Straight To The Heart

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-5

When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied {there} and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them. This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.

Commentary:
Jesus was speaking to his disciples about what He wanted them to do, for the scriptures to be fulfilled. He sent out two of His disciples, to go and get a donkey that was tied up, and a coat with her. He told them to bring the donkey and her coat to Him. The disciples did not question Jesus because they respected His authority, and they had learned to listen, and to be obedient to Him; through spending time with Him. They had a relationship with Jesus, and they trusted Him. Therefore, off they went with no hesitation, and no questions asked.

The purpose of the words of Jesus at this particular moment in time, was to fulfill the spoken word of the prophet: SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN. 

Jesus did not go to the people in fine array, and with material riches beyond measure. He went right into the midst of the people, with the spirit of humility and meekness. The people were expecting an entirely different looking king. Someone that had status, money, and power; by all appearances. But Jesus went to the people on a donkey and a coat. He was the opposite of what they were expecting, but He was still their king.

Reflection:
When we ask for something in prayer to God our Father, in the name of Jesus; we will receive what we are asking for, according to the Word of God. The word declares that we will receive what we ask for in His name. However, what we ask for, may not look the way that we think it should; or may come in a completely different, and/or opposite physical manifestation of what we think we need. God knows exactly what we need, and has already provided it. It may not look like what we think it should; but God knows the purpose of the internal, when we can only see the external. Therefore, let us depend on God completely for what He has given to us, because, only He knows the potential of what He has purposed in our lives.

Prayer:
Father God, thank you for giving me the eyes to see past the external, and straight to the heart of the internal. I thank you for the wisdom to see as you see, and to receive as you give. I thank you for having an inclination toward the things of your heart, that tend to life and godliness. I give you the glory, honor and praise, for what you reveal to me on a daily basis; and touching my heart like no one else can. I praise you, and I glorify your name, for everything I need is in you. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Strong's Concordance Definitions: Matthew 21:5
Say: 3004
1) to say, to speak
a) affirm over, maintain
b) to teach
c) to exhort, advise, to command, direct
d) to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say
e) to call by name, to call, name
f) to speak out, speak of, mention


to the daughter: 2364
1) a daughter
a) a daughter of God
1) acceptable to God, rejoicing in God's peculiar care and protection
b) with the name of a place, city, or region
1) denotes collectively all its inhabitants and citizens
c) a female descendant


of Zion: 462
Sion or Zion = "a parched place"
1) the hill on which the higher and more ancient part of Jerusalem was built
a) the southwestern most and highest of the hills on which the city was built
2) often used of the entire city of Jerusalem
3) since Jerusalem because the temple stood there, was called the dwelling place of God

behold: 2400
1) behold, see, lo

your king: 935
1) leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king

is coming: 2064
1) to come
a) of persons
1) to come from one place to another, and used both of persons arriving and of those returning
2) to appear, make one's appearance, come before the public
2) metaph.
a) to come into being, arise, come forth, show itself, find place or influence
b) be established, become known, to come (fall) into or unto
3) to go, to follow one

to you, gentle: 4239
1) mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness
Meekness toward God is that disposition of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. In the OT, the meek are those wholly relying on God rather than their own strength to defend against injustice. Thus, meekness toward evil people means knowing God is permitting the injuries they inflict, that He is using them to purify His elect, and that He will deliver His elect in His time (Isa 41:17, Luk 18:1-8). Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will (Gal 5:23).

and mounted:1910
1) to get upon, mount
a) to embark in
b) to go aboard (a ship)
2) to set foot in, enter

on a donkey: 3688
1) an ass

on a colt: 4454
1) a colt, the young of a horse
2) a young creature
a) of a young ass
b) an ass's colt

a foal: 5207
1) a son
a) rarely used for the young of animals
b) generally used of the offspring of men
c) in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father and of a mother)
d) in a wider sense, a descendant, one of the posterity of any one,
1) the children of Israel
2) sons of Abraham
e)) used to describe one who depends on another or is his follower
1) a pupil
2) son of man
a) term describing man, carrying the connotation of weakness and mortality
b) son of man, symbolically denotes the fifth kingdom in Daniel 7:13 and by this term its humanity is indicated in contrast with the barbarity and ferocity of the four preceding kingdoms (the Babylonian, the Median and the Persian, the Macedonian, and the Roman) typified by the four beasts. In the book of Enoch (2nd Century) it is used of Christ.
c) used by Christ himself, doubtless in order that he might intimate his Messiahship and also that he might designate himself as the head of the human family, the man, the one who both furnished the pattern of the perfect man and acted on behalf of all mankind. Christ seems to have preferred this to the other Messianic titles, because by its lowliness it was least suited to foster the expectation of an earthly Messiah in royal splendour.
3) son of God
a) used to describe Adam (Lk. 3:38)
b) used to describe those who are born again (Lk. 20:36) and of angels and of Jesus Christ
c) of those whom God esteems as sons, whom he loves, protects and benefits above others
1) in the OT used of the Jews
2) in the NT of Christians
3) those whose character God, as a loving father, shapes by chastisements (Heb. 12:5-8)
d) those who revere God as their father, the pious worshippers of God, those who in character and life resemble God, those who are governed by the Spirit of God, repose the same calm and joyful trust in God which children do in their parents (Rom. 8:14, Gal. 3:26 ), and hereafter in the blessedness and glory of the life eternal will openly wear this dignity of the sons of God. Term used preeminently of Jesus Christ, as enjoying the supreme love of God, united to him in affectionate intimacy, privy to his saving councils, obedient to the Father's will in all his acts

of a beast of burden: 5268
1) under the yoke
2) a beast of burden, an ass
a) the ass was the common animal used by the Orientals on journey and for carrying burdens

References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Gospel of Matthew 21 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 1 Feb 2010. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mat&c=21&t=NASB

Higgins, S. (2010). The Opposite of What We See. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com