
"...He sent forth two of His Disciples, and saith unto them, “Go your way into the village over against you; and, as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied whereon never a man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man says unto you, ‘Why do ye this?’ Say ye that The Lord hath need of him;’ and straightway he will send him hither.” And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door..., in a place where two ways met; and they loosed him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, “What do ye, loosing the colt?” And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded; and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and He sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way; and others cut down branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, “Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Mark 11: 1-9
Today’s verse marks the beginning of the end of Jesus’ time in physical form on earth; and yet, over the years this passage has held some degree of fascination for Believers. In today's passage, Jesus has just reached Bethpage & Bethsaida; yet, before He enters the city gates, He instructs two of His disciples to retrieve a specific colt, having very specific characteristics, to be found in a specific location. Jesus tells them that the colt is tied to a tree in an adjacent village, at a fork in the road. He further instructs His disciples, telling them “If any man,” presumably referring to the owner of the colt, tries to stop them from taking the colt, “Tell him that the Master has need of it.”
Of course, when the disciples reach the location, they find the colt in the precise spot and the exact condition, Jesus foretold. When the disciples are approached by the owner of the colt, they reiterate Jesus’ Words to the owner, “The Master has need of it.” And amazingly, the owner steps aside, and off they go with his colt. The reason why this story is so amazing, are the details! –The precision in which Jesus outlined every little detail concerning the colt, including its past. -A past that Jesus would exchange for the beauty of a predetermined future. We can imagine that this colt may have been tied-up his entire life. He may have wondered why he wasn't able to romp, get dirty, or carry passengers like all the other colts, never quite understanding why he had been set aside and overlooked. Today, we know his purpose. He would carry Jesus, The Messiah! -Yet, this purpose may have taken his entire lifetime to achieve.
As a Believer, the Lord is in the details. He sees all the minute details of your life. Like the colt in today's passage, when you acknowledge God’s Power as the Ultimate Power Source in your life, every seemingly insignificant detail that makes up who you are, and what state you are in, has already been considered for your future tasks. Nothing that you have done, is doing, or will do, will astonish God. -He knows you! So, like the colt in today’s verse, even if you feel tied-up by life, while standing at a crossroad, deeply questioning your purpose, trust that God's Love will release you, redirecting your path so that your life aligns perfectly with His purpose. L.
Study Reference: Mark 11:1-10
From: “Released!-Fulfilling Your Purpose (The Colt).”
In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living. (revised)
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: Favim