Mark 11:1-11
Rebecca Lightfoot
Mark11:1-11 tells about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem days before He is to b crucified.N vs8-11 Mark describes the enthusiastic welcoming of Jesus by the crowds.The people r removing their cloaks and throwing them on the ground before the colt that Jesus is riding on,& honoring Jesus as they would a king, with palm branches..& then shouting “Hosanna!Blessed is the coming of the kingdom of our Father David(the Messianic kingdom promised to David’s Son-(2Samuel7:11-14). Hosanna n the highest!”These people are worshipping;singing praises;coming as close to Jesus as they can get;wanting to b identified as followers of Jesus,etc.Soon after this,these same people r part of the crowds calling 4 Barabbas to b released nstead of Jesus...,part of the crowds shouting “crucify him”.How quickly these people turned from Christ...,turned on Christ!We do the same thing n our lives.Maybe not to the extreme that some of these people did...,but we do the same thing n different “measures”.Whatever the “measure” of our turning from Jesus...the effect is the same on our hearts/minds/lives!It distances us from being faithful to Christ!Just as the faithfulness of these people was dependent upon their preconceived notions about being faithful to Christ, & what those around them were thinking&doing,so our faithfulness many times waxes & wanes depended upon how “things” r going n our lives,& what the crowds around us r saying&doing.My faith n Jesus is not real nor steadfast if it comes and goes according the conditions & circumstances around me...,&if it waxes & wanes based on the thoughts&opinions of those around me.Paul addresses this n 1Cor15:58,”Therefore brothers,stand firm(b steadfast).Let nothing move you.Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,because you know that your labor is not n vain.”The work of the Lord that Paul is referring to has at least 2 facets.One is the work that Jesus is doing n us!We must give ourselves fully to the ways that Jesus’ Word&Spirit is working/shaping/changing our heart/minds/lives.We must allow His work n us 2 b reflected n the ways that we live.Which leads to the second facet Paul is referring to.That our lives b invested n responding to Jesus instructions for the way we live n the middle of our day to day lives,& among the people we come n contact with...that we seek to know the Eternal Purposes for our lives...,the ways that Jesus is calling us to b His emissaries n2 the world.When we do not allow ourselves 2 b faithful to these 2 “facets” n our life,we r drifting toward becoming just like the crowd n Mark11.Even though they gathered around Jesus to sing praises & worship Him,their faith was “short lived”,& the tides of life & people around them,drew them away from true faithfulness n Christ.Dear Lord Jesus,in many ways I am much like the people described n these verses of Mark.Forgive me.And,change me to b steadfast n all areas of my heart/mind/life...to the ways that Your Word&Spirit r teaching me and leading me