Sunday, April 13, 2025  

Today's Scripture
Matthew 21:1–9

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (NRSV)

Reflection

I hate when I find out that I’ve been focusing on the wrong thing! I hate to admit it but sometimes I focus on the wrong source of the problem, the wrong details in a conflict, or the wrong priority. I hate it, and still I do it. In this story I have heard/read countless people get into a complete twist over how Jesus possibly rode both the donkey and the colt at the same time. Some might wonder if the story can be true or trustworthy when these details can’t make sense. It’s the wrong detail.  

Today I’m focusing on the details of crowds that spread their cloaks on the ground. Most of the people following Jesus had limited resources, which meant they didn’t have closets full of cloaks. What did it mean that they were so taken by Jesus’ radical message of love that they gave from their scarcity? Could they possibly know what was to come? Did they get swept up in a moment or did they give all that they had to honor the one who would love them to death?

We are entering a week when it’s tempting to focus on a particular aspect of the story. Some will focus on the betrayal by Peter or Judas. Others will lift up Pilate and his connections to present-day leaders. These are all interesting aspects, but are they the most important ones?

I don’t want to spoil the story for you, but a week from today we will focus on the only detail that matters: God wins. Death never has the final word. As we enter this Holy Week, I want the wisdom and discipline to focus on the details that matter.

Prayer
Holy God, as we enter this Holy Week, focus our eyes and hearts on what matters. There will be so many interesting details and stories this week. The one that really matters is that nothing separates us from your love. Amen.

Written by Andrea Denney, Executive Director of Operational Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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