Blessed Are They Who Follow Him

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2020 1:04 pm Post subject: Blessed Are They Who Follow Him

Blessed Are They Who Follow Him

Scripture:

And when they drew nigh to Jerusalem and were come to Bethphage, unto mount Olivet, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them: Go into the village that is over against you: and immediately you shall find an ass tied and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to me. And if any man shall say anything to you, say that the Lord has need of them. And forthwith he will let them go. Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: Tell the daughter of Sion: Behold your king comes to you, meek and sitting upon an ass and a colt, the foal of her that is used to the yoke. And the disciples going, did as Jesus commanded them. And they brought the ass and the colt and laid their garments upon them and made him sit thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: and others cut boughs from the trees and strewed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried, saying: Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying: Who is this? And the people said: This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.
(Matthew 21:1-21)

The Lord has given me a learned tongue, that I should know how to uphold by word him that is weary: he wakens in the morning, in the morning he wakens my ear, that I may hear him as a master. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I do not resist: I have not gone back. I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me. The Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded: therefore have I set my face as a most hard rock, and I know that I shall not be confounded.
(Isaiah 50:4-7)

Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause, God also has exalted him and has given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:6-11)

And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying: Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus said to him: You say it. And when he was accused by the chief priests and ancients, he answered nothing. Then Pilate said to him: Do you not hear how great testimonies they allege against you? And he answered him to never a word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly.

Now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner, whom they would. And he had then a notorious prisoner that was called Barabbas. They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said: Whom will you that I release to You: Barabbas, or Jesus that is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. And as he was sitting in the place of judgment, his wife sent to him, saying: Have nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people that they should ask Barabbas and make Jesus away. And the governor answering, said to them: Whether will you of the two to be released unto you? But they said: Barabbas. Pilate said to them: What shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ? They say all: Let him be crucified. The governor said to them: Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out the more, saying: Let him be crucified.

And Pilate seeing that he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, taking water washed his hands before the people, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just man. Look you to it. And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us and upon our children. Then he released to them Barabbas: and having scourged Jesus, delivered him unto them to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor, taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto him the whole band. And stripping him, they put a scarlet cloak about him. And platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand. And bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews. And spitting upon him, they took the reed and struck his head. And after they had mocked him, they took off the cloak from him and put on him his own garments and led him away to crucify him.

And going out, they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon: him they forced to take up his cross. And they came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of Calvary. And they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall. And when he had tasted, he would not drink. And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: They divided my garments among them; and upon my vesture they cast lots. And they sat and watched him. And they put over his head his cause written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Then were crucified with him two thieves: one on the right hand and one on the left. And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying: Vah, you that destroy the temple of God and in three days do rebuild it: save your own self. If you be the Son of God, come down from the cross. In like manner also the chief priests, with the scribes and ancients, mocking said: He saved others: himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross: and we will believe him. He trusted in God: let him now deliver him if he will have him. For he said: I am the Son of God.

And the selfsame thing the thieves also that were crucified with him reproached him with. Now from the sixth hour, there was darkness over the whole earth, until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? That is, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? And some that stood there and heard said: This man calls Elias. And immediately one of them running took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink. And the others said: Let be. Let us see whether Elias will come to deliver him. And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the Spirit.

And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom: and the earth quaked and the rocks were rent. And the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came into the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God.
(Matthew 27:11-54)

Reflection:

How is it the people appear so divided and confused? They hear His wisdom and see His works. Witnesses testify to His miracles and the wisdom of His Words. What He did for the suffering and the wisdom which He taught, brought throngs of people to Him to receive Him and rejoice for all the blessings He brought and the many wonderful ways He worked within their lives. So many saw and so many were blessed as they approached Him, even if only to be a moment in His presence or to touch the hem of His cloak, but not all saw or felt His glory. Not all received Him in awe. As some observed the celebration of the people, they plotted to achieve His demise. As the world blinded them (cf. John 9:40-41), they could not see, they could not comprehend that what they plotted, they plotted against God.

In the moment of any event, there is so much we do not know. We are forced to make decisions based upon the information we have at hand. When the knowledge and data we have is imperfect, incomplete or incorrect; when we cannot sense all which we need to know, we must consider the possibility that our judgment will render errors. As emotions take over our actions, we must consider what will come from our words and hands; especially that which may be done, but what may not be undone.

As we consider the moment where so many rejoiced, though they may not have fully understood that the One they celebrated was not only their King, but the King of kings (cf. Revelation 17:14, 19:11); some perceived and but many did not. Some knew Him from what they witnessed, others, only from what they heard. Hope and the light of His love filled many hearts, but others were filled with darkness and evil drove their thoughts.

The swirl of emotion drove exuberance and elation among those who saw His Light, but it also drove loathing and malice among the blind of heart. As we look back, we might be tempted to judge. How could they not see, we might wonder? We may have the power of hindsight through what scripture reveals, but what if we were among those who were there before the passages were written? Would we be among the ones laying palms? Would we be among the curious who ask, ?Who is this?? Would we be among those who saw this man as a troublemaker and disrupter who presented a threat to the status quo along with those whose hearts were poisoned with positions and perceptions of power?

In one moment, the crowds laid cloaks and palms to pave His way. In the moment of another day, the crowd screamed, ?Crucify Him, crucify Him!? spurred on by the venom of poisonous tongues. We might wonder, how is it some saw, believed, and accepted Him as their Messiah, but others perceived and saw Him as a criminal? It is a question which follows us all to this very day; what do we see, what do we perceive, and what do we believe? The answer we perceive may be found in what we allow to lead our hearts, but the answer we must seek is the answer of truth.

Blessed are those whose hearts receive Him, for what He desires to pour within us are the blessings of love. He desires to remove the coldness of the world and replace it with His warmth. He desires to take away from us the darkness which drives the anguish of souls and replace it with what enables hearts to work together so all may share the blessings of peace and righteousness. He wants to fill all the children of His creation with the blessings of His love. The question is there and remains, will we accept Him? Will we open our hearts to seek His grace, mercy, and love? Blessed are those who follow Him and live by what He teaches, for they shall share the blessings of His eternal love.

Questions for further reflection:

To whose tongue do we listen? To whom do we open our ear? How do we test what is right and true?

What do we perceive and what do we profess? To what does our heart and lips testify?

Who do we accept in our hearts and who do we allow to lead it?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier