catch a glimpse
of what God wants us to do: WELCOME THE
WEAK.
God enjoys seeing us helping
the weak, the child, the little one.
Jesus is saying to us: the parade will continue; no one can stop
it. We read in Luke that “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
(19:40)
Jesus the King of Kings will
parade. It is up to us to be in it or not. God’s plan of salvation is going
forward.
3- Looking at the parade, how about the man who gave
his donkey?
The third party that I see in
this parade is the ones who are ready to provide for the Lord.
Some offered their cloaks
for the parade. What are cloaks?
I look for another word for
cloak: Covers. (Badmoujan, Hanterz,
robe) I wonder what these things are.
Persian
carpet? Kilim? Silk? But wait a
minute, they will be dirty.
You can not serve the Lord with a remote control. You cannot serve without being involved, which
sometimes means that your hands will be dirty.
Whenever young theological students
finished their studies and were invited to serve at the
I told them that this job is
demanding and it is sometimes tough and dirty. The children might even have toilet
problems.
Some accepted, while others
refused to get their “hands dirty”- in this case literally dirty.
We read in the story that people
threw their cloaks on the road. People gave things to the Lord. These things
were on the ground.
AGHDODETZAN (got dirty).
Serving God can be tough. The seed needs to die in order to give life.
The point is, give your best to the Lord. That man who offered his donkey did not understand
everything, but he gave whatever he had.
I wonder what Jesus will ask
me to offer for this parade. I wonder what I can do to make this parade
smoother. I wonder where the role of each one of us is in the parade to go
on not just this Sunday, but in all our life.
This parade should not
end. People tried to finish it on Friday; they could not.
I read on a banner in front
of a church: “Don’t place a full stop
where God has placed a comma.”
People still try to stop the parade. They try
to put an end to this. But God put a comma and not a full stop.
Be ready to give yourself and
whatever you have for His Kingdom.
I hope you are not a spectator,if
you are why not to change it.
I hope you are not a
“grown up” who will be an obstacle for the “little ones’, or for the “cast
out”, if you are today is the day you can change your position.
I hope you are a “little
one” in your spirit. You have the sense of wonder and awe like children,
looking to Jesus and seeing the excitement. “Let
the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of
heaven belongs to such as these” (Matt.19:14).
Remember this parade will
change things. This parade is not an ordinary one. It is extraordinary one.
Once a
Porto Rican woman, who did not speak English very well, accepted Jesus as
personal savior in a
She liked to serve God, and
she asked the pastor whether she could be of any help.
She started serving the Lord
by being in a Sunday school bus. They gather children from poor neighborhoods.
She loved her service. She
was attached to this little 5 year old boy who could not speak very well. He used
to stutter. This woman always sat next to this child and patted
his hair. She told him: “I love you, and Jesus loves you.”
One Sunday afternoon at 2:30,
this woman said the same thing to him and this little boy repeated the
sentence: “I love you, and Jesus loves you.”
The same night police found
this little boy beaten by his father, dead, and dumped in the garbage. The last
words that he ever heard were through this Porto Rican lady, who did not speak
English well: “I love you, and Jesus loves you.”
Where are you in this
Parade?
You need to answer this
question. God is waiting for your response.