Luther Seminary

A daily devotion brought to you by the alumni of Luther Seminary

Archives for March 19, 2024

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Mark 11:1–11 (NRSV)

Read Mark 11:1–11 on biblegateway.com

Chapter 11When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples Verse 2and said to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. Verse 3If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'" Verse 4They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, Verse 5some of the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" Verse 6They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Verse 7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Verse 8Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Verse 9Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

"Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Verse 10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

Verse 11Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Devotion

What must it have been like to run this particular errand for Jesus? Is Jesus really telling two of his followers to run ahead into the town, steal a horse, and bring it back? Jesus clarifies by instructing them that if anyone asks about it, just say that Jesus said to do it, but they will bring it back soon. How many times in our lives do we do things that we do not fully understand but feel convicted to do? How many times have we done things because Jesus has commanded it, but it looks like foolishness to others.
Love our enemies? Nonsense. Give away our hard-earned money to the poor? Foolishness! We may not be stealing a horse for Jesus, but we do things because Jesus has told us to, and these commands do indeed have a larger purpose, even if they look like foolishness to the world.

Interested in digging deeper into today’s text? Read more here with Enter the Bible.

Prayer

Give us the strength to follow your words, dear God, even when the world, or perhaps even we, do not fully understand them. Amen.

Jennifer Wojciechowski ’19 Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Church History, Luther Seminary