Into the Wilderness, pt. 5—Parade of Paradox

“Violence is what we do when we do not know what else to do with our suffering.” —Parker Palmer

Matthew 21:1-11 NIV
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?”11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Q: Why are people so inclined to go off the rails?

Jesus taught and modeled that—

• is not primarily for the benefit of the .
• is not primarily for the benefit of the .
• is not primarily for the benefit of the .

Matthew 4:8-9 NIV
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

The Final Wilderness Temptation: To grasp for or .

Jesus established a Like No Other… A kingdom where the KING lays down his life for his

Matthew 20:28 NIV
For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 4:10 NIV
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Say “” to your momma and “” to the devil

“What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.”
— Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus

Question for Reflection—
In what actions or areas have I grasped for control and how is the Spirit inviting me to release it?

Jesus established a Kingdom where…

• • would be leveraged for the
  • would be leveraged for those in
  • would be leveraged for those without a

Question for Reflection—
What self-serving values have I grown accustomed to that Jesus wants to overthrow & replace with His Kingdom.

Matthew 21:11 NIV
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.”

“O Lord, who on this day entered the rebellious city that later rejected you:
we confess that our wills are as rebellious as Jerusalem’s,
that our faith is often more show than substance,
that our hearts are in need of cleansing.
Have mercy on us, son of David, Savior of our lives.
Help us to lay at your feet
all that we have and all that we are, trusting you
to forgive what is sinful,
to heal what is broken,
to welcome our praises,
and to receive us as your own.”

—John Paarlberg, Palm Sunday Prayer

ANSWER KEY: POWER, POWERFUL, WEALTH, WEALTHY, INFLUENCE, INFLUENTIAL, POWER , CONTROL, KINGDOM , SUBJECTS, YES, POWER , POWERLESS, WEALTH, NEED, INFLUENCE, VOICE