Synoptic Gospels 3: Shepherd and King (6)
Pray Psalm 72.8-11.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
And His enemies will lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
Sing 72.8-11.
(Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed)
And let the Righteous rule the earth, and let His foes bow low;
let nations praise His matchless worth, and all His bidding do.
Read Matthew 11.27-30; Mark 11.1-10; Luke 19.28-40; meditate on Matthew 11.27-30.
Preparation
1. How did Jesus describe Himself?
2. What does He promise those who come to Him?
Meditation
What does it mean to come to Jesus? First, it means to enter His ongoing work. Coming to Jesus we receive His yoke and take our place in the work of plowing the furrows and cultivating the world for the Kingdom of God. Jesus is about the business of destroying the works of the devil, replacing the kingdom of darkness, sin, and the lie with the Kingdom of light, righteousness, and truth.
All who come to Jesus must come ready to work, for God calls us by Jesus to His Kingdom and glory. Work leads to the promised rest of Jesus. We must not seek to attain unto His rest, that is, the fullness of eternal life and the precious and very great promises of God, except by the way of our appointed work.
Further, as we take up our work we must learn from Jesus the life of meekness—submission to God in all things—and lowliness of heart—the calling to serve others in love. He to Whom the Father delivered all things used them in lowliness to gain the Kingdom. Meekness and lowliness of heart prepare us for the work of seeking the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ yoke is easy and His burden light not because seeking the Kingdom is “light work”, but because He is with us in it. His Spirit is at work within us, willing and doing according to God’s good pleasure.
Lowliness leads to the Kingdom, as Jesus demonstrated by entering Jerusalem on the colt of an ass. By so doing, He reminded His disciples of what He taught them in Matthew 11.28-30 about entering His work. Then, in lowliness and meekness, the King of creation and the Good Shepherd of God’s flock submitted to His Father’s authority and died for our sins. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name…” (Phil. 2.9).
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.I love horses, always have, always will. And so, in my old age, instead of holding out hope of ever owning a horse, or riding one, I enjoy watching them run the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. Even if you don’t like horses (but really who doesn’t?) you must admit that those are majestic animals, fit for a king!
And yet, Jesus, The KING of kings and LORD of lords, chose to ride a donkey for His entry into Jerusalem.
But those to whom He had been revealed (Matt. 11.27) as the Son of God knew to praise Him:
“Hosanna! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the LORD!” (Mk. 11.9)
“Blessed is the KING Who comes in the Name of the LORD!” (Lk. 19.38)
Jesus, because of His perfect humility and lowliness of heart (Matt. 11.29), was content for shepherds to announce His birth (Lk. 2.8-18), and multitudes of regular folks to herald His triumphal entry. And if all else failed, He was ready for inanimate stones to proclaim His arrival in town (Lk. 19.40). He Who is Everything was never egotistical, self-serving, or self-absorbed.
He Who is Glorious beyond measure—All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Everywhere—is humble beyond comprehension.
How is it that we, who are merely people, find it so hard to be humble, gentle, and lowly in heart?
And how incredible is it, really, that we continue to think that we know better than God about:
how to live,
how to run our churches,
and how to promote His Kingdom on earth?
It often seems we do these things exactly how we want to do them,
and not as it is in heaven (Matt. 6.10).
Jesus has set the gold standard for walking with Him. In public and in private.
He, Who is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (Heb. 1.3). He Who is “fairer than the sons of men” having grace poured upon His lips and blessed by God forever (Ps. 45.2). The One about Whom it is written, “In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious…” (Is. 4.2).
That One, that Jesus, that King is the One we are to follow and imitate.
Humble. Kind. Lowly in heart. Gentle. And not afraid of anyone. Just like that.
Not demanding any kingly treatment; content with shepherds, donkeys, and stones.
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, Who…made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant…Who humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2.5-8).
Jesus. There He is!
And we: humbly follow in His loving footsteps, wondrously yoked with Him.
Reflection
1. What does a person who is meek and lowly look like?
2. What are the risks involved in striking a lowly, servant posture with others?
3. But how can lowliness help you to grow in Christlikeness?
Christ invites all to come to him for rest to their souls. He alone gives this invitation; men come to him, when, feeling their guilt and misery, and believing his love and power to help, they seek him in fervent prayer. Thus it is the duty and interest of weary and heavy-laden sinners, to come to Jesus Christ. This is the gospel call; Whoever will, let him come. All who thus come will receive rest as Christ’s gift, and obtain peace and comfort in their hearts. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 11.25-30
Pray Psalm 72.15-19.
All authority has been given to Jesus, our King. Pray for His strength to be in you this day, that you may live according to His Word, serve according to His love, and, in lowliness of heart, show a true picture of Jesus to your world.
Sing 72.15-19.
(Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed)
Let Christ be praised and all the gold of Sheba be His right;
let blessings to His Name be told, and prayers made both day and night.
And let the earth abound with grain, let fields His fame proclaim;
and may our King forever reign and nations bless His great Name.
Now bless the God of Israel Who wondrous works performs.
And bless His Name, His glory tell both now and forevermore!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast is concentrating on praying the psalms to seek revival—why we should and what we might expect. In our twice-weekly Crosfigell column we have begun a new series on Brendan, called “The Navigator.” Why was he called that? Join us and find out. Our current ReVision series, “Pray for Your Church”, enters the home stretch now by leading us to pray for our church’s impact. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
