One thing that has stood out to me quite often in the reading from Luke 19:28-40 is this short phrase, ‘find a colt that hasn’t been ridden . . . the Lord needs it’
I have prayed about this verse many times throughout the years. There are so often tiny pieces of Scripture that are skimmed over and never discussed. When I read I always ask God to help me see and hear something he wants people to notice.
Since this verse keeps standing out to me I believe it’s reflective of something larger than simply riding an untrained colt. I think it’s about finding what the Lord needs. You see, in our lives we are often busy seeking what we want and what we think we need. Jesus sends his disciples ahead of him to find something he needs, at this time it’s an untrained colt.
The disciples weren’t trained as to how to find people for God when Jesus first called them. Now, near the end of their time of training, he sends them to find an untrained animal and bring it to him. We have no real idea how obedient this untrained was when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on it. We only know the disciples cloaked it and set Jesus on it. We only read that people waved palm branches and through their cloaks on the ground. We can learn that this is the way ‘heroes’ were welcomed. But still, I’m drawn more to the part about the life of Christ being about how he came to seek and save the lost, not how he came riding into Jerusalem.
The Lord needed the colt so that the thoughts of people could be revealed. Many believed that Jesus was a new and better leader than the ones they had. They would have liked to seen him take office. Others in the crowd may have been mocking him and others were afraid of his power and popularity.
It seems that we should pause to think about what this small phrase about finding ‘a colt that hasn’t been ridden because the Lord needs it’ means to us who follow Jesus in our day. In some ways it reminds me of Jesus previously saying to people, ‘let the children come to me’ (Matthew 19:14) When Jesus first said this the disciples rebuked him, they learned he wasn’t wrong. Jesus wanted to teach young people truths and the way to heavenly peace on earth. Now, perhaps he needed a colt because of it’s size, closer to the level of children. You see earthly kings and princes and rulers rode full grown horses, didn’t they? And then what do children see? The legs of the animal and if they look up – they can see the person – but on a colt, now that’s a different level all together – they could see Jesus almost face to face, right along with all the adults.
During Holy Week, throughout the readings, keep seeing Jesus’ face in all the scenes – keep your eyes focused on his, your ears on his words, your heart on his.
One more thing – remember that finding people and making disciples goes hand in hand – it’s not only about age when we are calling people to come and meet Jesus – it’s about whether or not they’ve heard the truth from him, if they’ve ever known about life with him and how Jesus can help them find their way to heavenly peace in their lifetime.
Let us pray,
Lord, thank you for loving us, calling us, for riding a colt and being at our level so we can see you face to face. Help us through this week and our lives to hear the truth as you speak it, to find our lives in you and yours in ours and to follow your way to peace on earth as it is in heaven. Then, equip us as you did your disciples and help us to go find people who haven’t heard of you and bring them to you. AMEN
