Why Are You Doing That?

A squirrel is living in a pine tree, when one day it starts to shake and rock.  So he looks outside and he sees a large elephant trying to climb up the tree.  "What do you think you're doing climbing up this tree?!" the squirrel asks.

The elephant responds. "I'm climbing up here to eat pears."

The squirrel is befuddled. "You’re crazy! This is a pine tree! There are no pears!"

The elephant stares at him for a moment before replying, "I know. I brought my own.

"Why are you doing that?

Have you ever been asked that question?  There have been some times in my life when friends have asked me that insightful question that ended up changing my life:

Why are you acting out?

Why are you taking rejection so hard?

Why are you letting that person have so much power in your life?

Why are you expecting your parents to act differently than they have acted your entire life?

Why are you not leaving on your own terms?

Why are you doing that?

Let me ask you that question:

Why are you working at that job?

Why are you homeschooling?  Why are you sending your kids to private school? Why are you sending your kids to public school?

Why are you dating that girl?

Why are you spending money that way?

Why are you doing that?

This morning I want us to look for what I believe is the best answer to the question of, why are you doing that?

It comes from the Palm Sunday story—Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem the Sunday before he died.  In this familiar story we see all sorts of people doing all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons.  Yet, in the middle of this story, Jesus reminds us what our why needs to be.

When Jesus had finished saying all this, he went on toward Jerusalem.—Luke 19:28 (CEV)

Luke 9 marks the beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly life.  In Luke 9 Jesus tells his followers a number of times that he is going to be killed.  And then we read:

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.—Luke 9:51 (NIV)

So he is on his way, Jesus stops from time to time to teach, to meet, to perform a miracle or two, stay with friends, and here he had just finished teaching a crowd the parable of the servants—how each one got so much money and how they invested it or refused to invest it.

As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives,--Luke 19:29 (CEV)

Bethany and Bethphage were not two baristas over at the local Starbucks, they were suburbs of Jerusalem.  Bethany was the home of Mary and Martha and their brother, Lazarus, who Jesus had raised from the dead.  Bethphage was considered the outermost reach of the city of Jerusalem, the limit of a Sabbath-day’s journey (900 meters) from the city, and the furthest point at which bread could be baked for use in the Temple.  The name in Hebrew means “House of unripe figs” — recalling that in this area Jesus caused a fig tree with no fruit to wither

As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead.  He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. (The odometer reads zero) Untie the donkey and bring it here.  If anyone asks why you are doing that, just say…--Luke 19:29-31 (CEV)

In this story, Jesus gives us the correct answer to, “Why are you doing that?’  He gives us a clear grid to run our actions by.

But first, let’s look at some of the typical answers to the question, why are you doing that?

1.  Insecurity

Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”—John 11:47-48 (NLT)

It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began.  They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?”  Meanwhile, the leading priests and Pharisees had publicly ordered that anyone seeing Jesus must report it immediately so they could arrest him.—John 11:55-57 (NLT)

Some people, the religious leaders, did what they did in this story because they were insecure.  They were in charge, but here come Jesus, the one who spoke with extreme authority, and they were afraid they would lose their jobs, their standing, and their security.

“Most bad behavior comes from insecurity.”--Debra Winger

“It's insecurity that is always chasing you and standing in the way of your dreams.”--Vin Diesel

2.  Rebellion

Luke 19 ends this way:

Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.  Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words. --Luke 19:47-48 (NIV)

Evil exists.  Some of the things we do come straight from evil.

Two policemen call the station on their radio.  "Hello. ..... Is this the Sarge?"

"Yes?"

"We have a case here, Sarge. A woman has shot her husband dead for stepping on the floor she just mopped."

"Have you arrested the woman?"

"No sir. The floor is still wet."

3. Greed

Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead.  A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him.  Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial.  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”—John 12:1-8 (NIV)

4. Curiosity  

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.—John 12:9 (NIV)

Curiosity, entertainment, amusement

5. Tradition

 

It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. --John 11:55 (NLT)

Tradition is the illusion of permanence.” --Woody Allen

6. Pressure

Everybody else is doing it.

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!”—John 12:12-13 (NIV)

Palm Sunday might be described as '”Schizophrenic Sunday.”  The crowd goes from “Hail him!”  Why?  Because that’s what everyone else is doing.

To quote my mother, “If your friends put their head in the oven, would you do that too?”

Sinek, Simon Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take

7.  Applause

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God.—John 12:42-43 (NIV)

I need the applause.--Jerry Lewis

Those are seven typical reasons why we do what we do.  But Jesus suggests another answer:

As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. 30 He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here.  If anyone asks why you are doing that, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.”

They went off and found everything just as Jesus had said. –Luke 19:29-32 (CEV)

This passage is a clear indicator that when Jesus says something will happen, it will happen.

While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, “Why are you doing that?”

They answered, “The Lord needs it.” –Luke 19:33-34 (CEV)

This fulfilled the prophecy spoken centuries before in Zechariah 9:9 and Isaiah 62:11. "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey"' --Matthew 21:5 (NIV)

Then they led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him.  When Jesus was starting down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. They shouted, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to God.”—Luke 19:35-38 (NIV)

The crowd’s song is a fulfillment of Psalm 118 and Psalm 146.  The triumphal entry is the culmination of thousands of years of prophecy.

Why are you doing that?

Jesus suggested this answer:  “The Lord needs it.”

The Lord needs it.  God had a plan, he brought the prophecies of Zechariah, Isaiah and David the Psalmist all together in the triumphal entry.  But he needed two of his disciples to go to a village and pick up a donkey colt.  The Lord needed it.

And God has a plan for you and for me, he has things all lined up for us to walk in his ways.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.—Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

God doesn’t need us.  But he has set things up to include us. 

If the Lord doesn’t need it, why am I doing it?

If the Lord Needs It, I am Doing It

God doesn’t need me, but he chooses to use me

What does the Lord “need” from me and you?  What does the Lord ask from me and you?

Availability

God wants our obedience.  When he says, “go!”  We go.  It may seem awkward, we still go.

Generosity

God may ask for your donkey, the new one, with the low miles.

Again, it may seem crazy.  God can actually create his own donkey or Toyota or Chevrolet, but He wasn’t to give us the privilege of being part of his plan.  And He wants to develop the spirit of generosity in us.  Generous people are the most influential, well-liked and happy people on earth.  He wants that for us.

Honor

Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!” But Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.”--Luke 19:28-40 (CEV)

I’ve wondered why Jesus did the whole Palm Sunday parade deal.  And I’ve landed on this idea of honor.  Honor is respect, regard, and reverence.  We have lost that in our society.  We don’t honor one another because we don’t honor God.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. –Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.

--Exodus 20:24 (NIV)

Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.

 –1 Samuel 2:30 (NIV)

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.

–Psalms 3:9 (NIV)

Honor one another above yourselves. –Romans 12:10 (NIV)

Trust

What God desires for us is that we trust Him.  He has a plan, we can step into it, we can be part of it.  And if we trust Him, we might find ourselves in the middle of a memorable parade.