Sunday Writings in WFM......3/20/17

Good Morning Readers

Welcome to WFM on this special day in the life of Jesus.

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

 “Say to Daughter Zion,
    ‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,  and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Matthew 21:1-11

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   Sunday's Devotional    

BEAST OF BURDEN... Sunday Devotional for 3/20/16

Definition of Beast of Burden: an animal such as a donkey, mule or ox used to carry heavy loads or to perform other heavy work (as pulling a plow).

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, remembering the day Jesus was carried triumphantly on a donkey into Jerusalem.  This "beast of burden" carried a most precious load, our Lord and Savior.  Why is it so important that he rode this colt of a donkey?  First of all, it fulfilled a prophecy in the Old Testament in Zechariah 9:9 ("See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey...") which was quoted in the Gospels of Matthew and John about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.  Also, a donkey is symbolic of humility, peace and royalty, a king coming not in war but in peace.  Jesus is declaring that he is the Messiah that the Jews awaited.  The Gospels of Mark and Luke also mention it was a colt that had never been ridden.  Animals that had never been used for other things were considered particularly suitable for religious purposes.  It reminds us of "first fruit giving" or giving God the first and the best of everything.  While Jesus may have been heavy for a young donkey, it was an awesome burden to bear!

Do you ever feel like a beast of burden?  Sometimes we feel like there is such a heavy load on our backs - earning enough money to pay all our bills, caring for our family and other loved ones, keeping up with children or grandchildren and all of their activities, instilling good values in them, trying to be fair with everyone, etc. and on top of all that, taking care of our own needs, though we often put ourselves last on the list. 

Add to that list of ordinary daily loads our other possible "special" burdens of the physical, emotional, or spiritual kind:  ill health, trauma, injury, abuse, past wrongs done to us or by us, guilt, shame (warranted or not), unwillingness to forgive others or ourselves, or others' inability to forgive us, anger, hatred, resentment, envy, deceit, lying, malice, greed, slander or gossip, arrogance or undue pride, addictions, idolatry, neglecting worship or Bible reading, forgetting to pray, waning or lack of faith.  The list can go on and on.  No wonder we may feel exhausted with a heavy yoke on our shoulders. 

But sometimes bearing a burden is a positive thing, like sharing the Gospel.  While it may be difficult to spread the Word of God, the results are good, both for us when we bear the Good News, and for the hearer who does not reject it.  That does not make it easy, but it is worthwhile and can be rewarding, as long as we remember that we aren't responsible for the results. We are simply the beast of burden, the donkey carrying the Christ to the world.  God is the one who places faith in their hearts and grows it through his Holy Spirit.  It is up to that "hearer" of the Word to not throw it away.  

When we do feel we have shouldered more than we can bear, we must remember to turn back to God and allow him to carry that burden for us.  In that way we can also be joyful in our burdens, knowing that we have a loving God who will carry them for us!

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Dear God in heaven, thank you for coming triumphantly into our lives as our Savior.  Help us to bear our burdens with joy, allowing you to shoulder them, just as you shouldered the cross in our place.  Help us to carry you to the world, sharing our faith in your forgiveness and love to all.  May your Spirit help our faith grow and spread to others.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

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The next time you meet a person whose life is so out of control it would be a great idea to ask yourself the question, "why does this person seem so out of touch with accepted behavior and human kindness?"  People have life occurrences that we are not even aware of. We all have issues. Some are worse that others. It comes to mind that Jesus exhibited Compassion. Remember how he spoke to the Woman who was about to be stoned as a lewd woman. He wrote in the sand, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," Her accusers read it and slowly walked away. Then Jesus told her to go since no one condemned her. He did not condemn her either, He told her to go her way and to sin no more.

I learned in my work in a Recovery program that people are the way they are due to wounds that life has given them. One example to think about for instance is this one which uses alcoholism..."no child grows up with plan that he or she will be an alcoholic when grown up."

I had a friend who could always find something good in another person...one who is not actually thought well of. In the end many people saw her as precious as well. And the actual person was changed by the whole process.

 T

    THAT IS COMPASSION INSTEAD OF CONDEMNATION!    

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Wishing Everyone a happy and blessed Palm Sunday.

Prayers lifted up for you

by

The Writing Staff

of

Women's Focus Ministries


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