2004-04-02 - The Crowd

The Lenten Characters Series, Part 4

Sometimes following the crowd is a terrible idea. The crowd has been known to influence people to join gangs, take or sell illegal drugs, mock someone who is different. But there is one crowd that had it right:

Matthew 21:6-11 (NASB) The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."

This crowd realized that Jesus was no ordinary man, not just "a good teacher" or "nice guy;" rather, He was of God, and He came "in the name of the Lord."

This crowd realized he was worthy of praise. According to Webster's 1913 Dictionary, "hosanna" translates as "a Hebrew exclamation of praise to the Lord."

We can get caught up in many worthwhile activities, from helping those in distress to taking care of our families. These are God-given opportunities for service. But the very most important thing we ever do, is our worship of God. Someone has said that the Christian's work is worship. And it's something we all can do.

Even if we can't perform what our society considers "productive" work, we can perform the most important work of all. If we are poverty-stricken, we can still worship. If we are in prison, we can still worship. If we are trapped in a body from which we cannot speak, we can praise God in our spirits. In fact, the late Christian author, Henri Nouwen, discovered that the mentally challenged people whom he cared for are often more adept at this important work than those of us who are able-minded and able-bodied.

I challenge you (and myself) today to follow the crowd, and worship God more often - not just in our local church, though that is His will for the large majority of us. We should worship God daily, even moment-by moment. Our entire lives are to be an act of worship.

Romans 12:1 (NASB) Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Comments or Questions?
Jan

Rijan@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org