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Sunday Devotional
April 5, 2020
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“Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, Humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the war-horse from Jerusalem, And the battle-bow shall be cut off, And he shall command peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.” - Zechariah 9:9
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Devotional
Palm Sunday is a day that, while beautiful in its own right, became so much more powerful for me once set into the historical context that was the daily reality for Jesus and his followers in a land occupied by Rome.
On Passover at the time of Jesus, it is thought that about 200,000 Jews would have gathered at the Temple. Pilate, the Roman governor, had one concern during this gathering: Keep order. He approached this as Rome approached most of its problems, through a strong show of force. Jews living under Roman occupation were intimidated into submission at Passover by a Roman military parade, men in full armor, weapons on display, Pilate at the front. It was a reminder to all of what violent fate would come should they question Rome’s authority. Pilate’s was a parade based on fear, domination, and force.
But there was another parade that day, in which Jesus rode into the same town, not on a warhorse or chariot, but on a donkey, a symbol of humility and lowliness. His followers waved simple palms, a reminder of the palms waved after they were freed from occupying powers after the Maccabean revolt. I’m amazed at the boldness of people speaking their truth, choosing a different way, unafraid of Rome. I’m inspired by the creativity of a community who knew there are ways of confronting the world that do not rely on violence or fear. Jesus and his followers give us a radical image of humility, gentleness, and creativity. And Jesus leads the way, as always, with a willingness to suffer—for surely He knew how the week would end.
These two parades are present everywhere in our culture today. There are certainly forces in our society seeking to control or impress through “big”-ness, fame, money, bullying, and intimidation. The Palm Sunday story reminds me to look for the small, for the humble, to find God. God still comes to us in overlooked people, in places of poverty and suffering, in the gentlest of creatures, and in creation itself. And God invariably chooses to come in on a donkey. More and more, I pray to have eyes to see.
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Prayer
Dear God, Give us eyes to see You through Your humbleness, Your gentleness, and Your guidance to be unafraid of those who choose to dominate others through force, violence, and fear. Lead us to be the guiding light to the gentle and kind who need You to complete their world. Amen.
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- Contributed by Traci McGrath -
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