A Daily Lent

Palm Sunday Daily Reading : Luke 19:28 – 40 Focus Passage : After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.' " Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. (Lk. 19:28 – 32) In Mark 14:12 – 16, Jesus prepared to eat the Passover with his disciples. When they inquired about a place in which to eat the meal, Jesus instructed them to go into the city and follow a man carrying a jar of water. When the man entered a house, they were to find the owner of the house and simply say, “The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”...

Mark 11:9 "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" On Palm Sunday Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the acclamations of the crowd. They shouted the blessing of Psalm 118:25, 26: "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" To come with the name of another is to come as that one's emissary. To come in the name of the Lord is to come as the ambassador of God . . . and an ambassador or emissary comes with the full authority of the one he or she represents. For instance, the ambassador of the United States to Japan represents the President of the United States of America to the government and people of Japan. He or she acts with the voice and authority of the President and government of the United States. The ambassador comes in the name of the United States government and President. Yes, Jesus came in the name of the Lord. You may, also. As I may. Think about "blessing" for a moment. The "blessing" to the one w...

Matthew 21:1 – 11 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 t...