The Triumph of Humble Acts – a Matthew 21 Story
It was a hot summer day in the bustling city of Jerusalem. The streets were crowded with people from all over the world who had come to celebrate the Passover festival. Among the throngs of people was a man named Jacob. He was a humble farmer from a small village on the outskirts of the city.
As Jacob walked through the streets, he noticed that there was a commotion near the entrance to the temple. Curious, he made his way over to see what was happening. There, he saw a crowd of people gathered around a man on a donkey, who was making his way through the crowds.
As the man on the donkey approached, the people began to shout and cheer. They waved palm branches and threw their cloaks on the ground as a sign of respect. Jacob was amazed by the spectacle, but he didn’t understand what was going on.
After the man on the donkey had passed, Jacob asked one of the onlookers what was happening. The person explained that the man on the donkey was Jesus, the son of God, and that he had come to Jerusalem to save the people.
Jacob was skeptical. He had heard of Jesus before, but he didn’t believe that one man could save the world. However, his curiosity was piqued, so he decided to follow the crowd to see what would happen next.
Soon, they arrived at the temple. Inside, Jacob saw that the courtyard was full of people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. The noise and chaos were overwhelming. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the temple and began to overturn the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
Jacob was shocked by what he saw. He had never seen anyone stand up to the powerful merchants who controlled the temple. But Jesus didn’t back down. He spoke out against the corruption and greed that had taken hold in the temple, and he called on the people to turn away from their sinful ways.
As Jacob listened to Jesus, he began to feel a sense of conviction in his heart. He realized that he too had fallen short of God’s standards and that he needed to change his ways. He decided to humble himself and ask for forgiveness.
That day, Jacob witnessed the triumph of humble acts over greed and corruption. He saw that true power comes from a heart that is humble, obedient, and faithful. And he knew that he had been changed forever by the words of Jesus.
And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? – Matthew 21:15-16