BY GREG CRUM
“And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:” Mark 11:7-9
Here in Mark 11, we read of the “Triumphal Entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem on the day that would become known as “Palm Sunday.” There’s a lot to be learned from this moment in history, and a lot that preachers and teachers of God’s Word have said about it over the years. But one of the things that always stands out to me when I read this account is the actions of the crowd when they see Jesus riding into Jerusalem on that donkey. The records of Matthew and Mark state that people “spread their garments in the way.” Basically, they rolled out the red carpet in honor of the King of Israel!
Now, we know how public opinion turned so cruelly just a week after this, but what a fitting display of humility and servitude shown in those moments! People were respecting the King with whatever material resources they had in hand.
Yes, many honored Jesus that day, but we know from Luke’s Gospel that not everyone was happy about this show of respect. The Pharisees didn’t like the people shouting that Jesus was the prophesied King of the Jews. Maybe, just maybe some of them in the crowd that day considered the whole ordeal (people cutting down good shade or fruit-producing branches off of trees and soiling, and perhaps ruining, their clothing) a huge, unnecessary waste!
Fast forward almost 2,000 years in human history and, sadly, we see this same attitude today among way too many people—selfish and misguided hearts and minds that brood at the use of any more than the bare necessities in the work and honor of our Lord.
So, you and I both know that many are reconsidering how they allocate their resources right now, and that can be a good thing. We need to manage the resources God has given us well. With that said, there has always been a group that has hidden selfish motives under the guise of “ethical” and “thrifty” resource management that has routinely balked at any “extravagance” funded toward God’s work…just like the Pharisees.
These people think that anything above the minimum is too much, that it’s better to save money for a “rainy day” or perhaps give it to the homeless, the poor, the Humane Society, the Girl Scouts (for cookies for themselves), or for anything else instead of putting that extra to use at God’s house.
Friends, it’s good to give to the poor, and to be generous towards good causes, but giving extravagantly to God and His work is never a waste!
God is the greatest resource manager of all time, but He looks at resource allocation much differently than those who hold with the attitude of the Pharisees of old. Want some proof? In Exodus 25 we read how He wanted the Tabernacle in the Wilderness constructed. Gold, silver, fine linen, precious stones, valuable wood—for a tent that only very few would ever get to step into. What a waste? Not in God’s eyes.
What about the building materials that went into that first Temple in Jerusalem? (I Chronicles 29) All the same valuable materials but in orders of magnitude. David himself gave 225,000 pounds of gold out of his own resources and a lot of that gold was used as “paint” for the interior of the building—a building that only the very few could ever enter. What a waste? Not in God’s perspective.
What about that perfume that Mary poured on Jesus’ feet, worth more than a year’s salary, poured out in a moment? Was it a waste? Judas thought so. How about you? Yeah, I’m not siding with him either. It was not a waste, not in God’s eyes!
Brothers and sisters, giving of our resources to the Lord and His work is never a waste!
Greg Crum is pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.