Where Two Ways Met

"Where Two Ways Met"
Mark 11:1-7

Introduction:
A farmer one planted two fruit trees on opposite sides of his property. The one he planted to provide a hedge hide the unsightly view of an old landfill; the other to provide shade to rest under near a cool mountain stream which ran down beside his fields. As the two trees grew, both produced began to flower and bear fruit. One day the farmer decided to gather the fruit from the tree nearest his house " the one used to provide a hedge from the landfill. As he brought the fruit inside the house, he noticed that it was a little deformed " the symmetry of the fruit was not very good, but still the fruit looked edible. Later that evening, while sitting on his porch the farmer took one of the pieces of fruit for a snack. Biting into the fruit, he found it to be extremely bitter, and completely inedible. Casting the fruit aside he looked across the field to the other tree over by the mountain stream. After walking across the field, the farmer took a piece of the fruit from the other tree and bit into it. Find the fruit to be sweet and delicious he gathered several more pieces of fruit and took them to the house.
The fruit was greatly affected by the nutrition of the root. Just as the tree grew by the landfill to be bitter, and the tree by the stream produced sweet fruit, so the Christian has a choice. He can either put down his roots into the soil of the landfill of fleshly pursuits, or into the cool refreshing stream of the person of Jesus Christ. We must understand that the root bears the fruit. The fruit of the Christian is the outward evidence of the inward motivation.
This is not the message I had intended to preach today, but I felt that God drew me to this passage, and particularly to six words found in verse 4: “a place where two roads met.” Mark is the only Gospel writer to include this detail, but it seems an appropriate metaphor in the story because not only were two roads converging, but, for those involved, two choices converged.

I. DISCIPLES-
An unusual request is being made of these two disciples.
Jesus asks them to do something unorthodox and the result could be embarrassing.
They are in a small area just outside of Jerusalem where figs, dates and olives were grown
The climate has been hostile toward Jesus and yet they have come for Passover in Jerusalem
Now Jesus instructed them to commandeer a foal of a donkey that was tied to a home
Jesus expected there to be some resistance and gave the disciples instructions on how to respond
Jesus seemed so confident of the outcome and the farmer’s willingness to comply
But think about what an odd request Jesus is making of the disciples
Jesus isn’t going along to personally make this request, but they are to do it in His behalf
The disciples are at a crossroad, a convergence of choices
The means of securing something would normally begin with a request
But Jesus instructs the disciples to begin by loosing the colt and then making explanation
The mood toward Jesus being as it was, this may have left them vulnerable to criminal charges of larceny
At the least, they may be humiliated by a refusal and have to return to the Lord empty-handed
Regardless of the consequences the disciples obediently and faithfully discharged their duties
When God gives us direction, are