"For Heaven's Applause" March 11 Readings: Numbers 34-36, Mark 11, Psalm 34:9–15, Proverbs 8:14

Today's Readings - Numbers 34-36, Mark 11, Psalm 34:9–15, Proverbs 8:14

Devotional - For Heaven's Applause

Jesus rode into Jerusalem with crowds cheering him (Mark 11:1-11). "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." They lined the streets to celebrate him, spreading branches to pave his way. It was a glorious and joyful moment.

It is a heady thing to have people cheering you on and most of us would have found the temptation to play to the crowd and seek to keep the applause coming. Jesus did not. He was not going to Jerusalem to receive adulation but to make a sacrifice. He was about the Father's business and the approval of people was not his goal.

That was good because we know that the mood changed in the Jerusalem crowds by the end of the week. It is unclear whether any of the same people who cheered Jesus at his Triumphal Entry also called for his blood before Pilate, but we know that the public mood changed drastically. They cheered him one day and called for his blood a few days later.

If human applause was Jesus' goal it would have been a frustrating week. But Jesus sought to please only one - the Father in heaven - and that was what he got.

The religious elders of Jerusalem, they were another matter entirely (Mark 11:27-33). For them, it was all about power, popularity, and public opinion. They came asking Jesus by what authority he did his work. Jesus told them he would only answer their question if they answered his - whether John's baptism was from heaven or earth.

They did not know how to answer the question. True men of God would just seek to speak the truth, to declare God's word. Not them. They debated how to answer because of their fear of public opinion. If they said John's baptism was from heaven, Jesus would ask why they resisted him. If they said it was of earth, people would be angry at them. "They were afraid of the crowd."

Jesus lived for the Father and did not seek the approval of man. Because of that, he redeemed a people for God and changed the course of the world. Those who lived for man's approval never pleased God.

Father, may I learn to live for your applause, and yours alone. May I be kind, compassionate and give my life in service to others, but may I never live for their approval or pleasure. 

Think and Pray

Which of the readings spoke most powerfully to you today?
Is the Spirit of God moving you to repent of something you are doing, to begin something new, or to change something about your life as a result of your readings? What?

Consider this: Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing all that would follow. He willingly gave himself over to the Father's plan for his life. 
Have you given yourself fully and completely to the Father's plan for your life?