Scripture: Mark 11:1-3
When Jesus and his followers approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus gave two disciples a task, saying to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘Its master needs it, and he will send it back right away.’”
Thought for the Day: This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, and though we associate it with children laughing and parading around with palms, there is a subversive point to it all. Some have called it political theater. Jesus requesting a colt was the beginning of his counter protest. It was a Jewish holiday, and Jerusalem was filling up with thousands of visitors alongside locals who were seeking to celebrate the Passover Festival. It was a time for Zealots to stir up the crowds and cause trouble, and the last thing Rome wanted was trouble. They were ok with the unique religions and cultures maintaining their traditions as long as they kept within the laws of Rome. To help maintain the peace, the Roman authorities and military would flex their muscle and enter the main gate of the city were so many of the people would see them. The leaders would ride on large stallions to make their point and power clear. This image must be seen alongside Jesus entering from a side gate riding a donkey. Actually, he was riding a young donkey, so young that no one had yet been on it. Jesus wanted to put his understanding of power side by side with the world’s definition of power, specifically those who used threats and violence to maintain their place of power. Jesus offered a scandalous picture of God’s kingdom that stood in sharp contrast to what Rome liked to demonstrate. In your own imagination, how might Jesus present his scandalous message in our culture today?
Prayer: Trouble my soul, O Lord, where it needs to be troubled. Shake me a bit if there are ways that I worship cultural or political power over you. I don’t mean to do so, yet such things beckon me with their glitz and strength. I request this in the name of the humble one, Jesus. Amen.
TOMORROW
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