God’s Hope for Your Heart from Matthew 21
JESUS IS WORTH THE SACRIFICE
They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and He sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road… (Matthew 21:7-8a)
Most people in Jesus’ day didn’t have a lot of extra clothes. Most only had one cloak, the outer garment they wore to protect them from the elements.
Yet, here they are, a whole crowd of people that see in Jesus something so compelling that they spread out their cloaks for His donkey to walk over as a kind of royal parade.
They do this because Jesus is worth the sacrifice.
Look ahead in the chapter, how Jesus enters the temple and throws out the people who took advantage of pilgrims by charging high rates of exchange. Look at how He welcomes in their place the blind, the lame, the little children, and how He touches them all.
This is what Jesus does. He challenges the powerful and empowers the challenged. He brings down the high and mighty and lifts up the lowly and the weak.
He is trustworthy.
He is faithful.
He is kind.
He looks after the needs of His people, and though His methods aren’t always what you might expect or prefer, He will always do what’s best for you.
So, what “cloak” is Jesus calling you to lay down? What thing brings you more comfort than His presence, more security than His promise?
May you have open ears and a willing heart to hear and obey His call to you, and as you do, may you be encouraged with hope by this truth: Jesus is worth the sacrifice.
-Pastor Phillip
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