Intentions

Matthew 21: 1-11

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 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. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' " 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 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!" 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

“The whole city was stirred.” Jesus has that affect on people’s lives. He stirs up lives with ingredients of love and service. A dash of integrity, flavored with righteousness, blended with kindness and doused in grace. We all know that Jesus has stirred up our lives but do we hold the conviction to lay them right back down in front of his path?

“A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” These people are spreading man-made cloaks and God-created branches. All of creation bows before him. That is exactly what Jesus wants from us: our lives yielded to his will and purpose. These items that the crowd brings before him symbolize the very lives that he desires. But what happens to this crowd just a few days later?

My little boy completely depends on his mom and I. He reaches up his hand when we walk in the parking lot or cross the street. He wants me to watch his latest video with him. He wants me to play with him. One day I told him, “I asked my class yesterday what was their favorite thing in the whole world to do. And you know what I told them? ‘I like playing with my son and spending time with my family.’” He seemed pleased for a second and then got this pensive look on his face: “Then why don’t you play with me more often, Daddy?”

While my intentions may be good to spend quality time with my family, I probably do not do it as often as I should. This story can be a direct analogy of our relationship with God, our Father. Our intentions may be good, but we get so caught up in our lives that God may ask: Why don’t you spend more time with me?

A Faithful Response: Play with your child – or, if childless, volunteer to play with someone else’s child.