SPRING FORTH NOW 2025

Sunday, April 13, 2025

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.  As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”  Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them.  As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”  They replied, “The Lord needs it.”  They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.  As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.  When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”  “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”  “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”  As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

Luke 19:28-42 (NIV)

Jesus rides into Jerusalem, not on a warhorse, but on a donkey—a subtle flex of humility and divine intent. The crowd cheers, expecting a political uprising, a king to overthrow Rome. But they’re Looking In All The Wrong Places. They're searching for salvation in power and prestige, while true deliverance sits humbly before them, cloaked in grace. How often do we do the same? We miss the Hidden Manna—the quiet provisions of God, the inner peace, the still small voice—because we're too busy scanning the horizon for flashing lights and loud victories. Jesus weeps, not just for Jerusalem, but for us too, when we fail to recognize the time of God's visitation in ordinary moments. Today, let’s pause, look inward, and ask: Am I chasing the visible crown while ignoring the invisible bread?