FOCUS: What we really need

Sunday’s reading: Matthew 21:1-9, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:29-38, John 12:12-15.

And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Matthew 21:9

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I knelt down in the dark, face down to the carpet, and let me prayers, complaints, and requests flow freely. Several minutes in, I had to pause. I rewound briefly in my mind:

Almost everything I had prayed thus far was concerning circumstances and temporal things.

Earthly stuff.

Now, that’s a great place to begin in prayer. But if that’s where I stay, I’m bound to be disappointed. And today is the perfect time to FOCUS our hearts on something deeper, something real. What we need most.

See, Hosanna simply means “Save now!” 

The disciples and the multitudes were expecting Jesus to establish an earthly reign.  They wanted an earthly Kingdom. They wanted freedom from the oppression of the Romans. They wanted Jesus to forcefully seize control of the political realm and establish an earthly reign in Jerusalem.  And this kick-off event of the Passion Week reveals their anticipation that Jesus would indeed be their new king.  They wave the branches and lay down their clothes, getting ready for Jesus to take over and reign.

But then He goes and dies instead. 

All along Jesus kept emphasizing that His Kingdom was not an earthly one. He kept upsetting their expectations.  Kept turning everything upside down. The least is the greatest. Humble yourself to be exalted.  When asked by Pilate if He is king of the Jews, Jesus responds plainly: “My Kingdom is not of this world.”  But no one seemed to understand all this.

Do we?

His purpose all along was to reach down to earth that He might bring deliverance to His people and populate The Kingdom of Heaven.

How often I seek the wrong kind of salvation. How often I forget that Jesus didn’t save me in order to set up a glorious happy Kingdom here in this life, on this earth, for me.  This earth and everything in it is passing away–merely a breath.  I spend probably 90% of my life and time and energy praying and thinking and asking for blessings here on earth. And don’t get me wrong, I want to receive them!

But how much better to pray, ”Thy Kingdom come, my kingdom go.”

When I cry, “Hosanna–Lord save now!”  what does that really mean? If I were really to spell out what that often means in my heart it’s probably,

“Hosanna–Lord save me by giving me good sleep and by making my husband really happy all the time and by making him always do the things which please me and by making my children behave all the time and become really smart, and by blessing us financially and making me a really successful author and by keeping every day exciting and fun and by always giving me success.  Yes, Lord! Save now!”

Christ really came to save us from sin. He came to set us free from ourselves. What if our Hosanna! meant:

“Lord, save me from my pride, my greed. Save me from making choices that lead toward destruction. Save me from hoarding my resources, from grabbing and insisting things are mine. Save me from my ego which always wants more praise and glory. Save me from despair and hopelessness which discounts Your power and faithful provision. Save me from my moodiness and touchiness that makes me easily hurt. Save me from impatience with my kids, save me from unkindness toward my  husband. Oh Savior, save me from myself. Your kingdom come, my kingdom go.

So today, as you look to Jesus:

FOCUS on seeking God for your real needs.

Reflection for today: When I pray “Save now!” what do I really mean? Am I asking for earthly comfort or the Kingdom of heaven? What might be your deepest heart-need right now, and how can you make that prayer of primary importance this Easter season? Thanks for reading.