When they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, “Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has sat. Untie him, and bring him. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs him;’ and immediately he will send him back here.” (11:1-3)
As I was coming near to Jerusalem, as I was coming near the end of my earthly ministry, I needed to complete the training of my disciples. They had learned to obey me, as I obeyed the Father. All I did was to reproduce the training that the Father gave me on earth with my disciples. Sometimes, the Father was showing me things in advance, when I was listening to him, in order for me to do what He wanted. In the same way, I needed to show to the disciples that they could trust me indeed and that I could tell them to do things that were beyond their present knowledge. In this case, I sent two disciples to find and untie a young donkey at a specific place, and even told them what to say if someone would ask them questions. They did not need to know whether I did know the owner of the donkey, or if it was simply because the Father had told me as I was telling them. What they did need to know was what to do and what to say.
That was the method that the heavenly Father used with me, giving me what to say and showing me what to do. I then reproduced this method with my disciples. I had already sent them earlier, telling them in advance what to do for healing and casting out demons, and they had followed my instructions with great joy and success. Then, when they thought that they had fully understood, they failed to cast out a demon from a boy and I could remind them that the fellowship with God, through prayer, was key to receive more precise instructions on how to do things like casting out impure spirits.
It was similar here, they did not need to know principles, they needed simply to listen to me and to follow my directions. My disciples would sometimes like for me to give only general principles for living their lives, so that they can figure out how to apply them. The problem with that approach is that it is a very limited approach, which will not allow us to lead my disciples with precision, like a shepherd can lead his sheep. That is what many Christians do today, when they limit themselves to read the Bible or the Gospels and try on their own to figure out how to apply my teachings. What they don’t realize is that the Scriptures speak about me and lead to listen to me, to my words in the Gospels as well as to my words today. Prayer and listening to me is not an option for my disciples, I want to lead them each day. If not, how could I continue to teach and protect my disciples in specific situations like when there is danger? Is it not by speaking to them and by showing things to them in visions or dreams? It is exactly what the prophet Joel was announcing, when he said: “your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28). This is exactly what I want to do with each of my disciples as they receive the Holy Spirit, His fire and our love. My words should become the bread of each of your days, because I want to teach you how to love all the days of your life, both through biblical principles and through direct daily guidance like in the case of these two disciples.
They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him. Some of those who stood there asked them, “What are you doing, untying the young donkey?” They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.” (11:4-6)
These two disciples were really impressed when they saw that all I had told them was accurate. It is not difficult, for the Father or for the Holy Spirit or for me, to guide you in this way. It is part of the training of my disciples. We want the children of the Father to learn basic principles of the kingdom, and we also want them to follow precise directions. When you follow both general and precise directions, you learn to love us and to love your neighbor. Teaching to love is like teaching to dance the waltz, you welcome our words of love and you move along with these words in you. Your focus should not be on originality but on faithfully following my guidance. From the outside, your actions will sometimes look very original or strange, but in your heart you simply learn to follow our directions of love. As we teach you, you learn to reproduce our love in your world, you learn to do the good works that the Father has prepared for you to practice. The more you practice our love, the more it becomes your love, and you will develop the joyful feeling that following our daily directions becomes natural to you. In this way, you don’t become proud, even when we perform miracles through you, but you simply discover how good it is to welcome our loving directions and follow them faithfully. It is the training I followed with the heavenly Father, it is the training I want you to follow as my disciple. It is a joyful training, it is a humble training, it is a training of love. The one who loves me is the one who follows my directions, in the same way that I followed the loving directions of the Father.
They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it. Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and spreading them on the road. Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (11:7-10)
When I enter Jerusalem a donkey, as prophesied by Zechariah (Zech 9:9), the crowd rejoiced that finally I was openly coming as the Messiah, as the King of Israel in Jerusalem. They shouted and rejoiced.
At that moment, the paradox is that on one side I did not try to hide anymore who I was, and yet my task for coming to Jerusalem was never as completely hidden to them as during this day. Sometimes you think that you know something well, but it can simply be that you are so deluded that you are not even aware of it. It is what happened to many when I entered Jerusalem.
Before, I did not want to reveal my true identity openly because the people had the wrong ideas and the wrong expectations about who the Messiah was, and what was his mission. They wanted to be delivered from external oppressors like the Romans. I came to deliver from the real oppressors which are sin, evil and all its consequences in the heart of man. Then, I knew that I was going to the Father, that I was led to the cross, and I was ready for this ordeal.
People thought I entered Jerusalem to reign and to send away the Romans. Instead, I came to die and resurrect, and then to send away sin and evil from their ruling in the heart of men. I was coming for the real victory, the victory of love in the heart of men. It did not need violence, but humble obedience to the Father of love. This victory would not impress the world first, but would impact it and transform your world forever.
Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. (11:11)
When I saw all that was done in the temple, all the money and greed involved, I did not agree at all. Yet, I needed first to speak with the Father, to listen to him precisely, in order for me to know what to do about the wickedness I had noticed. That is why I went with the twelve to Bethany in the evening. I did not react, but first simply listened to the Father.
In the same way, when you see something wrong, don’t be too quick to react, thinking that you know how to handle that situation. Make sure that you keep your heart open to us, and that you learn to listen to our directions in such cases. When you see evil, you can fall into sin by letting your anger go unchecked and by reacting too quickly. Don’t do that without a clear direction from us, learn to be like a bridled horse, who learns to follow the guidance of his rider.
We don’t want to crush your will, but to guide you so that you learn to act justly even in situations full of sin, so that you learn to avoid to fall in the very evil that you want to oppose. The devil enjoys leading people to fight one another, each of them holding to a part of the truth. When each person focuses on the part where the other is wrong, Satan can keep them eternally in conflict. It is a key way he uses to destroy couples and to lead many to divorce.
Don’t be foolish, forgetting that you are still a disciple in training. It is only in remaining in fellowship with us that you avoid sin and pride. Don’t imagine at any point that a few biblical principles are enough to possess the truth, that the truth is fully in you, independently of your prayerful union with me. I am the truth, as I remain in the Father. Remain in me and I in you, and the truth will be in you to guide you and keep your heart from evil. Learn to remain with me in this holy fellowship of love, and we will guide you even through places full of sin, so that you come unscathed, so that the name of the Father is glorified. That is why I came to Jerusalem, that is what the Father did through my humble obedience. The cross has become the victory of all victories, the source of redemption for all who come to me, this cross of death has become a tree of life.
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