Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it." ... And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and He sat on it. (Mark 11:1-2, 7)
It's a strange choice Jesus made. "Go bring Me a donkey colt that no one has ever ridden on. Tell them the Lord needs it!" He chooses to ride this animal and no other during the triumphant procession into Jerusalem.
Why does Jesus need an untrained colt? If it were up to me, I'd choose a very well trained animal indeed—especially if I were planning to ride it through crowds of people! Offer me an untrained colt and the only thing I'd be thinking is all the trouble it would cause me—and maybe whether my health insurance was up to date!
But then, this is typical of Jesus, isn't it? He chooses a young woman from the back of beyond to be His mother. He chooses twelve ordinary laymen to be His students and church builders. He chooses us—you and me—to be His own.
There are so many times when I look at all the mistakes I've made in Jesus' service and I think to myself, "He could have chosen much better." Maybe you feel like that, too. But Jesus' opinion is the only one that counts. He wants you, and He will have you—even if He has to suffer, die, and rise again to get you. That is how much you mean to Him.
THE PRAYER: Lord, thank You for choosing me. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Have you ever trained an animal? What was it like?
* When have you made a choice in your life that looked foolish but you're happy with it?
* What does it mean to you to know that Jesus wants you—you specifically!—and won't be happy with a substitute?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Today's Bible Readings: Deuteronomy 11-13 Luke 4:31-44
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